This June marks a pivotal moment for contemporary dance in Singapore as cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival returns for its milestone 15th edition. Themed Paths That Bind Us, the 2025 programme is more than a showcase of works; it’s also a meditation on connection, memory, collaboration, and resilience. At its helm is Kuik Swee Boon, Artistic Director of T.H.E Dance Company and founding festival director of cont·act, who has shepherded it from a modest platform into a vital nexus in Asia’s dance ecosystem.

Kuik, and T.H.E has been having a stellar year, with the company having an increasingly international reach: in April, they premiered a new work, re:intertwining in Singapore, followed by Sloth Canon in Vancouver, and more to come, all signs of T.H.E’s expanding footprint. The latter, Sloth Canon, is a landmark international co-production with Vancouver’s Company 605, and makes its Singapore premiere during the cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival. “It took four to five years to bring to life,” Kuik says. “A lot of patience, resilience, and commitment.” The two companies exchanged residencies, shared costs, and brought dancers across borders. “There’s a lot to learn from each other, right down to the way we work. In Canada, we had two weeks of bump-in time. In Singapore, just four days,” Kuik laughs. “Same stage size, very different working styles.”

Set against the backdrop of an ever-shifting reality, Sloth Canon grapples with the instability of shared imagination, where collective desires strain against the limits of what can be sustained. This bold new creation sees a fragmented team is determined to “keep it together” as their bodies are launched into an alternate realm, propelled by unnatural momentum and shared delusion. As their bubble of fantasy drifts towards the spike of reality, we are thrown into an unstable world of compulsive magical thinking. The collaboration also tested artistic processes, with very different artistic approaches between both T.H.E and Company 605. “Even when the intention is the same, the approach can be very different,” Kuik notes. “You need to be patient, to really listen. That’s what collaboration means to me. Our dancers had a five-week residency in Vancouver, and felt all this different energy, different culture. They loved it, and we can’t wait to show it to Singaporean audiences”

This emphasis on trust is echoed in the festival’s theme. Paths That Bind Us honours the networks of care and exchange that define cont·act, from regional alliances to the deep relationships between T.H.E and its alumni. “I feel like we want to highlight that we appreciate differences, where we can disagree with each other, we can even compete with each other,” says Kuik. “But most of all, we need to learn how to respect each other, because that is what keeps this ecosystem going, and precisely what the festival wants to promote.”

Sloth Canon also happens to be choreographed by Anthea Seah, who rejoins the company as T.H.E’s second Resident Choreographer. Formerly Assistant to the Artistic Director, she spent five years in New York before coming home. Besides Sloth Canon, Seah is now also developing a new work, slated to premiere in 2027. On the changes that T.H.E has experienced over the years, Kuik notes how he always gives them his all, but understands the need to get out there to explore new opportunities. “Change is always hard,” Kuik says. “When someone leaves, it’s heartbreaking. I give everything when nurturing someone. But I’ve learned to keep the door open. We always need new blood, and even within the festival team. Young people come and go quickly in arts management, but it’s important to keep finding ways to involve them.”

In any case, Kuik understands the importance of holding on to relationships, an ethos is vividly present in Open Stage, one of the festival’s signature programmes that makes its return this year as it unites dancers from all over the world to present new work. This year, the festival brings together a selection of returning artists whose works have made an impact on the festival’s history, from Odoru Akita International Dance Festival (Japan), New Dance for Asia International Festival (South Korea), and Contemporary Dance Exchange (CDE) Springboard (Macau), among others, reiterating the festival’s role as a key meeting point in the region. “It’s very warm to see them grow, like how Hung Dance from Taiwan started with just three dancers, now they have eight and tour internationally.” he shares. “Some of them we’ve invited back have even gone from dancers to choreographers and are now artistic directors, so it feels like a reunion as we all catch up and see how we’ve all changed.”

While cont·act’s artistic output flourishes, the company has weathered real challenges. The loss of long-time M1 sponsorship triggered difficult internal discussions. “We asked ourselves: should we stop the festival?” Kuik recalls. “But everyone said no, cont·act still fills the gaps others don’t. We still provide a platform for works to potentially tour to Singapore and Southeast Asia, where it can be very difficult otherwise, and we’ve already established ourselves for so many years. We aren’t so atas, but I think the work we do is very meaningful.”

These gaps include platforms like Dance at Dusk, staged at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre. This year’s edition features excerpts from Kuik’s As It Fades, with poetic narration and Singapore Sign Language interpretation. “Over the years, we’re seeing more diverse audiences, but slowly,” he says. “Some people are still unsure how to receive inclusive performances. They wonder, ‘Am I being sympathetic?’ But the more we show, the more awareness grows.”

Still, Kuik worries about the broader ecosystem. “In terms of ticketing, I’m still quite worried. The market hasn’t picked up since COVID. And we’re in an overproducing state. Sometimes, work is created just to hit KPIs. That’s meaningless. It loses the heart of why we create.”

In contrast, T.H.E is focused on deepening partnerships and meaningful touring. After Jakarta at the end of the month, they’ll also be be heading to Malaysia, Australia, and eventually Hong Kong. For all its trials and how busy everyone gets, cont·act remains a vessel of possibility. It continues to offer space for artists to return, transform, and reconnect. Whether through Open Stage, international co-productions, or local accessibility initiatives, the festival lives out its values. At 15 years strong, cont·act is more than a festival. It’s a living map of Singapore dance, creating a network of paths, crossings, and returns for dancers to come together.

“Nothing is forever,” Kuik reflects. “But if we keep creating opportunities, keep building trust and connection, then there’s always a way forward. The work keeps going. Because we’ve got each other, and trust each other.”

cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival 2025 runs from 13th to 29th June 2025. Full programme available here, tickets available here