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The ARTs FesTIvaL is really depleting me financial resources people! 
Just spent $44 to get my ears blown off whilst watching contemporary flamenco dance. 
Thanks Gen for getting front row seats at the corner right smack infront of those massive speakers. Guess it's partly me and meg's fault for not replying decisively enough on whether or not we wanted to watch the performance. But then again, they weren't too bad. It's not every performance where you get to be so so close and intimate to the performers on stage yeah?
Alright, intimate not to mean we actually managed to get back stage passes or one on one time with the performers. Intimate a.k.a able to hear their panting
( or was it gasping?.... thanks to those massive speakers ) and able to see the fine spray of sweat or hair spray water each time those eye candy boys spun and twisted their bodies around. Mmmmm......
Alright so I'm not gonna brag about the superb 2 and a half hour feast of gorgeous dudes I had ( they were so cute....
*sigh*), but rather comment on this truly superb performance. It was superb not only because of the spectacular performance put up by the performers but because of the general environment where we were sitting this night.
On the performance of the performers ( local acts you could actually learn a thing or two from them )....
I admit I'm no connoisseur of the art of dance but that's the beauty of this peformance: I feel that even the layman wanting to experience dance or even art would have been able to identify with the performance. It was fluid, exciting and there was an interactive blend between dance and music. Most importantly there is an interesting blend of cultures and genres. The band was made up of: An indian tabla
(2 headed drum) and other indian percussion instruments, a classical grand piano, classical guitar, electric cello and double bass, as well as two singers. And they were all able to work together to give a stunning performance which totally complemented the dancers. I've seen dance performances before and one thing I can't stand is when the dance and music is completely out of phase. It's jarring on the nerves, all the irregularity. In this performance, the dancers felt the music, the musicians accomodated the dancers and the audience were treated to a breathtaking display of artistry and passion.
ALright now onto to the next point that made my experience there rather gripeless ( is there such a word? well guess that's wat you call writer's license).
I guess that the quote "you pay for what you get" is rather apt in usage in this case. Although I do personally feel that there isn't much of a co-relation between price of tickets and the kind of people you are to partake the evening with, experience has sort of made me beg to differ.
Maybe I was already deaf by the second dance piece but I was surprisingly pleased to note that there were not any stray noises (a.k.a chatting, dumb remarking. etc. ) and cellular phone fondling ( yes love, cellular phones are supposed to be the legally correct term for handphone) Everyone was observing proper theatre etiquette and enjoying what they had paid good money to watch, however, the most important thing was that ( in truly un-singaporean style i think)everyone was kind and generous enough to allow their fellow audience enjoy wat they had also paid good money to watch.
WEll, so you may think I'm overly sensitive ( again?
) but man I'm sick of paying good money to go to a performance and having the entire experience destroyed by some selfish bugger. You do know who these people are right?
Here's a list to jog your memory. IF You remember any others that I have missed out please do tell me. DO your part for the community's sake!
1. HAndPhone(it's easier for pple to relate if I use this term) FondLerS: 
People who switch their phones to silent mode but do not realise that in the near total darkness the beam of light that is emitted from that wretched device is equally as distracting as whispered chatter. The newer the model, the worse the effect: the handphones actually look like miniature UFOS landing in the palm of their hands.
Another errant subgroup in this category would be the people who actually ANSWER their calls in the middle of the performance. They believe that they are able to carry out a conversation at frequencies way below our listening range. Well, to all those guilty as charged: NO you are not able to do that. ANd further more, you are certainly not discussing some fascinating state-secret so NOBODY wants to hear your conversations and having puccini or verdi punctuated with your wretched conversation. WE live in difficult times and Art performances are luxuries some of us can ill afford. If we wanted to pay $79.00 to come listen to nonsensical chatter, we would just have to go to our nearest kopitiam or market for some gossip fest.
2. SmaRT AleCKs: 
These are the kind of people who have strong faith and belief in their knowledge on what ever art form is being performed. But, if you have read my previous article regarding the liberties of Singaporean ( get used to the idea, we do have those liberties) the louder they speak of their so called 'cleverness' the higher the probability of their speech being utter rubbish. Watching Ten Tenors at the esplanade was like watching Ten Tenors with One Idiot. To that guy who I was so unfortunate to have to sit two seats away from " YOU KNOW CRAP ABOUT OPERA MUSIC SO SHUT UP!" 
Apparently, Mr. 'AleCK' ( his name is SmaRT ) was trying to impress his girlfriend. Gal you must be both blind and non-cognitive to actually go out with this guy. The only thing that any other male could have learnt from this 'man' would be : Figure hugging TURtlENecKs are absolute NO NOs for someone without the stature or physique. Fake, Rojak accents(you know the kinda accent where you just can't place it as American, Aussie or British or any other foreign accent? ) are very good for hilarious digs but not for communication's sake.
A person who really understands and appreciates the performance will keep his or her mouth shut and enjoy the performance in its entirety before actually DiScuSsinG it during the intermission or after the entire performance. That's because they can actually remember what's good about the performance as they were smart enough to pay attention to it.
3. The ConverSAtionAList:
Where is the most perfect place to hold a conversation? I dunno. But from what I've experienced and Heard...the Esplanade theatre and concert halls are the best places. I suppose the fact that you pay , oh say, anywhere from $20 to $250 makes this airconditioned facility a perfect setting for uselesss conversation. Oh...and of course there's the fantastic background music and light entertainment. All I have to say is that these people are either mad or filthy rich. Brings a whole new understanding of someone being insanely rich.
4.The CriTiCIseR: 
So there may be some ARts magazine editor or otherwise amongst the audience but I wouldn't think that anyone could come out with as apt and literal an analysis as those I've heard from my seat. They are the people who screw up their faces in absolute disgust and criticise why twentieth century music is dissonant and irrevocably unharmonised, complain that Romantic music is too sleep inducing and laughs at the performer who deeply engrossed in his or her music sways together with it. I am speechless.
SO here's a big thank you all who made Sunday's performance fantastic and memorable! You've renewed my dying faith in the Art of Performance Viewing.
CheeRs!