MR. JIM ROGERS & MS. PAIGE PARKER

On their first date, Mr. Jim Rogers took Ms. Paige Parker, now his wife, to the Lincoln Center to watch the Paris Opera Ballet perform La Bayadère. “He knew that I would go out with him because I love dance,” Ms. Parker quips. Mr. Rogers, also a ballet fan, remembers attending a performance at the Bolshoi Theatre when he was 23. “We had caviar, champagne, and ballet, and I asked why nobody told me about it earlier,” he says with a laugh. “I returned to New York and started going to the ballet, and realized that girls liked going to the ballet, too – and I started to like it even more. That’s how I first fell in love, if you will, with the arts.” Meanwhile, ballet has always been part of Ms. Parker’s life, and she thinks it makes sense for it to continue; today, she actively supports the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT). “It’s beneficial to them,” she says, “and it also brings me great joy.” “Ballet captivated me first. And since then I’ve been contributing to various charities around the world,” Mr. Rogers shares. “Some people like to give all of their money to one (charity), and but we try to spread the love around the arts.” The couple gives money to arts and education charities – mostly anonymously. Ms. Parker’s attention to the arts has a practical side to it: “In Singapore, it is evident that we should support the arts; the kids are living in such a pressure cooker that (experiencing art) is a way for them to be well rounded. If all you’re getting in school are your subjects, then there’s probably no way for you to truly have a wholeness about you.” Going to the theater, looking at art, listening to operas, and watching plays provide that, Ms. Parker says. There are conclusive studies supporting claims that exposure to the arts lead to better academic performance among schoolchildren, she points out. She applauds the Singapore government’s decision to include the arts, which provides opportunities to attend performances, in the school curriculum in Singapore. The array of arts-driven activities one can experience in Singapore excites Ms. Parker. “I was just watching a performance of the Singapore Dance Theatre, and when they got to the third piece, I was fighting back the tears because it was so emotional. And then you have companies like Pangdemonium and Wild Rice that are bringing us things that are uncomfortable, and make us question things.” Ms. Parker observes that many Singaporeans support other causes than the arts. “Sometimes they see the arts as a luxury, something that is posh. I feel that’s wrong – art is not a luxury, it’s a basic need.” Ms. Parker feels more can be done to promote the arts, especially to younger and more varied audiences. “It has an ageing demographic; sometimes I’m the youngest member of the audience at some performances.” Smaller companies also need attention. “We all know about Singapore Repertory, Wild Rice and SSO – and that is good – but there are other little-known groups who need help. The National Arts Council is doing a very good job of bringing them along; we must do our part and help.”