da:ns focus

da:ns focus – EveryBody by Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is an inclusive weekend (19 – 21 Apr) of dance, challenging the conventional idea of a dancing body and redefining what is possible in dance and in life. The artists we feature this year have inspiring and meaningful philosophies on art and life. New York-based Monica Bill Barnes & Company’s motto is “bringing dance where it doesn’t belong”, while leading Australian company Restless Dance Theatre firmly believes in showcasing artists who have lived experience of disability but who are not defined by their disability. We hope that through this second edition of EveryBody, you will gain new perspectives on what it means to dance, and what it means to be human.   

EveryBody was initiated last year as part of the transformation from da:ns festival to da:ns focus—a season of five distinct themed dance weekends. EveryBody challenges conventions and presents high-quality works and experiences focusing on inclusivity, diversity and participation. We were encouraged by the artists, audiences and different communities who responded positively to 2023’s edition, and we see a great need to continue our efforts in featuring diverse dancing bodies that are professional as well as pre- or non-professional. Through them, we want to encourage everybody and every body to experience dance.   

While planning this second edition, we have designed many access points for audiences, so that communities who are new to dance or inclusivity will be able to connect deeply to the artists and experiences. A highlight of EveryBody is The Running Show by Monica Bill Barnes & Company. This work will activate a large cast of Singapore dancers, ranging in age from 12 to over 70 years old. Their voices and stories will be integrated into the show via live commentary, drawing parallels between dance, sports and everyday life. Filled with dynamic movements, gripping moments and an undercurrent of humour throughout, The Running Show is an enlightening dance-theatre performance that speaks to the community and humanity of dance.  

We also take the opportunity at EveryBody to progressively expand our perceptions on differently-abled artists and their works. Australia’s leading inclusive dance company, Restless Dance Theatre presents Listen to See, where the company’s dancers invite audiences to share moments of connection through short dance exchanges. It is an intimate experience of discovery, prompting us to rethink our perspectives on the diverse abilities that we all possess.  

In addition, EveryBody brings back a range of participatory programmes, such as EveryBody workshops for beginners of all ages, from pre-schoolers and kids to youths and adults. We have also invited Restless to specially conduct two workshops: a Creative Movement Workshop suitable for differently-abled participants with diverse needs and conditions, as well as an Educator’s Workshop on the topic of creating access in dance. The beloved EveryBody Dance Now also returns, where everybody is invited to freely take part in 13 different short dance-along sessions. Among these sessions, two sessions will be wheelchair-friendly and Singapore Sign Language interpretation will also be provided.  

Join us at EveryBody for a line-up featuring 17 different performances, experiences, workshops and dance-along sessions, and discover fresh perspectives on dance, art and life.  

Iris Cheung 
Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd 

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay presents da:ns focus – Connect Asia Now (CAN), a weekend dedicated to contemporary works by Asian dancemakers, from 4 – 6 Oct 2024. In this second edition, CAN features the internationally acclaimed butoh troupe Sankai Juku; two boundary-breaking dance artists Eisa Jocson and Venuri Perera in a first-time collaboration; and rising multidisciplinary artist Joshua Serafin.

CAN takes place annually as part of da:ns focus, our year-round dance season comprising five themed weekends. It is a dedicated platform where we support artists from the region and introduce their work to Singapore audiences, carrying on from our efforts over the past 17 years as part of da:ns festival. It is also a gathering place for artists, practitioners, producers and international presenters to come together, to connect and further develop Asia’s contemporary dance scene. The title is also a playful reference to our colloquial way of saying “yes!” in Singapore.

This year, we present new dance productions which engage deeply with the embodiment of ritual, resistance and metamorphosis. Sankai Juku (Japan) returns to Esplanade after eight years with the international premiere of their latest work, TOTEM – Void and Height, choreographed and directed by the late Ushio Amagatsu. Sadly, Amagatsu passed away in March this year, making TOTEM his last choreographic work. Known for creating minimalistic and elegant visual spectacles, his works helped popularise the art form of butoh, which originated in Japan in the 1960s, among international audiences and artists. His legacy continues not only through his company’s performances but also through a younger generation of dancemakers who explore themes such as our bodies’ relationship with gravity and the environment, or pose the fundamental question of what it means to “dance” with our own unique bodies. On Esplanade Offstage, a video recording from Esplanade’s archives featuring the late Amagatsu in an artist talk on Sankai Juku’s philosophy and practice will be available for viewing from 1 Sep – 31 Dec 2024. The talk was recorded at Esplanade in 2014 as part of ConversAsians, a by-invitation only conference that brought extraordinary Asian artists and arts industry professionals together.

As part of the CAN weekend, Esplanade will co-produce and present new works by three choreographers from the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Both works will be Asian premieres.

Magic Maids marks the first collaboration between two female artists, Eisa Jocson (Philippines) and Venuri Perera (Sri Lanka). Eisa Jocson is no stranger to Esplanade, having presented several works that expose body politics in the service and entertainment industry. It is our first time presenting Venuri, whose practice deals with patriarchy, colonial heritage, and class. The two artists come from countries known for exporting domestic workers, and Magic Maids will examine oppressive power structures through an embodied inquiry into the entanglements between witch hunts and female labour.

Joshua Serafin (Philippines/Belgium) has performed at Esplanade in Manila Zoo by Eisa Jocson (da:ns festival 2021) and at VECTOR#3 in 2023, presented by Dance Nucleus in collaboration with Esplanade. In the last year, Joshua has been touring Europe, performing in significant platforms and art centres. They were nominated for the 2023 ANTI Festival International Prize for Live Art in Finland and were officially invited to participate in the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia. In PEARLS, their second full-length choreographic work, they attempt to reclaim pre-colonial bodies and wrestle with the fractures imprinted by empire on the body, soul, and community. Through PEARLS, we listen to the pains and memories from the past, as well as voices of strength and hope for the future.

CAN is a gathering place where artists, practitioners, producers, festival directors and curators from Singapore and overseas come together to further develop the contemporary dance scene in Asia. This is possible because of our partners. We continue to work closely with National Arts Council on International Presenters Visit Programme, where we invite ten international presenters, festival directors and producers as delegates. In addition to watching CAN shows, the delegates will meet and exchange with artists, practitioners and producers from Singapore and the region. Dance Nucleus also remains an important partner for the development of choreographic practices and networks for independent artists in the region. We will present da:ns lab, an annual artist meeting curated by Daniel Kok, the artistic director of Dance Nucleus. This year's edition is designed as a coaching programme where four choreographers from Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong and India will work with a mentor to further develop their works and share about their process at the end. VECTOR#5, an exhibition of contemporary performance produced by Dance Nucleus, will return to Esplanade Annexe Studio this year, presenting experimental works from Singapore and the region.

We are excited to bring these very distinct and important Asian voices to our audience, and we look forward to the exchanges and dialogues that will come out of CAN as a key platform for dance and performance from Asia.

Izumi Asakawa
Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd

Extreme sports and contemporary dance meet, at da:ns focus – Out of Site. From 6 – 8 Dec 2024, Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay invites you to take a trip to this exciting terrain.  

As part of da:ns focus, we present a contemporary dance weekend that is framed by a different theme every year. On the tail of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024, this year’s theme, Out of Site, foregrounds the intersection of extreme sports and dance. For this weekend, we consider how sites of extreme sports function as catalysts for dialogues with risk that unlock new thresholds and stir up new possibilities. What else might emerge when we bring the spirit, philosophies and physicality of these sports out of their locales and into the theatre? 

Corps extrêmes, the widely acclaimed creation by Rachid Ouramdane, Director at Chaillot – Théâtre National de la Danse in France, will come to Esplanade after captivating audiences worldwide. Somewhere between documentary and dream, simultaneously intimate and larger than life, this compelling production brings the worlds of dance, acrobatics, highlining and rock climbing together in an ode to the present, to freedom, and life.  

We are also pleased to present A Reason for Falling by Malaysian choreographer Hwa Wei-An, which will finally premiere as a full standalone production. This Esplanade commission was first seeded in 2022 and seen at Forward Shift, an Esplanade platform for new works-in-progress by Asian dancemakers. Integrating Wei-An's background in b-boying with concepts from competitive freeriding, the work will return after two years of development with fresh inspiration and lingering curiosities.  

While we might not all be able to understand what it means to be a professional athlete or might be hesitant about watching contemporary dance in a dark theatre, we may find familiarity in the spectatorship—from marveling at bewildering technical skills and feeling the waves of adrenaline, to collectively creating the atmosphere and in some ways raising the stakes for the performance. Perhaps we may connect to the sensitivity, wonder, suspense, grit, and joy. Perhaps we can also relate to the desire for or pursuit of something beyond ourselves. How far can we go? What might we discover on the way there? And through all of that, what are we willing to risk? Both deeply personal and universal, these are some of the broader questions echoed by the works that we are proud to be presenting this weekend.  

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our Principal Sponsor BNP Paribas for their support of da:ns focus – Out of Site.  

We look forward to having you with us.  

 
Jessica Lam 
Programmer, The Esplanade Co Ltd 

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay presents da:ns focus – Salero Flamenco from 10 – 12 Jan 2025—a weekend celebrating the passion, soul and intensity of flamenco, featuring some of the best musicians and dancers from around the world. In Spanish, the word ‘salero’ embodies vivaciousness, charm and grace—an apt description for this spirited dance form and its artists. 

We welcome Sara Baras (Spain) back with her company’s 25th anniversary production, Vuela on 10 & 11 Jan 2025. Paying tribute to the late Spanish guitar virtuoso, Paco de Lucia—one of Spain’s greatest guitarists who pushed boundaries through innovative compositions which opened the doors of Flamenco music to the world—Vuela brings audiences through a choreographic journey of 15 unique pieces within four acts. Renowned for her exceptional footwork and mesmerising energy on stage, Sara Baras is one of the most celebrated flamenco artists. Performances by her company of talented dancers and musicians consistently play to sold-out audiences an enjoy long runs. We are thrilled to present her at the inaugural edition of Salero Flamenco, nine years after her last performance at Esplanade in 2016. 

Singapore’s community of flamenco practitioners and aficionados will also be activated this weekend through a vibrant line-up of programmes led by Tania Goh, a leading flamenco artist and educator in Singapore. Taking place at the Esplanade Concourse, the programmes will comprise performances and educational show-and-tell programmes by Singapore flamenco artists and dance studios, including Spanish Dance Singapore. On 12 Jan 2025, we look forward to our very first por fiesta flamenco—where local practitioners embrace spontaneity and improvisation alongside live musicians—a party not to be missed by flamenco lovers! 

To cap off the weekend, a senior member of the Sara Baras dance company will conduct a special masterclass on the Esplanade Theatre stage. Additionally, Singapore studios, such as Flamenco Sin Fronteras will offer a variety of beginner workshops for all ages. 

From lightning-fast footwork to intricate hand, arm and body movements, come join us and experience the love, passion and raw energy of Salero Flamenco. 

Iris Cheung 
Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd 

Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is excited to announce that ALICE (in wonderland) by Hong Kong Ballet will be the centrepiece for the second edition of da:ns focus – Ballet by the Bay, which will take place from 21 – 23 Feb 2025.  

Hong Kong Ballet, which last performed at Esplanade in 2004 as part of Huayi – Chinese Festival of Arts, will be making a significant return after 20 years. This presentation will be the first featuring an Asian ballet company and a family-friendly production under the da:ns banner. It is important for us to showcase an Asian ballet company, offering the Singapore audience, especially the younger generation, a chance to see themselves represented on stage.  

A key highlight of this production will be its large cast of local children. Ballet students in Singapore will have the unique opportunity to not only watch the performance but also to audition, rehearse and perform with Hong Kong Ballet on the Esplanade Theatre stage. We hope that such experiences will deepen the appreciation of ballet for our audiences, and inspire our next generation of dancers and artists. 

This da:ns focus presentation also coincides with the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s novel Alice in Wonderland, allowing audiences to rediscover the classic tale through the vibrant, colourful and imaginative staging by Septime Webre, Artistic Director of Hong Kong Ballet. As Mr Webre said about the work: 

“I had goals going into the production, to have young people fall in love with ballet and to have the dancers challenged technically. I wanted the dancers to come out of the experience better dancers than going in…There is a lot of virtuosity in the production...it's certainly entertaining, but it's not there because it is entertaining. It is a metaphor. When a dancer can do amazing turns, jumps, these tricks that are super-human...we are sending to the audience a message that 'life can be lived in its fullness...Go for the jugular in life, just go for it and you can be your best self.’”  

I believe ballet fascinates and is loved worldwide because of its unique ability to convey extreme physicality and beauty through the human body, serving as a powerful affirmation of life and its boundless possibilities. We hope you will join us at Ballet by the Bay, and stay tuned for future announcements about additional programmes for the weekend, including free programmes and masterclasses. 

Izumi Asakawa 
Producer, The Esplanade Co Ltd