An Interview with Paris Opera Ballet Étoiles Léonore Baulac and Germain Louvet

Last weekend, the world famous, 300-year strong Paris Opera Ballet arrived at the Esplanade to perform some of the greatest contemporary hits in their repertoire. Performing William Forsythe’s Blake Works I, Jerome Robbins’ In the Night, and Crystal Pite’s The Season’s Canon, audiences were hyped, to say the least, about the rare opportunity to catch not one but three incredible performances in one sitting. Following an afternoon rehearsal on their … Continue reading An Interview with Paris Opera Ballet Étoiles Léonore Baulac and Germain Louvet

Review: Paris Opera Ballet presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Three works that showcase why Paris Opera Ballet remains one of the best ballet companies in the world. While most audiences tend to associate ballet with classical works, the best ballet companies of today have slowly but surely made the move towards a mix of both the contemporary and the classical. And for a company as renowned and respected as the Paris Opera Ballet, they’ve become … Continue reading Review: Paris Opera Ballet presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Paris Opera Ballet presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

With its history of over 300 years, the world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet is often considered the birthplace of classical dance. Even today, the company continues to pursue excellence as it performs repertory work and creation of new choreographies. While it’s rare for the company to travel to Asia, this June, Singaporeans will get a chance to see the company in action as they tour to … Continue reading Preview: Paris Opera Ballet presented by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

Preview: Esplanade Presents – The Far Side of the Moon by Ex Machina/Robert Lepage

The Esplanade is set for one of their biggest productions of the year, as they present visionary Canadian theatre director Robert Lepage’s The Far Side of the Moon this November. Touching on a narrative set against the backdrop of the race to the moon between the Americans and the Russians, our story instead centres on Philippe, a struggling introverted philosopher, and his younger brother Andre, a successful … Continue reading Preview: Esplanade Presents – The Far Side of the Moon by Ex Machina/Robert Lepage

Preview: Cloud Gate 45th Anniversary Gala Programme – Lin Hwai-min – A Retrospective

This weekend, Cloud Gate Dance Theatre returns to the Esplanade Theatre for a retrospective on decorated company founder Lin Hwai-min’s impressive body of work over the years. Often considered poetic, powerful and replete with philosophical beauty, Lin’s choreography has, over the years, cemented itself as a permanent part of the international dance community’s collective consciousness, a living legend and one of the very best among … Continue reading Preview: Cloud Gate 45th Anniversary Gala Programme – Lin Hwai-min – A Retrospective

Review: Crazy Poor Sita by Sharul Channa

Sharul Channa lets her acid humour take a backseat to this timely character drama about the underclass of Singapore. Better known for her sharp tongue and razor wit, stand up comedian Sharul Channa has lately, been delving into a somewhat different brand of performance lately, exploring her actor side with character work that’s seen her transform into women of all backgrounds. In the International Women’s … Continue reading Review: Crazy Poor Sita by Sharul Channa

Huayi Festival 2019: Love Letters by The Nonsensemakers/Nelson Chia & Mia Chee (Review)

Two melodramatic lives, their destinies intertwined by a flurry of love letters. It’s one thing to be married, or married to your job, but quite another to be married to someone who runs a company with you. Such is the case for both The Nonsensemakers (Hong Kong) and Nine Years Theatre (Singapore), run by partners Rensen Chan and Jo Ngai, and Nelson Chia and Mia … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: Love Letters by The Nonsensemakers/Nelson Chia & Mia Chee (Review)

Huayi Festival 2019: That Which Cannot Be Divided (无法被整除) by Bulareyaung Pagarlava & Albert Tiong (Review)

United we stand, divided we fall. Inspired by the concept of prime numbers – numbers indivisible by anything other than themselves and 1 and with no immediately apparent pattern, former Cloud Gate Dance Theatre members Bulareyaung Pagarlava (Taiwan) and Albert Tiong (Singapore) each choreographed a work attempting to unravel the mysteries behind them, showcasing how they may have more application to daily life than we … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: That Which Cannot Be Divided (无法被整除) by Bulareyaung Pagarlava & Albert Tiong (Review)

Huayi Festival 2019: The Way of Zhuang Zi (庄子兵法) by Story Works (Review)

Nerve wracking thriller of a play that keeps you guessing every step of the way. Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness. I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly dreaming I am a man. Of the many Chinese philosophers we grew up learning from our scholar of a Chinese teacher … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: The Way of Zhuang Zi (庄子兵法) by Story Works (Review)

Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)

Warning: This review may contain spoilers Journey to the centre of the self…and Liu Xiaoyi. Over the years, Emergency Stairs Artistic Director Liu Xiaoyi has made it abundantly clear that the work he puts out staunchly refuses to conform to theatrical standards, having created work that subverts the norm, be it a piece of anti-theatre deliberately attempting to crush audience expectations or even performing in unusual … Continue reading Huayi Festival 2019: FOUR FOUR EIGHT (四四八) by Emergency Stairs (Review)