MESSAGE FROM JANEK SCHERGEN

In 2020, Singapore Dance celebrates its 32nd performance season. The many developments that have taken place, since the establishment of SDT, are significant and are what make up our very memorable history. The identity of SDT has always been to keep one aspect of the repertoire in our heritage, with the tradition of classical ballet, and to match it, equally, with venturing forward into the world of neoclassical and contemporary choreography to balance our performances onstage. As was once brilliantly said by Dame Ninette De Valois, founder of The Royal Ballet, “respect the past, herald the future, but concentrate on the present.”

Romeo and Juliet will begin our performance season in March at the Esplanade. This unique production was conceived and choreographed by Choo-San Goh and first presented by Singapore Dance Theatre in 2000. As we all acknowledge that children are our future, we always have our children’s ballet series, Peter and Blue, waiting for us, in June, to introduce young audiences to the magic of dance. International tours this year are planned to take us to Malaysia, Hong Kong and the USA.

The second half of the year brings back our ever-changing repertoire in the Masterpiece in Motion series, celebrating our 32nd anniversary and featuring a new world premiere ballet by Tim Rushton, the company premiere of Ibsen’s House from Val Caniparoli, plus Organ Concerto, originally created for us by Nils Christe. Ballet Under the Stars returns in September at the Fort Canning Park with two weekends of contrasting repertoires. Passages Contemporary Season, always our strongest new repertory season, becomes a “Festival of New Works” with completely new ballets from Natalie Weir, Timothy Harbour, and Loughlan Prior. Our 2020 season will conclude at the Esplanade Theatre, with The Nutcracker, the most memorable ballet for both children and parents alike.

One of the most important elements of our mission has always been the development of new choreography, and to remain true to that, we have premiered 31 world premieres and 19 company premieres in the last several years. This season will add many world premieres, company premieres, as well as jewels from our permanent repertoire by internationally respected choreographers. The company was conceived to give our audiences memorable experiences and it continues, till this day, as our core mission. The brilliance and beauty of dance, as an art form, is there, timelessly, to share with our audiences and create anticipation for what is ahead.

About Singapore Dance Theatre

Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) was founded in 1988 by Goh Soo Khim and Anthony Then. The Company has since developed into Singapore’s premier professional dance company comprising of 35 company dancers plus 6 apprentices. In 2002, SDT was honoured with the opportunity to grace the official opening of the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay with the opening performance of Boi Sakti’s Reminiscing the Moon. SDT continues to have the privilege of performing in a world-class performing arts venue, exhilarating audiences with a myriad of repertoires.

In the course of each year, the Company performs six seasons annually, with three full ballet performances at the stage of Esplanade Theatre. The highlights of the Company’s performance season each year include the widely popular outdoor dance event – Ballet Under the Stars at the Fort Canning Park, two full length classics, and also Masterpiece in Motion which brings together three works of the finest international choreography, as well as Passages Contemporary Season. The Company’s repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary ballet, from renowned choreographers like Choo-San Goh, George Balanchine, Natalie Weir, Ma Cong, Val Caniparoli, Edmund Stripe, Kinsun Chan, Edwaard Liang, Nils Christe, Toru Shimazaki, Christina Chan, Timothy Harbour, François Klaus, Tim Rushton and Lucas Jervies.

In 2008, Janek Schergen was appointed Artistic Director of SDT. Under his leadership, the Company has made new achievements in the international and Singapore dance arena. In the last ten years, the Company has added 31 world premieres and 19 company premieres and new productions to the repertoire, in addition to numerous revivals of the existing Company’s repertoire.

International Touring

Singapore Dance Theatre has captivated audiences in Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Mexico, China, Australia, France, United States, London, Zurich, Bangkok and most recently Laos. The Company has taken part and has performed in numerous international festivals and events, such as Le Temps d’Aimer la Danse a Biarritz in France, Mexico’s Festival Internacional Cervantino, Chang Mu Arts Festival in Korea, Philippines Festival of Dance, and was part of the Victorian Arts Centre’s Made to Move subscription series. SDT tours Kuala Lumpur and Penang annually, and has seen a growth in its dedicated support to the company. Through the invitation of Sadlers Wells, SDT has also performed at London’s Singapore season at the Peacock Theatre. Deborah Weiss of Dance Europe reviewed Don Quixote as "All the choreography for the toreadors is explosive. There is no let up in the pace–and the technical requirements for each of them are never less than challenging. One of the most satisfying elements of the first act is that the corps de ballet are so musically accurate, accenting the wonderful punctuation in Minkus’ score."

Alison Kent from Dance Europe reviewed SDT's 30th Anniversary performance '.... with all thirty-two members of the ensemble engaged in producing a formidable display of design and structure. It looks very academic, with a strong classical vocabulary executed with razor-sharp precision in uniform dress for both male and female...'

Arts Education Programme and Outreach

Singapore Dance Theatre has been a recipient of the National Arts Council’s Major Grant since 2000. As a major grant recipient from the Singapore government and in keeping with SDT’s commitment to bring the finest in dance to the public audience, on-going Education and Outreach programmes such as Dance Appreciation Series (jointly presented with Esplanade Co.) and One @ the Ballet (a monthly in-studio presentation) are organised to provide people with the opportunity to appreciate dance. SDT has also created the Scholars Programme which is designed to be a pre-professional training programme for student dancers who are seriously interested in the pursuit of a professional dance career. The Intensive Ballet Programme was also recently organised to allow students to partake in a full day of dance intensive training. SDT also offers special courses for nondancers and adult students. These efforts aim to make dance more accessible to the masses. SDT hopes to spread the beauty, passion and discipline of dance to as many people as possible, and place Singapore in the minds of international dance aficionados.

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