The “Teochew Yingge Dance @ Orchard” event, initiated by the Teochew Federation (Singapore), sponsored by The Ngee Ann Kongsi, and organised by Teo Yeonh Huai Kuan, will be held on 22 December 2024, Sunday, from 4pm to 5pm at Orchard Road Pedestrian Mall.

The objective of this event is to promote the traditional Teochew Yingge dance performance to the local Teochew community and the public. On the day of the event, the “Chaoyang Chengnan Zhongjing Yingge Troupe” (潮阳城南忠精英歌队) members from Chaoyang District, Shantou City, China, which consists of 49 performers, will set off in a grand procession from ION Orchard, passing by Wisma Atria, and finally arrive outside Ngee Ann City’s Civic Plaza, where they will perform the most exciting moves of the Yingge dance.

Yingge dance is a traditional dance form which originated from China’s mid-Ming Dynasty, and has been passed down in the Teochew region of Guangdong. Performers paint their faces to resemble characters from the classic Chinese novel Water Margin (Shui Hu Zhuan), holding Yingge mallets or hand drums, while performing various formations to the sounds of gongs and drums in village streets and alleys. It is a blend of martial arts, drama, and different local art forms that demonstrates both strength and beauty. Recently, the charm of Yingge dance has spread globally through videos on the Internet, earning it the titles of “Chinese Street Dance” or “Chinese Battle Dance”.

The “Chaoyang Chengnan Zhongjing Yingge Troupe” was established in 1996 with the mission of preserving the tradition and cultivating a new generation of young dancers. Over the years, the troupe has been invited to participate in various large-scale folk performance events. In March 2023, they were invited to perform on CCTV-4’s “Across China” programme to promote the intangible cultural heritage. In October 2023, they also performed at the 20th Hong Kong Drum Festival.

One of the highlights of the troupe is 5-year-old Zhuang Enqi, who gained viral fame in April 2023 through a video on the internet. In the video, Zhuang Enqi was seen watching an approaching Yingge dance troupe while she swings her Yingge mallet, confidently responding in a professional manner. Her gestures caught the attention of the oncoming performers, who stopped to dance with her. After the video was uploaded online, she became a Yingge dance sensation on the internet.

Zhuang Enqi comes from a family of Yingge dance performers. Her grandfather and father are active members of a Yingge dance troupe. Influenced by her family members, Zhuang Enqi developed a strong interest in Yingge as she often accompanied her father to training sessions, and began learning the Yingge dance with her classmates when she was in kindergarten.

This will be the first time that a Teochew Yingge dance troupe performs on Orchard Road. All members of the public interested in Teochew culture or Yingge dance, are welcome to watch the performance along Orchard Road on the day of the event, free of charge.