The 7th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards — Results!

dance

1. BEST FEATURED PERFORMER

Prize of RM1,000

• Suhaili Ahmad Kamil for “2=1” in Jamu 2008; choreographed by Suhaili Ahmad Kamil, presented by ASWARA

2. BEST CHOREOGRAPHER IN A MIXED BILL

Prize of RM1,000

• Umesh Shetty for “SUM” in Jamu 2008; presented by ASWARA

3. BEST CHOREOGRAPHER IN A FEATURE-LENGTH WORK

Prize of RM1,000

• Anthony Meh Kim Chuan for The Legend of Hou Yi & Chang Er; presented by Dua Space Dance Theatre

4. BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE

Prize of RM1,000

• The Legend of Hou Yi & Chang Er by Dua Space Dance Theatre Ensemble; choreographed by Anthony Meh Kim Chuan, presented by Dua Space Dance Theatre

5. BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Lim Ang Swee for My Calling, My Stage, My Act; choreographed by Loi Chin Yu, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

6. BEST SET DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Lam Ghooi-Ket for TranscendAnce; choreographed by Geetha Shankaran-Lam, presented by The Temple of Fine Arts

7. BEST MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Tengku Kudin Tengku Dalam for Peta’ka; choreographed by Nor Shuradi Nor Hashim, Mohd Yusoff Nor, Azmi Abd Hamid & Abdul Khalib Shaffa, presented by Kumpulan Kesenian Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur

8. BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Anthony Meh Kim Chuan for The Legend of Hou Yi & Chang Er; choreographed by Anthony Meh Kim Chuan, presented by Dua Space Dance Theatre

music

1. BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE (INSTRUMENTAL)

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar

• “Samy Ode Paatu” in Lets Go Mamak! by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre & Inner Voices; musical direction by Julian Chan & Ken Hor, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

2. BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar

• Julian Chan & Ken Hor for Lets Go Mamak!; presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre & Inner Voices

3. BEST ORIGINAL COMPOSITION

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar

• Ken Hor for “Drums Talk” in Lets Go Mamak!; musical direction by Julian Chan & Ken Hor, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

4. BEST PRODUCTION VALUES

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar

• Drum Slices 3 – Rhythm Ride by Hands Percussion Team; presented by Hands Percussion Team

5. BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE (INSTRUMENTAL)

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Alexis Bistro & Wine Bar

• Dennis Lee for HSBC Classics Piano Festival 2008 by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre; musical direction by Brian Tan, presented by HSBC Bank Berhad

theatre

1. BEST GROUP PERFORMANCE

Prize of RM1,000

• Crazy Little Thing Called Love; written by various writers, directed by Colin Kirton, Jonathan Tan & Sean Low, presented by Footstool Players

2. BEST DIRECTOR

Prize of RM1,000

• Loh Kok Man for Animal Farm; written by George Orwell, presented by Pentas Project Theatre Production

3. RED COMMUNICATIONS AWARD FOR BEST LIGHTING DESIGN IN THEATRE

Prize of RM1,000

• Loh Kok Man for Air Con; written by Shanon Shah, directed by Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi, presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

4. BEST SET DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Caecar Chong for Animal Farm; written by George Orwell, directed by Loh Kok Man, presented by Pentas Project Theatre Production

5. BEST MUSIC & SOUND DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• WASP Studios for Air Con; written by Shanon Shah, directed by Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi, presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

6. BEST COSTUME DESIGN

Prize of RM1,000

• Dominique Devorsine for Animal Farm; written by George Orwell, directed by Loh Kok Man, presented by Pentas Project Theatre Production

7. BEST ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Prize of RM1,000

• Gabrielle Maes for Souvenir: A Fantasia on the Life of Florence Foster Jenkins; written by Stephen Temperley, directed by Richard Harding Gardner, presented by Gardner & Wife Theatre

8. BEST ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Prize of RM1,000

• Ryan Lee Bhaskaran for Air Con; written by Shanon Shah, directed by Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi, presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

9. BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT – BAHASA MALAYSIA

Prize of RM1,000

• Shanon Shah for Air Con; written by Shanon Shah, directed by Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi, presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

10. BEST ORIGINAL SCRIPT – ENGLISH

Prize of RM1,000

• Arun Subramaniam for Hero; directed by Jo Kukathas & Zalfian Fuzi, presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

musical theatre

1. BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE

• Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

2. BEST ORIGINAL MUSIC

• Imee Ooi for Jewel of Tibet, the Musical; written by Ho Lin Huay, musical direction by Imee Ooi, directed by Ho Lin Huay, presented by Musical On Stage Productions

3. BEST ORIGINAL BOOK AND/OR LYRICS

• U-En Ng for Ismail, the Last Days; musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

4. BEST CHOREOGRAPHER

• Chan Soo Leng & Michele Yong Soo Fon for Jewel of Tibet, the Musical; written by Ho Lin Huay, musical direction by Imee Ooi, directed by Ho Lin Huay, presented by Musical On Stage Productions

5. BEST MUSICAL DIRECTION

• Mervyn Peters for Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

6. BEST DIRECTOR

• Ho Lin Huay for Jewel of Tibet, the Musical; written by Ho Lin Huay, musical direction by Imee Ooi, presented by Musical On Stage Productions

7. BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

• Lim Ang Swee & Sandee Chew for Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

8. BEST SET DESIGN

• Loh Kok Man & Caecar Chong for Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

9. BEST SOUND DESIGN

• Alvin Koh for Jewel of Tibet, the Musical; written by Ho Lin Huay, musical direction by Imee Ooi, directed by Ho Lin Huay, presented by Musical On Stage Productions

10. BEST COSTUME DESIGN & MAKEUP

• Dominique Devorsine for Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

11. BEST PERFORMANCE IN A LEADING ROLE

• Malik Taufiq for Ismail, the Last Days; written by U-En Ng, musical direction by Mervyn Peters, directed by Joe Hasham, presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

12. BEST PERFORMANCE IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

• Ciang Teng for Jewel of Tibet, the Musical; written by Ho Lin Huay, musical direction by Imee Ooi, directed by Ho Lin Huay, presented by Musical On Stage Productions

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special awards

KAKISENI AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS – DANCE / MUSIC / MUSICAL THEATRE / THEATRE

Prize of RM1,000 for each award sponsored by Kakiseni

Dance: Passion presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre

Music: Lets Go Mamak! presented by The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre & Inner Voices

Musical Theatre: Broadway Parodies Lagilah! presented by The Actors Studio

Theatre: Air Con presented by The Instant Café Theatre Company

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THE MANDARIN ORIENTAL, KUALA LUMPUR MOST PROMISING ARTIST AWARD

Prize of RM1,000 sponsored by Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur

Suhaili Micheline binti Ahmad Kamil

Suhaili Micheline Binti Ahmad KamiI is an Honours graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), in Melbourne.

She performed in numerous events and festivals and worked with several international choreographers while in Australia, before returning to Malaysia in 2006.

Suhaili is still attached as a professional dancer with Australian independent dance companies Red Span Dance Co. and Rogue.

In 2008 she performed with Rogue in the ‘Next Wave’ festival sponsored by Victoria Arts Council at the Meat Market, Melbourne, in Neil Adams’ ‘Vapour Trail’ (2004) for the VCA School of Dance 30^th Anniversary event, and with Red Span Dance Co in both Sydney and Melbourne for the Kultour Program 2008.

In Malaysia, Suhaili performed in Bilqis Hijjas’ ‘Take Flight!’ and Low Shee Hoe’s ‘Code 0519’ at KLPac in 2007. In 2008, she performed a duet work ‘Rebel Without a Cause?’ with choreographer/dancer Rathimalar Govindarajoo.

Suhaili premiered her own choreography, the short piece ‘2=1’ featuring dancers from Aurora School of Ballet at ASWARA’s Jamu 2008, for which she has received a nomination for Best Featured Performer at the 7^th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards.

Suhaili is best known to Malaysian audiences for being one of the top four contestants of the first season of 8TV’s So You Think You Can Dance? Malaysia. In 2008, Suhaili worked as a choreographer for the second season of the hit show.

Suhaili currently teaches ballet and contemporary dance at Aurora School of Ballet and ASWARA.

CROSS-CULTURAL CHAMPION OF THE ARTS AWARD

Sivabalan S. Shanmuga Sundram

Sivabalan S. Shanmuga Sundram joined the Temple of Fine Arts, Kuala Lumpur in 1987, studying the mridangam under the tutelage of Guru Sri Suresh Ramachandran.

Following his Arangetram in 1992, Sivabalan went on to perform and teach with the TFA, and has to date performed for over 130 dance Arangetrams, Salangai Pooja’s and performances showcasing Bharata Natyam in Malaysia, Jakarta, Singapore and Bangkok.

1996 saw him part of ‘Rhythmic Fusion’, a big scale live collaboration that encompassed Indian Classical music and western instruments.

Following this, during a stint in Scotland, Sivabalan joined forces with a group of musicians and performed all over Sterling, Dundee, Glasgow and Aberdeen. He also travelled to present Carnatic music calculation and lecture/demonstration workshops in London, Wales and Dublin.

His return to Malaysia saw collaborative works with Rhythm In Bronze for the production ‘Wujud Antara’ which won a BOH Cameronian Arts Award.

Sivabalan was also part of the fusion ensemble, PRANA, with whom he performed numerous gigs and concerts with, to varied audiences.

He has helped conduct workshops and Indian drums clinics all over Northern Malaysia in collaboration with DIGI under the Amazing Malaysians Programme, and Sivabalan is now also the appointed mridangist of the National Traditional Symphony Orchestra, under the banner of Istana Budaya.

In July of 2008, Sivabalan formed the fusion ensemble AkashA, representing Malaysia at the Rainforest World Music Festival in Borneo, and the group was voted as one of the best acts. Akasha have just launched their first album, “Into AkashA.”

Sivabalan continues to promote his chosen art form in various lecture demonstrations, discussions, performances and collaborative works.

BOH CAMERONIAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Prize of RM5,000 sponsored by BOH Plantations

Lee Lee Lan

A Malaysian pioneer, dancer, choreographer and educationist, Lee Lee Lan is a trained ballerina and an award-winning choreographer, who trained under the illustrious guidance of Soo Nee Goh, Blossom Shek and Ethel Foxcroft.

She has a BA Degree from the University of Malaya and holds the Advanced Teachers Certificate from the Royal Academy of Dancing, London. She gained further dance experience at the Dance Centre Covent Garden, Pineapple Studios in London and the Martha Graham School in New York under Maria Fay, Ruth French, Matt Mattox, Molly Molloy and others.

Starting her iconic ballet school, the Federal Academy of Ballet, in the 1960s, Lee Lan is an International Examiner of Ballet and Modern Dancing for the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, London.

She has choreographed and performed on Television Malaysia, and at the Modern Dance Festival in Seoul, the Isadory Duncan Festival in Tokyo and the American Dance Festival in Cincinnati.

Among her many notable works are ‘Wind’, ‘Four Seasons’, ‘Kota Bharu 44’ and also ‘Soraya’, a full-length ballet which was presented to the King. She has also presented papers at conferences both locally and internationally.

The Founder President of the Dance Society of Malaysia, Lee Lan is also a committee member of CIOFF Malaysia, was past Vice-President of the World Dance Alliance-Asia Pacific, and was the driving force behind the formation of MyDance Alliance in 1994.

An entrepreneur with a heart, she ensures that proceeds from her many concerts go to deserving charitable organizations, among them Wisma Harapan, The Association for the Severely Mentally Handicapped, The Red Crescent Society and Malaysian Association of the Blind.

Apart from offering full and part scholarships to deserving students, she has undertaken the delicate challenge of teaching a group of hearing impaired youngsters to dance.

Her personal motto of striving for excellence in all things has helped her pave the way for Malaysian talent on the dance scene, both locally and abroad.

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The Awards Ceremony for the 7th Annual BOH Cameronian Arts Awards took place on Sun, 3 May 2009 at 8pm, at the Emerald Room, Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.

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First Published: 03.05.2009 on Kakiseni