Phenomenal show of creativity and immersion in presenting human strife.

We live in chaotic times, a world that is quick to destroy the natural environment all around us, with constant tension threatening to burst into war. How do we navigate such a world, and find connection at our most human again?

Presented as part of the 2023 contact Dance Festival, T.H.E Dance Company explores this in PheNoumenon. Choreographed by Kuik Swee Boon, and performed by Klievert Jon Mendoza, Fiona Thng, Haruka Leilani Chan, Chang En, Franky Drousioti, Ng Zu You, the work stretches the possibilities of dance, and invites audience members to take a closer look at the forces and relationships that shape the increasingly real dystopia all around us.

In this staging of PheNoumenon, T.H.E Dance Company employs a unique, dynamic seating arrangement, where the action is meant to take place all around us, immersing us in the dance by being that much closer to the action, and constantly anticipating what form or effect the dancers will have on us next.

Everything begins innocently enough, as the dancers seem to be undergoing a process of birth, morphing from eggs into fully-formed beings. Ominous music plays in the background, and we begin to sense something is amiss, the lights shining down on them as they slowly revive themselves into various shapes, each person a different body. It feels as if it is the beginning of time, but even here, there is already a darkness threatening to overtake the world.

The darkness however, seems to dissipate as they collectively let go of their frustrations with a sigh of relief. There’s a strange feeling of unfamiliarity, yet knowing precisely how they are in this moment – together, yet alone, as they tentatively enter the space and interact with it. The human connection is plain to see, as they are given the freedom of expression, weaving in and out of the audience, each providing their own individual character and emotion in their proximity. We hear their breathing each time they come to close to us, and we see the effort they’re putting in, craving for interaction, for the human expression, the human conversations. As a result – everyone’s experience of PheNoumenon will be different, representing our own unique life experiences, and our own desires to heal, to find solace in others.

As they come together to free the slippers from above, it feels as if they are able to let go, and free themselves from their own invisible bindings as well. There is something ritualistic about this, as if a means of escape and a way of coping with the stress of the world around them, the act of dancing becoming a form of release. While doing this, we hear a whimsical soundtrack that lightens the mood somewhat, with Klievert Jon Mendoza and Ng Zu You showing particularly strong chemistry, as they engage in a duel while the group slowly comes together. It feels as if we’re now in an ‘arena’, with the harsh spotlight landing on some audience members’ faces, wanting to hide away in the darkness yet forced into the spotlight, while the dancers remain hovering about, seemingly tentative to enter the ‘arena’.

The intensity picks up, and the dancers’ energy is being expended, constantly repeating the same actions over and over, the precise paths they’ve chosen unclear. But what is clear is how their initial connection has now broken apart, and they seem weary in this new dystopia. As one of them finally makes it onto the ‘arena’ proper, we see a strip of light light up a path. As he reaches the end of it, he stands still for a moment, before continuing to take small steps while slippers are thrown onto the ‘arena’ by the others.

Clothing becomes the central symbol in the next segment, as the dancers begin to perform what seems like a ritual – clad in slippers, they gather up bales of clothes, piling them up. There is a clear sense of apprehension about what lies ahead, and the music stops, leaving the stage in silence. A dancer pours liquid out over her head, and the female dancers come together, in sync, as it seems as if they are finally free. We hear Eastern, Chinese Opera-like music, and their movements similarly mimic that, as they move together, almost disrupting our idea of what dance should be. Together, it seems to coalesce these different cultures and ideas together, finding the same rhythm and beat with each other, rather than going against each other, synchronising to find a link.

The lights go out, and the dancers strip down. They are who they are, and begin to perform a dance in slow-motion, showcasing incredible strength, poise and concentration. As they paint lines across their body and legs, it resembles blood vessels, reminding us of our shared blood. As the rest of the world descends into chaos, the dancers expending their energy, two remain. And as they inch towards each other, they embrace, and it is one we as the audience feel resonating across the space.

Human connection may be the basis of our existence as a species, but maintaining it in a world constantly threatening to collapse through chaos and destruction all around us, incredibly difficult. The process of creating PheNoumenon itself is testament to the triumph of the human condition, evolving with each iteration, from the original in 2019 to the 360-degree VR edition to now this, from peacetimes to adapting to the pandemic. Each version of PheNoumenon has seen a slightly different team working together to bring out Kuik Swee Boon’s vision, the relentless effort that goes into improving and perfecting that potential each time, building on each other’s work and passing down experience and knowledge to make each subsequent version better.

Together, these artists are constantly finding the right chemistry with each other, and understanding their rhythm as a single ensemble. Watching all this as an audience member, we see the emotions and perseverance and energy that goes into making such a work the physical and artistic feat it is today, and we cannot help but understand and admire the tenacity of human spirit as seen through T.H.E Dance Company. PheNoumenon thus recognises and represents that need to stay hopeful and press on in the face of such struggles, to overcome global catastrophe and being on the verge of conflict all the time, to remember our common humanity, to re-connect and find the human expression through our interactions once more.

Photo Credit: T.H.E Dance Company

PheNoumenon played from 15th to 18th June 2023 at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, as part of the 2023 cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival. More information available here

cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival 2023 runs from 9th to 27th June 2023 across various venues. More information and full programme lineup available here

Production Credits:

Choreographer: Kuik Swee Boon

Dancers: Klievert Jon Mendoza, Fiona Thng, Haruka Leilani Chan, Chang En, Franky Drousioti, Ng Zu You

Lighting Designer: Adrian Tan

Costume & Body Art Designer: Loo An Ni

Sound Artist & Composer: Kent Lee

Spatial Sound Designer: Guo Ningru