Triple bill of work reflects on the self and our relationship with society. 

Even with the apocalyptic pandemic somewhat behind us, 2023 still feels like a nightmare at times, whether it’s waking up to more bad news brought to us on our feeds, messy politics and scandals, and all of it making us want to curl up into a ball and tuck ourselves away from it all. In T.H.E Second Company’s 2023 edition of liTHE, spotlighting talented young choreographers and dance artists, the triple bill of work seems to respond and comment on our relationship and response to the chaos of the world, in three very different ways.

The world, pink at its edges by Kwek Yixuan

Playing at the Gallery Theatre at the National Museum of Singapore, liTHE 2023 started off with Kwek Yixuan’s The world, pink at its edges, a work that seems to deal with a sense of introspection and wonder amidst an otherwise hostile world. Underneath a sheet that had lined the entire performance area, dancers Eunice Wee, Irwin Tan, Marina Edana Idris, Vera Chiew, Nicole Chai, Stefanie Teo surprise us by crawling out from underneath, their presence unbeknownst to us having previously remained perfectly still. Their outfits contain snatches of seaweed-like protrusions, as if they have emerged from the ocean.

In the initial deafening silence of the Gallery Theatre, watching the dancers move around onstage feels as if we’re underwater or in space, a moment of introspection as they crawl about, exploring within the bounds of the performance area. Their movements are slow but curious, stretching their bodies and observing every nook and cranny, as if having discovered a new land.

As its title suggests, the stage eventually lights its borders with pink lights, Lynette Quek’s ambient music wafting through the air as they continue their journey. There are several moments the dancers simply pause to stop and stare, as if having spotted something truly fascinating. As time goes by, the cloth seems to grow smaller as it becomes folded and packed, as if the mystery of the world is similarly receding the more one learns and knows. Essentially taking on a meditative slant, we imagine that this is a work that’s about an exploration of one’s mind to find peace amidst the chaos, and simply throwing one’s self into the process, enjoying and relishing every step of the way.

tauted by Fiona Thng
tauted focuses on a single central prop – a narrow, wooden box that seems to resemble an open coffin. Dancers Jack Ng, Kimberly Long, James Wong, Joseph Chua, Seah Jun Hui, and Sophie Lim emerge, in dark blue-green clothes, resembling the colour of hospital scrubs, and begin to compete over the coffin, attempting to fit themselves in. With only a maximum of one person able to occupy the space at once, dancers are constantly forced out to allow others to take over instead. Perhaps with all this competition, we are all only fighting over temporary joys before we inevitably die.

Of the three works, tauted is perhaps the most dynamic one, where the six dancers move in unison, smoothly swapping and out. As the work progresses, they begin to play and experiment with how else they can manipulate the box, carrying it on their back, flipping it back and forth, or precariously balancing it on an edge. In part inspired by the issues of overpopulation, tauted suggests that vices of greed and power only seem to have worsened with so many people fighting over the same resources, doing whatever they can to get ahead of the game, while Vick Low’s throbbing, heavy beats create tension for the audience.

Midway through, the format shifts, and we instead see the box pushed away to a corner, and the dancers focusing more on interaction with one another. The female dancers become limp and doll-like at some point, dead weight while the men lift them, drag them across the stage, or carry them by their legs. One imagines them either as members of society who have given up on the rat race, lying flat, or worse – victims of the rat race which causes others to take advantage of their weakened state.

Engaging in its execution while brutal in its form, tauted makes audience members feel the visceral violence and force that goes into the stress brought on from being alive today. The dancers display plenty of beautiful movements, while also showcasing their literal litheness, putting both emotion and energy into their choreography, By its end, we do feel a sense of hope however, as rather than competing, the dancers instead begin to try sharing the box instead, perched on its edges, helping each other balance and be still in the space. Holding on to each other for support, it feels as if equilibrium has been achieved, and it is kindness towards others that we should aim towards in our high-pressure society.

I’m not leaving by Jackie Ong and Lynette Lim

Beginning in darkness, our only light source is a dim glow from a corner of the stage, as a dancer crawls over and around it, barely able to make out her features. The unknown becomes a source of fear, as it soon becomes clear there are multiple dancers onstage, an entire pack of them preparing for some kind of ritual. A V-shaped light hanging above bathes the stage in red, as dancers Lee Say Hua, Zeng Yu, Chen Chi, Cherie Genevieve Wong, Goh Xinyi, and Grace Lim form a circle, dancing like a coven of witches, perhaps working together to cast a spell of some kind, with Jing Ng’s dark, sorcerous music playing.

What’s certain about this is how they’re all in it together, as they showcase almost a synchronisation of mind and body, moving together to achieve their goals. Everyone is a part of this team effort, and eventually, this ritual seems to bear fruit. Moving from the pagan into the future, the dancers don VR-like headsets, and rainbow outfits, now with more freedom of movement and perhaps, more emotion as they are no longer bound by darkness. Bathed in blue light, the colours have ben released, and true joy can finally begin to flow.

As always, liTHE showcases T.H.E’s keen eye for emerging talent, with T.H.E Second Company’s artistic director Silvia Yong curating an eclectic mix of three works that reveal a spectrum of choreography and ideas from these young artists. Working together with creatives from the sound and light artists to costume designers to achieve each choreographer’s vision, all three works collectively indicate hope amidst a turbulent world, and the promise that it gets better when we come together.

Photo Credit: T.H.E Dance Company

liTHE 2023 ran from 15th to 17th September at the Gallery Theatre, National Museum Singapore. Their next production, Searching Blue premieres on 17th November with 13 live shows happening till 3rd December, across various venues.

Tickets for T.H.E’s 15th Anniversary programmes are available via Peatix for all ticketed programmes. For updates and full details, visit the15.co.