Witness the power of dance to touch your soul and make your heart soar. da:ns 08 is a kaleidoscope
of all that is wonderful and special about this art form.
Beyond its lyrical beauty and sheer delight, dance is also about stretching the limits of the physical and daring to be different. In Centrestage, Cisco Aznar's marvellous reworking of the classic Coppélia engages you on many levels. His sense of theatricality and ingenious use of film will find fans beyond dance lovers. Meanwhile classical ballet enthusiasts will be treated to an evening of breathtaking virtuosity with Stars of the Russian ballet . Technical brilliance is likewise the hallmark of dance powerhouse Nederlands Dans Theater I, also instantly recognisable worldwide for the inimitable choreographic styles of Jirí Kylián and Lightfoot-León. Another luminary of dance, Sara Baras, will enthral with her magnificent stage presence and bring her electrifying touch to flamenco.
Dancemakers from Singapore and the region feature in Shift. This season's artist-in-resident Albert Tiong premieres a new commission while Jeffrey Tan and Kuik Swee Boon have their works staged by the Singapore Dance Theatre. From avant garde multi-media performance company Leni-Basso comes an intriguing and compelling piece by Akira Kitamura. And join Cambodian and Indian classical dancers, Hun Pen and January Low, on a biographical journey that traverses tradition and modernity. The ongoing showcases of LASALLE College of the Arts and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts unveil the next generation of dance talents. Shift additionally serves as a platform for dance works in development and Joey Chua's cross-border collaboration with Mcebisi Bhayi has its first showing here.
The ever-popular Footwork, Rasas and What's Your Move are opportunities to join in and find out more about dance. In Footwork, parents and children can partner up and learn a new dance in sessions customised for younger learners while the Hip Hop For Schools programme features Hip Hop meets Jazz workshops just for students.
Dance can affect us all in a multitude of ways and at da:ns 08 we rejoice in its infinite ability to express the emotional and cerebral, to bring heartache and rapture all at once!
