Embracing Animal Pop by Jecko Siompo

For one special weekend, the Gallery’s Padang Atrium became a nucleus of sound. A dozen energetic children were dancing to their hearts’ delight, accompanied by their mothers in a rousing participatory performance titled Embracing Animal Pop for the Gallery Children's Biennale 2019.

Animal Pop is a unique dance style choreographed by Jecko Siompo, combining the indigenous dance styles of Indonesia with the more urban dance styles of pop and hip-hop. After an open call that lasted a few months, an initial list of two dozen registrants was whittled down to a dozen, and finally to 11 in the week of rehearsals. For a week, our mother-child duos showed up at the Keppel Centre for Art Education, moving and sweating and memorising the moves.

I bore witness to the incredible dedication of our participants during the rehearsals. Our mothers pressed on through their limited time, pain (one mother had just undergone a C-section!) and responsibility to be an encouraging presence for their children. Some children were undeniably impressive, doing cartwheels across the room in their spare time or devising ingenious games from toy fruit. One of the toughest moves in the routine involved skipping across the room with both hands planted on the ground and one foot in the air. Everyone – mother and child – committed to this with a hundred percent of their energy.

And then it was showtime. 

I stood on the sidelines, eyes fixed on one of the youngest participants – a shy but beaming 4-year-old boy, clinging onto his mother’s back – who brought to mind the adorable image of a baby monkey. I held water for Jecko’s assistants – Soleman Korwa, Abdul Haris “Bythos” Kamaruddin and Suhur “Jun” – who were from Jecko’s studio in Jakarta, and helped lead participants throughout the performance. Once in a while I’d also turn to Jecko, the choreographer himself, nodding and smiling as he worked the music from the control booth.  But nothing would ever beat the sight of performers letting loose some of the most piercing of primate-like hoots that ever echoed across the heart of the Gallery. 

And then I finally emerged from the sidelines, as part of the final segment of the performance: all of the performers gathered into a tight group along the steps of the Padang Atrium, posing while I took a few shots of them with the camera on my iPhone. I then turned to the audience to say my final words as emcee: I thanked everyone for choosing to spend their afternoon at the Gallery today; I thanked Jecko, Bythos, Jun and Sole for flying down to Singapore from Jakarta; I named every mother and her child for choosing to be a part of the programme.

The music kicked up again, however, the moment I walked away. The group promptly split up and climbed down the steps, back into the performance area. They repeated one of their more beloved routines: each step comes with a hoot, a whoop, a shrill sort of cry. And they repeated the segment, over and over, like an encore that would not end. 

In another world, I thought, they’d keep on dancing. The Gallery would remain a site of play for everyone involved, for a little longer than their allocated time, their hoots and screams continuing to fill the air.

Embracing Animal Pop by Jecko Siompo was performed with the participation of Yeo Bee Loon and Charlize Koh; Jenny Chia and Lorraine Chang; Lee Hui Li and Pasquale Wong; Winnie Khong and Goh Yun Jie; Tu Linh Truong and An Chi Lena Truong; Maya and Kayla Ho; Cheryl Seng and Zaccheus Lo; Serene Seow and Low Xin Yu; Iori Chua, Alisteir Teo and Alexander Teo; Iris Chia and Eva Khanashat; Joann Ng and Hayley Tan.