Come February, Singapore contemporary dance company The Human Expression (T.H.E) is headed to London to perform a triple bill of work to open The Coronet Theatre’s Spring Season. It’s an honour that’s well-deserved – after all, the last time they were in the UK capital in 2022, they performed their production Phenoumenon to sold-out audiences and rave reviews, and look set to impress once again.

This time around, they’ll be presenting a triple bill of UK premieres comprising Present, Pure and Un-form, under the umbrella title Rethinking Co-Existence. The former is choreographed by resident choreographer Kim Jae Duk, while the latter two pieces are choreographed by T.H.E artistic director Kuik Swee Boon, and are linked through their contemplations over societal commensurations and relations, considerations over facets of family, community, work, and the value of being to physicalise the whys and hows of our selfhood. Together, they form a body of work that allows audiences to reflect on society at large.

On bringing T.H.E to the UK, Kuik says, “T.H.E’s works have always been rooted in Asian cultures, life experiences, and aesthetics. These three pieces each dynamically reflect and explore different facets of life in contemporary Asia, interpreting universal values and aesthetics from an Asian perspective. I believe that the audiences in UK will be able to appreciate these themes. This being the second time we’re invited to perform in the UK, I feel a sense of trust and satisfaction. While excited, I’m thinking about how to situate the significance and appeal of our works and performances in the current challenging global context.”

Speaking to company dancer Fiona Thng, who will not only be performing in Un-form, but also is currently settling into her new role as assistant to the artistic director, we talked a little about the process and what it means to bring such a quintessentially Asian work to a Western country. “I think that while London is a very cosmopolitan city, what we bring is a unique presentation of our own company’s personality and aesthetic with the triple bill,” says Fiona. “There’s a lot of pressure on us, because London is one of the world’s art hubs, and it’ll be interesting to see how the audience reacts to these pieces about our take on society.”

Fiona has been busying herself in her new role, not only preparing as a performer but also as a rehearsal master. “The version we’re presenting this time will undoubtedly be different from the previous one, because a key part to bringing a piece to life is finding its core, and making it make sense and feel relevant to your current self,” says Fiona. I’ve changed a lot over the last four years, and I think a lot about how much more I can give as an artist and how my own understanding of the piece has changed. Not to mention, I’m now working with Klievert Jon Mendoza and Haruka Leilani Chan, who are new to the piece, and we’re working together on bringing out all three of our strengths. We’re making so many corrections and giving our all during rehearsals because we want to present the best version of the show we can.”

More specifically, Un-form is a piece that questions the validity and value of an artist within society, where it considers the sustainability of being an artist in Singapore given how practical our mindsets are, and focused on moneymaking. Present explores existentialism through dark humour, as two dancers clash over their searches for reason and value respectively. Finally, Pure is a duet that considers social interaction and the complexities of living together as both a unit of family and society.

“All three pieces are linked by their explorations of societal issues, and about the idea of coexistence with each other and within society,” says Fiona. “Compared to Singapore, I think the UK and European countries see more older audience coming in, beyond the 15-35 crowd, while in Singapore, that can be harder since it’s not ingrained into our habits, and there’s almost a barrier to that segment because of language or lack of exposure to it on social media. I think it’s due to how they dedicate a segment of their spending to culture, while in Singapore, it’s more often a case of watching something to support friends.”

Whilst in London, the Company will also hold a 3-hour-long HollowBody™ and Repertoire Workshop for professional dance artists and dance students there. HollowBody™ is the methodology and movement philosophy advocated by Kuik that gives T.H.E its signature creation and performance voice, and unique, organic physicality. “This isn’t the first time we’re doing the workshop in a Western context, and previously, we’ve held it in Australia. I think that in the Western world, there’s a higher focus on the external product and what is being visually presented, so they always think of how it looks on stage first,” says Fiona. “But for us, it’s more important to consider the internal state, and presenting something authentic, stemming from individual instinct and heightened alertness. That’s something that can be hard to present in a 3-hour workshop, and we do wish we had maybe a week to do it, but I do think they’re quite open-minded and will appreciate what we bring there.”

Diving back into Fiona’s own history, she explains how she came to join T.H.E, having never formally joined any dance clubs or societies back in her university days, instead mostly freelancing for school CCAs. Upon graduation, she worked with The Royal Dance-Off (TRDO), before transitioning to T.H.E after being asked to audition by T.H.E member Anthea Seah. Since 2019, Fiona has remained a key part of T.H.E’s team as a performer, and she is ready for even more growth ahead of her.

“Initially, I struggled a little because T.H.E’s style is so different from what I was used to, but I’m still here even after 5 years. Thinking about my new role, I was initially quite surprised when Swee Boon asked me, because all I wanted to do was just to dance professionally, something that’s so rare in Singapore,” says Fiona. “Taxi uncles still go ‘was, you’re a dancer!’ and it’s still hard to exist as an artist in Singapore, so most of all, you still have to remain self-motivated to push yourself forward, learning to value your own work rather than rely on recognition from others.”

“For now, I’m getting the hang of the administrative aspects of this new role, and I do hope that I keep dancing even as my body changes and I go through various life events,” she adds. “It’s going to be hard, but I don’t want to just give up everything after training for so many years, while also appreciating that I’m now given the opportunity to go beyond performance alone, transitioning into a phase where I’m seeing what more I can do and achieve as an artist.”

T.H.E’s London stop will be the first of multiple tour destinations that the Company is slated to make this year; others include Estonia, Malaysia, and Taiwan. The recovery in touring schedule is highly anticipated for T.H.E as it looks to strengthen its global profile and place Singapore on the international contemporary dance landscape, an endeavour that was on a rising trajectory in 2019 but prematurely disrupted by the pandemic in 2020.

Photo Credit: Joie Koo

Rethinking Co-Existence plays from 9th to 10th February 2024 at London’s Coronet Theatre. Tickets and more information available here