18th August 2009

It was 15 minutes before showtime. The KR crowd began streaming into the MPSH from all corners of the hall. I found a spot rather close to the front of the stage, and sat down together with the rest of my block. All around me, the crowd was chattering enthusiastically, like excited school children waiting for their favourite television show to come on, which got me a little hyped up somewhat too. This being my fourth Star-to-Burst, I thought I already knew what to expect. However I’m somewhat pleased to say, that as the night unfolded, my perceptions came to be altered dramatically.

It was a night when the KR freshmen shone on stage in many ways. KR Quiets opened the show with a choral performance of the songs ‘Let there be peace on earth’, and the popular Disney classic, ‘Can you feel the love tonight’. Even though they were a small group in terms of numbers, the Quiets definitely sought not to compromise on the quality of their singing. Their songs were soothing and enjoyable. Judging from the revered silence that was observed as they sang, it appears that there were none in the audience that night who were not captivated by their performance.

Up next was an intriguing dance performance by Lance 1. The item began on a rather somber note, as the dancers sought to depict visions of helplessness and confusion associated with the search for identity and self-worth. An intense and dramatic performance soon gave way to an invigorating hip-hop routine. The all-girl quintet went on to turn up the heat on the dance floor with confident, sultry moves, symbolizing their transformation into confident, self-assured individuals who have emerged stronger from a difficult time in their lives.

The audience barely had time to catch their breath before the next performing act came on – Perspire! Two original songs penned by two freshmen, Junkai and Benjamin, were showcased successively. Heartbreak seemed to be the theme of the night as vocalists Seet and Benjamin, together with the acoustic band, provided a soulful delivery of songs that told moving stories of love and regret.

Following closely after Perspire, KRY had their own story to tell. They staged a short but grippingly emotional play entitled “Beyond the Surface”. The protagonist of the play, played by Su Fern (A blk), was a teenager suffering from schizophrenia. However, her condition was not explicitly mentioned and the audience was made to pick up clues throughout the play. We are led to observe how the protagonist’s excessive concern over an unnamed elder sister seemed to be straining her relationships with her close friends and loved ones. Fern had audiences enthralled with her compelling portrayal of a girl tortured by mental illness. She was supported by an equally outstanding supporting cast which included the likes of Mas (B Blk), Jing Hong (C Blk) and Jacklyn (C Blk). It was a most engaging play that provoked deep reflection, and really provided room for our new talents to showcase their acting chops.

After some intense emotional drama, the atmosphere quickly lightened again as the crowd was treated to some light-hearted fare, in the form of a performance of some popular tunes by the Acappellets. Using their voices as instruments, the group of seven performed a cappella versions of ‘Dream a little Dream’ and ‘Faith’, a pop song made popular by singer George Michael and kept the audience entertained with their melodic voices and easy-going stage presence.

Lance 2 was right after and their dance item was a pretty unusual one. It involved an interweaving of several diverse styles of dance, including jazz and contemporary styles. The dancers were presented as though they were on some kind of ‘live’ show - they had their own loud and boisterous ‘emcee’ who provided lively commentary and helped them make the appropriate transitions into the different styles of dance as they were performed in succession. The result was an interesting mash-up of dance styles in a creatively choreographed showcase that never gave the audience a dull moment.

To cap off an exciting night, the audience ushered in the Pebbles onto the stage. Led by frontman Stephanie Phang (A Blk), the group had the crowd up on their feet as they rocked the house down with old time favourites like Gavin Degraw’s ‘I don’t wanna be’ and ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’ by Queen. The band truly impressed with their tight coordination and delightful showmanship (NB. Even the boys were wearing eyeliner!), so much so that an encore was immediately requested by the exuberant crowd. Once again, the band did not disappoint, for they picked an appropriate crowd pleaser to close the show: Jason Mraz’s ‘I’m Yours’, and had the crowd swaying and crooning to the familiar guitar riffs and drum beats played by Shawn (E blk) and Boon (D Blk) respectively.

All in all, the freshmen really showed a lot of promise in terms of talent, creativity and sheer enthusiasm for their respective crafts. May this year’s freshmen find ample opportunities and room in KR to grow in their respective areas of talent, and eventually help to take our culture scene to a whole new level.

I left the MPSH a very happy and inspired person indeed.

Reported by Tham Jiaxin
KR Reporters

Nomination Form can be downloaded here.

Chancellor’s Shields

Overall Champion for Faculty Clubs: School of Business
Overall Champion for Halls of Residence: Kent Ridge Hall

NUS Presidents Shields

Best Total Collection for Faculty Clubs: School of Business
Best Total Collection for Halls of Residence: Kent Ridge Hall
Best Rag Performance for Faculty Clubs: School of Design and Environment
Best Rag Performance for Halls of Residence: King Edward VII Hall

NUSSU Challenge Shields

Best Float Design for Faculty Clubs: University Scholars Club
Best Float Design for Halls of Residence: Eusoff Hall
Best Presentation for Faculty Clubs: Medicine
Best Presentation for Halls of Residence: Eusoff Hall
Least Cost Float for Faculty Clubs: School of Computing
Least Cost Float for Halls of Residence: Raffles Hall
Best per Capita Collection for Faculty Clubs: School of Business
Best Total Coin Collection for Faculty Clubs: School of Business
Most Environment-Friendly Float for Faculty Clubs: School of Design & Environment
Most Environment-Friendly Float for Halls of Residence: King Edward VII Hall
OSA Most Creative Float Award for Halls of Residence: Eusoff Hall
OSA Most Creative Float Award for Faculty Clubs: Medicine

Hey guys!

FWOC and Flag are over but RAG is coming! Lets pull ourselves together to show off our creation for Rag this year :)

More details at: http://kentridge.ip.mysoc.net/rag0910/

See ya there!