Shahrin Johry, 33, assistant choreographer and principal dancer at Maya Dance Theatre, beat 11 finalists last month in Dance Singapore Dance, the inaugural local version of Zee TV's Indian dance contest Dance India Dance, to clinch the top prize of $10,000.
The Lasalle College of the Arts graduate, who has a bachelor's degree in dance, plans to use the winnings for his production, Knowledge Attained, which will be performed on Jan 15 and 16. He and his team at Maya Dance Theatre are preparing for CReations 2015 - We Are All Hypocrites, which runs from Thursday to Saturday at Goodman Arts Centre (standard tickets cost $30).
He lives in a semi-detached house in Kovan with his boss and mentor Kavitha Krishnan, 43, who is artistic dance director of Maya Dance Theatre.
What do you do when your weekends are free?
I try to spend them with my sister, 31, my nephew, 10, and my niece, eight. Or I hang out with my friends - we catch a movie and have good food. I also like to think about what I'm going to do in the upcoming week or where my life is heading. Sometimes, I do dance choreographies in my head while staring into space.
Where do you hangout?
I like heading to coffee shops for iced tea. I also like to watch movies. The most recent one I caught in the theatres was Furious 7- that was great.
What are your hobbies?
Other than dancing, I enjoy singing in the shower, swimming and cooking. Cooking is like dance choreography. It's equally experimental and you end up constantly trying different ways to make food taste different and good. I just love to discover things.
If you could hang out with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be?
It would be the late Michael Jackson. I feel like I can relate to him as he had gone through a lot in his life. He was also my first dance idol who inspired me with his slick dance moves and creativity.
Are your weekends packed?
Yes. Weekends leading up to my productions are super packed as I have to rehearse. I also teach dance on weekends and can find down time only in the evenings.
What is one thing you'd love to be able to do at the endof theweek?
I would love to go for a massage, or just sit, relax and do absolutely nothing.Oh yeah, and have my iced tea.
Omar Muhammad Amir
