ECNAD
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ECNAD is the reverse spelling of 'dance', it signify a unique perspective of looking at dance. ECNAD Project is a multi-disciplinary dance company located in Singapore. Lead by founders and artistic directors Tan How Choon and Lim Chin Huat (Lim was 2000 Young Artist Award recipient).
Formerly known as Dance Dimension Project, it is founded in 1996.
From 1997 to 2000, it initiated a series of outreach site-specific works at fountains and architectural spaces in the urban environment. Suntec City fountain, Bugis Junction fountain, Millennia Walk and UOB Plaza Atrium are some of the performance venues.
ECNAD's track records include more than 30 creations over the past 10 years. Its activities were indeed unusual back then in 1990s (and still is).
In the 1990s to early 2000s, ECNAD had been focusing mainly on these areas:
- providing opportunities for local dance talents to work together and create their dances
- free outreach performances for the general public
- gaining valuable experiences through collaborations with overseas professionals
- nuturing and assist new talents to fulfill their dreams
- explore working with many production artists besides dancers
The company received both full-house and standing ovation for her tour performances "Floating Mirror" and "a-the-bird" in 35th Belgrade International Theatre Festival (Bitef), and had 19,700 audience for "Tales from The Giant Blanket" performances in Festival of Asia in New Zealand in 2001.[citation needed]
In 2002, it was commissioned by the National Arts Council of Singapore to perform a multi-disciplinary artistic work entitled "Missing In Tall Pillars" at the Asian Civilisations Museum.
By 2003, ECNAD has already matured its multi-disciplinary artistic direction with very strong and unique visual designs, such as costuming and projections on top of movement, live vocals and original music. In terms of choreography, ECNAD has played with variable formats, improvisation skills as well as process-based working methods. It was considered as ahead of its time, and created a lot of uncertainty among the authority as in finding a safe way to measure and benchmark what they find difficult to categorise.
In 2006, ECNAD was commissioned to co-conceptualised and created "Metamorphosis" to open the evening for Mercedez Asia Fashion Award (regional final competition).