THE SPRING: RELOADED

Just over 2 weeks ago, we went back for more fun at the Spring shopping mall, this time for the launch of the 201o My Privilege Book. First up: a Saturday Night Fever's worth of dancing goodness!

Many of the crew from our Dinner & Dance event were on hand to - what else - look good and pose for the public.

Usually, Studio 23 dancers are highly excitable, but once in a while we get a dancer who is a bit more shy than the rest...

...Silvia is not only one of our favourite dancers, it's a little known fact that she is also a world-class hide-and-seek player.

Team Studio 23 shows off their impressive Flamenco game faces. Garang!

Styling and profiling.

We took a break from the performing, and put on a mini-class where Serina taught the Modern Jazz dancers the next step to their current choreography: the very popular "Nobody, Nobody" by the Wonder Girls!

We were supposed to pick a winner from the bunch to get some nice prizes. But they were all so good, we didn't want to choose. So we didn't! We got Jodie from My Privilege Book to help us select the winner...

Way to go, Lydia!

We capped the night off with another performance of our Dinner & Dance finale: September / Saturday Night Fever! Unfortunately all of our photographers were also performing, so we don't have pictures of that dance :(

The next afternoon we were back to brave some categorically horrific traffic on our way to the mall. It was packed! Fortunately Darren was there to save the day! He was our one-man valet rescue squad, tasked with braving the gridlock and parking our cars. Thanks man!

The CMD team (the ones who weren't still looking for parking, anyway) get ready for action...

...But first, Serina took the stage to get the party started.

Reuben is still camera-shy. We tried to get shots of his face but he was just too quick for us.

Jeremiah craftily stalks Owen, safe in the knowledge that his Crocs are proving an adequate distraction.

We had a good turnout for our Fizfit class: some of our most experienced members came, and some brand new people!

The Crab Walks were very popular. What? They were!

Wilfred demonstrates the mark of an experienced Fizfitter: always know where the cameras are.

We were close to the end now, and the spotlight was on Ivan and Dennis, who rocked up with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu demonstration!

"So... read any good books lately?"

In a spirited discussion, Ivan argues the literary skills of Diana Wynne Jones, as well as the flexibility of it being a title and not an actual person, make the Chrestomanci a much better character than Harry Potter.

Dennis counters, by stating that the Chrestomanci wizards had neither a really cool scar, nor an owl. Furthermore, Harry was a champion Quidditch player, making him even cooler.

Ivan offers a calculated rebuttal, pointing out Hedwig's tragic demise, the scar acting as a liability to Harry and the general decline in quality of the series after the first few books. Plus Quidditch is a ridiculous game. Brooms? They ride around on brooms?

Dennis reveals his "Team Griffindor" tattoo and the conversation goes downhill from there.

We'll end with a bit of Serina's closing dance...where she gets upstaged! We may have to save a couple of spots in our dance troupe soon...

BACK TO THE SPRING

Hi all, we'll be back at the Spring shopping mall this weekend, January 16th and 17th. Here's a rundown of what we've got planned:

Saturday 16th, beginning at 8:00 p.m.:

Dance Performances

Serina and her dancers will take the stage and showcase Belly Dance, Modern Jazz and Flamenco!

Come check it out and join our Modern Jazz mini-workshop - show off your moves, and the best dancer gets a prize!

Sunday 17th, beginning at 3:00 p.m.:

Belly Dance

Serina's back to start the party with more Belly Dance goodness!

Crazy Monkey Defense demonstration

"What is it? What do you guys do? So do you act like monkeys?" Come get those answers you've been looking for!

The Fizfit Challenge

Fancy yourself fit? Come test yourself in the Fizfit Challenge and win a prize!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu demonstration

Guys in white pyjamas playing Jiu-Jitsu in public? What's not to love?

Kettlebell demonstration

Ever wondered why Russian farmhands are so freakishly strong? Come and find out!

HEADS UP: NEW BELLY DANCE CLASS REMINDER

Hi guys, just a reminder to all those who have signed up for our newest Belly Dance class - it's starting tonight (Thursday) at 6:00 p.m.

Also if you're interested to join, this would be the perfect opportunity to try Belly Dance out!

Questions? Email studio23kuching@gmail.com or call Eileen at +6012 805 3005. Thanks!

2009 AT STUDIO 23

10:00 p.m. 31^st December 2008

We were at the studio; scrubbing the floors, assembling the fans, praying that the temporary door would turn up before the launch. (The temporary door came two hours before the launch. The real door came a month later.)

We were worried, excited and terrified.

10:00 p.m. 31^st December 2009

We are in K.L. planning for 2010. We are training with our respective instructors, and are full of ideas to bully, I mean, inspire our students.

We are contented, relieved, and most of all, grateful. It has been a brilliant year.

JANUARY: Open for Business!

What if nobody shows up? What if the door doesn't fit properly? What if the ceiling fans don't come on time? What if the food isn't good? What if we trip over our own feet?

The place was packed. In fact, there were even some real volunteers for the workshops! The door didn't fit, so our carpenters made the doorframe bigger. The fans didn't come, but no one noticed. The food was good enough that there was none left by the time we got to the buffet table! We didn't trip. What more could we ask for? Yay for a great launch!

We then spent the whole month pinching ourselves every time we saw the studio signboard, and squealing excitedly in our heads every time a new student registered.

FEBRUARY: Shimmies and Shavings for a Good Cause!

On February 14th, Studio 23 celebrated Valentine's Day at the "Give Hope, Go Bald" event organized by the Sarawak Children's Cancer Society. Not only did Serina and her dance troupe perform, her "volunteers" took part in a special show of solidarity with the families of children dealing with cancer: a non-stop 4-minute shimmy session!

The next day, Albert and Georgette were among those who stepped up and had their heads shaved to raise money for the SCCS. Between the two of them, more than RM8,000 was collected – a big, big thanks to everyone who contributed!

MARCH: Belly Dance For Charity, Revisited

Serina and her dancers once again tied on their belly dance belts, this time for World Vision's 30-Hour Famine event, held on March 21st at the Association of Christian Churches Sarawak building. It was the first time the 30-Hour Famine camp was brought to Kuching. All we can say is, the next time it's organised here, go and join them!

APRIL: New Dance Classes!

We started April by opening up a bunch of new dance classes. Maybe we were doing something right J

Although, some didn't take the announcement seriously as it was dated April 1st.

MAY: Albert Strikes Gold!

On May 2nd, Albert made the trip to Manila to take part in the 2009 Pan-Asian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu International. He competed in the Blue Belt Under-70kg division and – after a fun day of BJJ and reunions with friends - walked away with a gold medal.

This marked the first occasion in which Studio 23 (no, not the Filipino TV station...oh, the stories Albert could tell you...) was represented in a Jiu-Jitsu competition, with more to come!

JUNE: Studio 23’s American Adventure

The first two weeks of June saw Albert and Serina travel to America for two reasons: it was a celebration of a year of marriage, and Albert also took part in the 2009 Mundials (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu World Championships).

He lost a very close match, but forgot about it as soon as the Black Belts took to the mats. Albert was completely star-struck by the BJJ superstars that he stalks on YouTube. On more than one occasion, he had to stop himself from squealing like a schoolgirl. Yes. A manly schoolgirl.

JULY: Our First Belly Dance Hafla!

While we were away, our Belly Dance students kept themselves busy by preparing for Studio 23’s first official Belly Dance Hafla (party) on July 4th.

We're very proud of our multi-talented dancers: check out Emmelina's hand-made signage for our curtains!

Q: How many dancers does it take to pin up a drape?

A: Seven! 1 to do the work, 6 to choreograph.

And...ta-daa!

AUGUST: An Event-Packed 31 Days!

With the exception of our November Dinner & Dance, there was no time in 2009 when we were busier than in August. We kicked it off with an outdoor Fizfit workout at Reservoir Park on August 2nd, following that up with a dance performance in front of a massive crowd at the Kuching Festival on August 8th. Yay for applause, Boo for Serina being asked onstage how many children she's had.

We wrapped up the month with a week at the Spring – finishing with a Belly Dance mini-concert, a Fizfit workout and a CMD demonstration. All told, there wasn’t a single weekend when we didn’t have something on the go. It was really fun, but really exhausting!

SEPTEMBER: Welcome, Emmelina!

The first addition to the Studio 23 coaching roster, Emmelina joined us as an assistant instructor for six months. One of Serina’s most experienced dancers and a natural performer, we’re very happy to have her on board!

OCTOBER: 5-6-7-8!

Rehearsals, rehearsals, rehearsals. For what, you ask? Well...

NOVEMBER: Dinner & Dance!

The climax of our first year, our Dinner and Dance event was held on November 14th, at Borneo Convention Centre Kuching. It was a fantastic night; nothing further need be said!

Watch out though, when we get back from our vacation we'll be posting the very best pictures (of which there are a great many - we had to sort through well over a thousand images from several photographers!) from the night.

DECEMBER: Time to Celebrate!

At the end of a great year, there's nothing left to do but observe its passing and get ready to welcome the new one.

A huge thanks to everyone who gave us support, encouragement and advice. We look forward to seeing you back on the mats, or dance floor, as the case may be, in 2010!

We hope you've enjoyed a safe and blessed Christmas - and here's to an excellent New Year!

-Albert & Serina

DINNER & DANCE DVD AND CHRISTMAS BREAK 2009

Well, after a lot of hard work and sleepless nights we've finally gone and finished the DVD of our dinner & dance event.

Here are some of the highlights you can find on the DVD:

1. All 19 performances showcased at the dinner & dance.

2. All the video presentations.

3. Bonus material featuring behind-the-scenes footage!

Get your copy at the studio!

***

CHRISTMAS BREAK ANNOUNCEMENT:

The Studio will be closed from Thursday, December 24, 2009 to Sunday, January 3, 2010. We're back in action on the first Monday of the new year: January 4.

Have a safe and merry Christmas and New Year! Rest up, have fun and see you back at the studio next year!

COMING SOON: DINNER & DANCE DVD!

Here's the trailer for our soon-to-be-released DVD. We don't have a set date yet but it's coming!

To reserve your copy, see us at the studio, or email us at studio23kuching@gmail.com

COMBAT SPORTS UPDATES FOR 2010

Hi everyone, here's a few announcements about changes we're putting in, which will take effect at the beginning of next year!

1. Ladies'-Only CMD Class!

Finally, it's here! We'll be kicking off the new year with our ladies'-only Crazy Monkey Defense class! Classes will be every Monday, 9 p.m. and the first class will be on January 4th, 2009.

Please note that you will need to pre-register for the program before beginning your training. You can do this by coming to the studio in person, or contacting Albert at studio23kuching@gmail.com +6017 613 9311. There is a limited number of spaces available in the program, so if you're interested, register quick!

Walk-ins are not permitted.

For more information on our program, click on over to our Facebook page, where there is a discussion on this topic.

2. Combat Sports Cross-Training Fees

If you are enrolled in either Combat Sports program at Studio 23 (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or Crazy Monkey Defense), then enrollment in the second program - or the program you attend less - will be at 50% off.