Pasar Seni MRT station commuters say biweekly dance act by local performers a refreshing sight

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — Commuters at the Pasar Seni MRT station were surprised and delighted to see a group of youngsters performing a dance act at the station.

The youngsters from the MyDance Alliance a non-profit organisation under Think City’s “Arts On The Move” programme have been performing biweekly at Pasar Seni MRT on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm.

The dance series titled “Dancing in Place” aims to connect culture and transit, in collaboration with Prasarana, and supported by Yayasan Hasanah.

The young performers surely drew a crowd of commuters at the station which is one of the busiest interchange stations in Kuala Lumpur, especially during peak hours.

“I didn’t know this was going on, it was a pleasant surprise to come up and see this.

“If this kind of thing happens often it would be nice,” said commuter Dina Mohamed, 25.

The dancers were from MyDance Alliance, a non-profit organisation under Think City’s “Arts On The Move” programme and their piece was called “Dancing in Place.”

“Arts On The Move” is a part of Think City’s efforts to revitalise the city centre with the cultural and creative industries under the Kuala Lumpur Creative and Culture Strategic Master Plan and seeks to connect culture and transit, in collaboration with public transport company Prasarana Berhad, with the support of Yayasan Hasanah.

The “Arts On The Move” performances started in March with a different artiste performing once every two weeks.

Past performers included Sean Ghazi and Ida Mariana with members of TARAKUCHA! on November 9, and before that, Bhangra & Dhol on October 19.

The performances were music to the ears and a sight for sore eyes from the constant white and grey walls in the MRT stations accompanied by the high-pitched beeping sounds when the train door closes.

The youngsters from the MyDance Alliance a non-profit organisation under Think City’s ‘Arts On The Move’ programme have been performing biweekly at Pasar Seni MRT on Thursdays from 5pm to 6pm. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Dina said although there was no stage set up, it was fine as art can be performed anywhere.

She said the performances elevated the moods of the commuters.

“I feel really happy I got out of the house today because I wasn’t actually planning on going out and I don’t have any plans either so I can just stick around or watch,” she said.

Given the swarm of commuters every six minutes exiting the MRT and every four minutes entering the MRT, most of them ran to the train platform with one eye on the performance.

However, some of the commuters stayed to watch for a while before running for the train.

Another commuter Nur Fatin Annisa, 31, said it’s not her first time watching a show in the Pasar Seni MRT station as she uses the MRT almost every day.

“Before this, they had performed a Bhangra dance, and this is my second time seeing this because today I’m not in a rush and I just came over and stopped by to watch this event,” she said.

The young performers drew a crowd of commuters at the station which is one of the busiest interchange stations in Kuala Lumpur, especially during peak hours. — Picture by Hari Anggara.

Being able to enjoy the show for free after work, Nur Fatin said it was an incredibly fun experience.

Although she doesn’t frequently watch local performances, she said this experience has encouraged her to take more interest and support the local arts scene.

Another commuter, Victoria Leong Kai Xin, 23 said she was intrigued by the performance as it was her first time seeing something like this.

Victoria, who’s a frequent supporter of the local arts scene said she was amazed by the local talent.

“I’m very amazed because not every day you get to watch stuff like this, for free. Usually, we’ll have to pay at least RM100 to watch, so I think this is worthwhile, I would come and watch this again,” she told Malay Mail.

Think City is an impact organisation dedicated to making cities more liveable, resilient, and sustainable. It provides policy thinking, management, and implementation of urban solutions.

MyDance Alliance is a non-profit volunteer organisation founded in 2001, bringing together dance practitioners and enthusiasts to support projects in Malaysian dance.

The dance series titled ‘Dancing in Place’ aims to connect culture and transit, in collaboration with Prasarana, and supported by Yayasan Hasanah. — Picture by Hari Anggara.