A colourful romp of unbridled fun through Malay folklore opens Pesta Raya 2018. The Malay oral tradition is a rich one, full of colourful characters and unforgettable stories. But as these tales become increasingly hard to hear in the traditional form, so must they evolve with the times to find a new audience. That evolution can be seen in the 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: Alkesah (Review)
Proof that theatre provides a safe space for anyone to tell the most heartwrenching of stories. There’s a saying that all stories are worth telling, if only one knows how to tell them. In dead was the body till i taught it how to move, Bhumi Collective presents the story of an ordinary boy going through extraordinary trauma and grief. While going through university in Warwick, ex-Ministry … Continue reading Review: dead was the body till i taught it how to move by Bhumi Collective
Just as one’s ears prick up for a story the moment one hears the magical words ‘once upon a time’, storytellers of Malay folklore begin their tales with an equally powerful opener – ‘alkesah’, or ‘as the story goes’. And celebrating that long history of oral tradition then, is the aptly titled Esplanade commissioned musical Alkesah, opening the Esplanade’s 2018 Pesta Raya – Malay Festival of the … Continue reading Pesta Raya 2018: An Interview with Zulfadli ‘Big’ Rashid (Alkesah)
Bhumi Collective has only been around for a couple of years, but they’ve already been showcasing a variety of genres dipping their toes into various genres of shows, ranging from fringe theatre to lecture performance. Now, they’ll be presenting an all new, original, interdisciplinary work, co-created by a number of young theatre makers both familiar and new to the local scene in the premiere of dead … Continue reading An Interview with the Creatives of dead was the body till i taught it how to move
Local dance company Maya Dance Theatre returns this August with the third instalment of their successful PANCHA programme. Started in 2016, PANCHA literally translates to ‘five’, and the dance series draws inspiration from expounding upon five female archetypes in relation to the five elements – Wind, Fire, Earth, Water and Aether, and has previously explored issues such as the patriarchy and maternal pain due to loss of … Continue reading Preview: PANCHA – Flowers Don’t Bloom All The Time by Maya Dance Theatre
A double-bill of movement heavy pieces open the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival. T.H.E Dance Company opened the 2018 M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival with a double bill of work. Featuring ‘EARTH’ by Humanhood and ‘Filled with sadness, the old body attacks’ by Kim Jae Duk, the festival kicked off to a strong start with both these thought-provoking, physically challenging pieces. EARTH by Humanhood In … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: EARTH and Filled with sadness, the old body attacks by T.H.E Dance Company (Review)
Life has a habit of throwing the greatest of curveballs when you least expect it. And in Bhumi Collective’s latest production, they’ll be tackling the story of one man who finds his once clear path now at a crossroads when faced with an unexpected crisis. Written by Edward Eng, directed by the Second Breakfast Company artistic director Adeeb Fazah, and with dramaturgy and movement direction … Continue reading Preview: dead was the body till i taught it how to move by Bhumi Collective
Project Plait has formed a bit of a niche for itself in the years it’s been around. Adopting a form of site-specific dance performance, it stands out from the crowd by including a concept dear to all our hearts: food. Previous editions have included their virgin production Cardinal Sins at the now defunct Portico on Alexandra Road in 2015 surrounding the seven deadly sins, before evolving to … Continue reading Preview: A Samsui Love Story by Project Plait X Tung Lok
First premiering in 1938 in the Czech Republic, Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet has remained one of the best loved ballet adaptation of Shakespeare’s timeless tale of young love and the tragedy of passion throughout history. This year, BASE Entertainment Asia is proud to present the Russian State Ballet of Serbia’s version of the classic production, directed by artistic director and former Bolshoi Ballet principal Sergei Bobrov. An … Continue reading Preview: Romeo and Juliet by Russian State Ballet of Serbia
Often assumed to be esoteric, avant garde or incomprehensible, reserved only for the educated, upper echelons of society, contemporary dance can be a daunting art form to come face to face with. But the truth is, contemporary dance is simply a representation of the human spirit in a different language, each dancer bringing to stage their own brand of physicality and movement, and with a … Continue reading M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2018: An Interview with Festival Director Kuik Swee Boon and Festival Manager Athelyna Swee
