Review: We, The Singaporeans by The Royal Dance-Off Company

Contemporary dance often has the unfortunate association with descriptors like ‘enigmatic’ and ‘abstract’, and too easily, one fears walking out of the theatre having understood nothing but beautiful movements and choreography. Not so for The Royal Dance-Off Company (TRDOco). Under artistic director Ryan Tan, the company’s 2018 annual production has started off the year’s dance calendar on an incredibly hopeful note, having found a way to … Continue reading Review: We, The Singaporeans by The Royal Dance-Off Company

Preview: BREAK OUT presented by Mediacorp VizPro

Choi Chul Ki is the gift that keeps on giving. After presenting a grand total of three of his shows in 2017 (Chef, JUMP, and Flying Through Time), the Korean master of non-verbal theatre is back again in 2018 with the return of his bestselling show BREAK OUT.  Since wowing the crowds at Edinburgh in 2007, BREAK OUT has since gone on to charm audiences all over the world from London’s West End to New York, … Continue reading Preview: BREAK OUT presented by Mediacorp VizPro

Review: Love at First Squat <3 by The Passionate Dancing Elders

Sometimes, life throws you one of the best coincidences you can hope to find. Before we begin this review, here’s a little backstory: after catching a show at the Esplanade, we were walking past the Esplanade underground area where dancers usually practice and spotted a large group of dancers rehearsing. Not usually one to stop and stare, we were struck with how in sync these … Continue reading Review: Love at First Squat ❤ by The Passionate Dancing Elders

Review: Southernmost – One Table Two Chairs Project Triple Bill presented by Emergency Stairs

After two weeks of devising, open rehearsals, masterclasses and workshops, Emergency Stairs’ inaugural Southernmost experimental theatre festival finally comes to a stunning conclusion with a triple bill. Consisting of three all new works directed by experimental theatre veterans Makoto Sato (Tokyo), Danny Yung (Hong Kong) and of course, Emergency Stairs Artistic Director Liu Xiaoyi (Singapore), the artists presented their final pieces to a public audience … Continue reading Review: Southernmost – One Table Two Chairs Project Triple Bill presented by Emergency Stairs

Review: Resolute by Xin Yi Dance Company

In the Xin Yi Dance Company’s latest performance, there’s an intensity to that keeps our eyes completely focused on the stage at all times. Described as a ‘dance drama’, Resolute follows a tale of morality and virtue, as three strangers – a judge, doctor and lawyer meet under trying circumstances, each of them facing their own moral dilemmas and internal demons. An easy to follow storyline with … Continue reading Review: Resolute by Xin Yi Dance Company

Review: Neo Dance HK X Singapore

Contemporary dance, for us, is often a love-hate relationship. There are times where movements are so abstract, they frustrate with their opaque qualities, yet there are times dances are performed with such determination that we simply remain mesmerized by the pure emotions they evoke in us. Belonging to the latter category is Neo Dance HK’s latest triple bill work, Neo Dance HK X Singapore, which played … Continue reading Review: Neo Dance HK X Singapore

Preview: True Colours Festival 2018

It’s honestly rare to see disabled people in the arts scene. Every so often, along comes an incredible performer like theatre performer Ramesh Meyyappan, or a work that attempts to show that the disabled are capable too, such as Musical Theatre Limited’s My Love Is Blind, but to have an entire festival full of disabled arts? Unheard of! But if you think that there aren’t enough talented … Continue reading Preview: True Colours Festival 2018

Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Koodiyattam – Nangiarkoothu by Kapila Venu (Review)

Beyond new contemporary works, the Esplanade’s annual Kalaa Utsavam also regularly features traditional arts in its lineup, and 2017 is no different. This year, we had the rare privilege of watching master koodiyattam practitioner Kapila Venu perform the ancient, UNESCO-recgonized art form. A little background information for the unfamiliar: koodiyattam is a 2,000 year old theatrical tradition originating from Kerala, India. Often performed in temples, … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Koodiyattam – Nangiarkoothu by Kapila Venu (Review)

Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana by Apsaras Arts

Indian culture and mythology spans centuries, giving birth to hundreds of tales about various gods and goddesses, royals and monsters. So it stands to reason that the 2017 Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts would open with an adaptation of one of the most famous tales of all – the Ramayana.  Focusing on the life and adventures of the monkey god Hanuman (played by Hari … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Anjaneyam – Hanuman’s Ramayana by Apsaras Arts

Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Khwaab-Sa – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Company Theatre (Review)

Khwaab-Sa opens with a spotlight on lithe, petite dancer Ronita Mookerji as the iconic spirit Puck. In the background, a musician clad in a unicorn mask assaults our ears with loud electronic music, as Mookerji writhes and vibrates. Grinning madly, she laughs silently before impishly back-flipping across the stage, a moon projection making her lunacy obvious. This is Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream as you’ve never seen … Continue reading Kalaa Utsavam 2017: Khwaab-Sa – Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream by The Company Theatre (Review)