Category: Singapore

Fabric Shopping in Singapore, Part 2

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Recently I got to visit Singapore again to support a friend in her dance store business, also to meet a few dance store owners myself. What I love most about Singapore is that everything you are looking for is somewhere within that small city of theirs. If you read my part one on the Fabric shopping guide, then you will enjoy these 2 new places I found

  1. Mustafa Center

During my recent stay, I got to stay at just a 5 minute walk place near the Mustafa Centre. I never realised that the place was so near to my hostel and there were plenty of fabric, Fabric mostly from Japan and Taiwan, and those are my 2 most favourite places to shop for fabric in. They have fabric from Valentino as well as organic cotton, I loved this part of Mustafa centre. 1/4 of the whole ground floor was just filled with all kinds of fabric from all over the world.

2. Textile Center

I stumbled upon textile centre as I was walking towards Arab street. I love Arab street for one reason, and that is because their fabrics are as cheap as they are BEAUTIFUL! Their prices range even from 2SGdollar per yard and thats pretty cheap for the quality of their fabrics. They never disappoint and they are even willing to bargain.

As for the textile centre which is just a few mins walk from Arab, is a building with plenty of options for trimmings and extra bags of organza and small things you stick on costumes and designs. Its the best place to shop for those kinds of things like fabric glue, ribbons and patches. I loved it there, and it was also very very cheap, I spent only 50 SGdollar for a whole bag of trimmings and patches and they sold it by many big packs so I had plenty to take home.

ENJOY FABRIC SHOPPING! I hope that will add to your list of places to visit in Singapore.

Fabric shopping, Singapore

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I got most of my information from reading other blogs and heres a personal opinion if you plan to visit fabric stores in Singapore. There are plenty other places other than Bugis, Little India and Peoples Park, Chinatown. I had the most fun however shopping on Bugis street because they sold a variety of different designs.

  1. If you are looking for Cotton Fabric then the small store at the 2nd floor of Peoples park would be the one for you. That store reminded me of Yuzawaya in Tokyo. They had every kind of Fabric and thats where i found most of my pure cotton fabric. If quality is what you are looking for, then that would be the best place to visit. Go down at Chinatown and exit on exit D. (2nd floor at the far right end of the floor) Just a bit more pricey as compared to the other shops but if money is not so much of an option. 20-25SGD budget per yard, is not such a bad thing.
  2. If you are looking for Spandex and all kinds of sparkly and other types of Fabric then exit C of Chinatown is for you. They have plenty of cotton fabric too but i would prefer the store on exit D, based on quality.
  3. If you are looking for chiffon and all kinds of unique designs and prints, then Bugis is the street for you. They do have the cheapest options too, and you could bargain prices down. I was able to buy most of my chiffon and laces at 2SGD and some at 8SGD per yard.
  4. Little India if you are looking for more exotic chiffon fabric and the most unique designs. This is the place to go to, also they have plenty of beautiful beads and jewels for costumes and etc.

These are just some of my tips. Most pictures were taken at Exit C of Peoples park China. If you’re looking for just one place and you’re pressed with time then Chinatown might be the best place for you. Although its just a little bit more disorganised and smelly it has the most options of all the places mentioned above. I would have wanted to go around more places but I was also pressed with time, so ill save the Fabric building near Little India for the next trip.

Masterclass with Keenan Kampa

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To most people, it might sound stupid that I flew all the way to Singapore just to take a masterclass with Keenan. But it wasn’t just that, I also wanted to fly there to see the fabric town in Bugis street and Chinatown. It’s been almost a month ago that I was able to take her masterclass, and it has inspired me even more to continue to pursue what I love to do.

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I remember her first class and I just couldn’t help but think, this feels just like the classes i used to take back at Ballet Manila whenever Tatiana Udalenkova would fly to Manila just to teach us. After the class, Miguel and I decided to talk to her. We talked about how ballet and the company life is and all these things. Later on she told me that Udalenkova was her teacher back in Russia, and we both laughed. In my head I thought, “oh goodness no wonder the classes are so similar”.  I wasn’t able to really talk to Keenan for so long, but from what I got. I got a lot of useful tips especially the tips on conditioning and and on our turns. I really enjoyed our conversation Keenan so if you are reading this Thank you.

During the class Keenan was really meticulous about steps and the movement of our feet, the turn out and how you move your head in certain directions. It brought me back memories of when I first got to the company. It almost made me laugh one time thinking about how Tatiana made the whole group stop just to focus on me. I was TERRIBLE. I remember my first corps work with her in Swan Lake, I was only 13 and I was the last girl in the line. She stopped everyone just as everyone had already finished their sequence in the entrance of the corps. I just made my first step and you could hear her scream “STOP STOP STOP, LINA WHY YOU NO STRETCH KNEES”. I remember freezing up after that thinking, How do i respond?

Leaving the company, my heart had been torn ever since. Taking ballet classes brought back emotions but it also brought in new ideas and new thoughts. I always knew that if I would completely stop I would also be completely lost of all my direction in everything. I tried to stop for a while but the only thing it gave me was, cellulite and bad grades. (HAHA) Since starting the Dance by Lina business 6 months ago, I never thought it would actually give me anything. But after only a few months I was brought even closer to ballet. I never saw this as a new opportunity for me, Sewing was really just a hobby but dancing was my life. Now I am even closer to my dreams than I was in the past, and for that I am so grateful.

After my talk with Keenan and the masterclass, I realised that maybe it really isn’t for everyone and that it really is difficult. Everyday I learn something new about ballet and everyday I am so grateful for the people I meet along the way such as Keenan and Min. I hope that our paths cross once again.

Thank you again cloud and victory for the opportunity. Thank you Min and Keenan. It was an experience that I will always remember.