Celebrating Singapore’s ethnic diversity through dance.

Singapore has long prided itself on its diversity, a value instilled in us from an early age as part of our national identity. The idea of something being “quintessentially Singaporean” often rests on an intercultural foundation, one that highlights the beauty of our major ethnic traditions and their harmonious coexistence.

While that concept may feel somewhat familiar by 2025, its relevance endures, as seen in return of RE:TURN, presented by SMU’s largest hip hop and street dance club, Eurhythmix, for the SMU Arts Fest 2025. Conceptualised by Gin Lam, this iteration revisits an earlier version of the work, refreshed with new dancers and creative leads.

Although Eurhythmix primarily focuses on street dance, RE:TURN reaches back to cultural roots, exploring the traditional vocabularies of Malay, Indian, and Chinese dance. To achieve this, Gin Lam collaborated with Hafeez Hassan, Iswarya Jayakumar, and Pang Xin Yi, who each guided the students in their respective forms. The result is a triptych of choreographies and more that both honour tradition and also trace its influence on modern, contemporary expression.

Staged at the Drama Centre Theatre, the performance opens with a distinctly modern prelude: dancers moving behind a translucent screen as social media projections light the screen. Energetic, crowd-pleasing numbers to current hits, from K-pop to Billboard favourites, set a vibrant tone, met with loud cheers from the largely student audience.

When the show transitions into the ethnic segments, however, a hush settles over the theatre. The shift in tone invites a different kind of attention, quieter, more contemplative. For some audience members, it might be their first encounter with these dance forms in a live setting, and it’s to the production’s credit that it can evoke curiosity and reflection within a campus context.

The Malay dance segment, choreographed by Hafeez Hassan, evokes a sense of pastoral simplicity. Dancers in green move with controlled grace, suggesting scenes of village life, accompanied by a live musician. Hafeez’s own appearance onstage lends authenticity to the sequence’s unhurried rhythm. In contrast, Pang Xin Yi’s Chinese dance piece opts for restraint and poise over spectacle, moving away from the expected fans and water sleeves toward a subtler embodiment of strength and elegance.

The standout of the evening comes with Iswarya Jayakumar’s Indian dance segment, a spirited fusion of bharatanatyam precision and Bollywood dynamism. The dancers, clad in sapphire blue and gold, deliver a performance rich in expressiveness, both in the precision of gestures and movement and in facial storytelling, bridging classical form and contemporary flair.

In the finale, dancers from all three groups return, still dressed in their respective colours, merging their styles into a cohesive whole. As they swirl across the stage, distinctions blur, a symbolic convergence that gestures toward unity through diversity. It’s a tidy conclusion, one that reinforces the production’s thematic intent.

RE:TURN ultimately succeeds as a sincere, well-organised effort that honours cultural traditions while situating them within a modern, student-led framework. While the ideas may not break new ground, the execution reflects thoughtful engagement and genuine respect for Singapore’s multicultural heritage, making for a fitting 25th anniversary celebration for Eurhythmix, SMU, and a timely nod to SG60.

return of RE:TURN played on 20th September 2025 at the Drama Centre Theatre. More information available here

SMU Arts Fest 2025: 2560 ran from 22nd August to 28th September 2025. More information available here