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Osman Abdul Hamid
An instrumental figure in the local Malay dance scene, Osman Abdul Hamid (b. 1962) enjoys an illustrious four-decade career as artistic director and choreographer. He charts new frontiers while championing the preservation and promotion of the dance form. He established Teater Tari Era in 1996 as part of People’s Association (PA) Talents, and co-founded Era Dance Theatre in 2009 where he is artistic director and choreographer. Excelling as a Malay dancer under the guidance of pioneering figures such as Nongchik Ghani, Salleh Buang and Som Said, he has been with People’s Association (PA) and Sriwana since 1979. He became resident choreographer in 1992 and has been overall artistic director for the PA Malay segment since 1998. He was also part of the Singapore National Dance Company in 1981, established by the then Ministry of Culture. As choreographer and artistic director, he has produced works such as the Singapore Arts Festival (2001) commission, ‘Perjalanan – An Inner Odyssey’; ‘Perahu – Breaking the Waves’ as part of Esplanade’s opening in 2002; and ‘Zapin D’ Muara’ (2010), a three-day zapin festival; and ‘Oh! Bangau’ (2013) and Muara Festival (2011-Present), a Singapore Malay dance festival at Esplanade. The visionary explores new ways through cross-genre/culture collaborations: ‘Returning’ (2015) by Goh Lay Kuan; as well as ‘Angkor – The Untold Story’ (2013) and ‘Anjaneyam: Hanuman’s Ramayana’ (2017) by Apsaras Arts where he also played the role of Ravana. Aside from taking part in national-level programmes such as National Day Parade, Chingay and Singapore International Festival of Arts, Osman has represented Singapore in overseas festivals in Malaysia, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea.
‘Wujud’, 2015. Photo courtesy of Era Dance Theatre Ltd
An educator for more than three decades, Osman has played a pivotal role in shaping the dance group NUS Ilsa Tari since 1995. He has also contributed as advisor and external assessor for the National Arts Council, as a member of Asia Dance Committee Korea, and as an adjudicator for choreography competitions in the region. A recipient of the Young Artist Award (1993), he has shown steadfast commitment to his craft and community for which he has earned the Singapore Youth Award (Service) (1993), Friend of MCCY (2014) and Pingat Bakti Masyarakat (Public Service Medal) (2018). In 2000, he was recognised as the Patron of Apsaras Arts by Apsaras Arts; and in 2020, he was given the Natya Kala Bhushana award by Bhaskar’s Arts Academy, a title given to artists who have contributed significantly to dance.
O sm a n A bdul H a mid
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