Educational Kit: Ceremonial Enactments by MAX.TAN, Nadi Singapura and Bhaskar's Arts Academy (SG)

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CEREMONIAL ENACTMENTS

by MAX.TAN (Singapore), Nadi Singapura (Singapore) and Bhaskar’s Arts Academy (Singapore)

21 – 22 May, Sat – Sun 7.30pm Esplanade Theatre

EDUCATION KIT For ages 13 and up

2h, no intermission Rating: General

In Ceremonial Enactments, three Singaporean companies imagine a resplendent tapestry of local customary rituals, told with a contemporary twist.

CEREMONIAL ENACTMENTS SIFA.SG

Drawing from customs and rites within Singapore’s diverse cultures, Ceremonial Enactments features three festival commissions told in three acts, woven into one seamless performance experience.

HOW TO USE THIS KIT This kit is designed for deeper engagement and discussion with the SIFA programme.

Divided into four sections, it comes with guiding questions, suggested activities and links for further exploration on the subject and themes presented in the show:

BEFORE THE SHOW Pre-show preparation to understand the context

DURING THE SHOW Questions to think about while watching the show

AFTER THE SHOW

In Act I, designer powerhouse Max Tan of the label MAX.TAN opens the show with ANG, a fashion performance inspired by Chinese and Southeast Asian birth rituals. Conceived as a sartorial love letter to his mother, Tan constructs and weaves garments of ethereal beauty, layered with ideas of birth, re-birth and Samsara.

In Act II, percussion ensemble Nadi Singapura presents one of the grandest ceremonies within the Malay community – the wedding or the majlis persandingan. Led by Artistic Director Riduan Zalani, 293NW elegantly weaves dance and narrative with Nadi Singapura’s signature style of traditional Malay percussion rhythms.

In Act III, Bhaskar’s Arts Academy presents Yantra Mantra, an enactment of an ancient dance ritual performed in Hindu temples.

Choreographed by Cultural Medallion recipient the late Mrs Santha Bhaskar and Meenakshy Bhaskar, the creation sees dancers paying obeisance to the nine celestial custodians that guard the eight directions and the centre of the earth.

A reflective exercise to jot down thoughts

POST-SHOW ACTIVITY For further exploration on the subject, topic or themes

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BEFORE THE SHOW

CEREMONIES AND RITUALS

S

Look up the words “ceremony” and “rituals” in the dictionary – what are their definitions? Can you think of some examples of ceremonies and rituals that are common in your culture?

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Think about a significant ceremony or ritual that you have taken part in, or have observed before. How is this ceremony or ritual important or memorable for you?

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Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

ANG (MAX TAN)

ACT I:

BEFORE THE SHOW

Let’s watch this short video to find out more about what inspired Max Tan in ANG, and what he hopes to convey in the performance: Click or Scan here

Max Tan mentioned that this performance is a personal story for him. Below are some words that he used in his interview to reflect his thoughts.

BO

O

ER TH

E

THES

M

/C LO

GAR

R

BI

DY

TH

S NT

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MU

M/

M

In what ways do these same words mean to you personally?

Write down any thoughts that come to your mind when you think about them.

ANG is a performance that uses fashion and clothes to explore ideas of birth and birth rituals.

What are some interesting rituals related to birth in you and your friends’ culture? Do a little research by interviewing your family and friends – what did you discover?

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Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

293NW (NADI SINGAPURA)

ACT II:

BEFORE THE SHOW

How do they look and sound? Try sketching out their shapes and listing down some words to describe their sound below. What other interesting facts did you discover about them?

Looks and sounds like...

NG PA M and sounds

Lo

.. e.

lik

ting fact I f res ou e nt

nd

s ok

I

NA BA

SEARCH FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE MALAYAN DRUMS ONLINE.

KO

RE

293NW features the use of traditional Malay percussion instruments and percussion rhythms, and Nadi Singapura often uses Malayan drums such as the kompang, rebana, jidur and gendang in their performances.

Interesting fact I found

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GE

I

sting fact I fo ere u t n

nd

.. e.

nd sounds sa lik ok

Lo

JI

R DU

AN ND

G

Looks and sounds like...

Interesting fact I found

Arts House Limited Organises

Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

293NW (NADI SINGAPURA)

ACT II:

BEFORE THE SHOW

PERCUSSION RHYTHMS CAN VARY DEPENDING ON THE WAY THE PERCUSSION INSTRUMENT IS BEING PLAYED. For example, they can be played fast or slow, and the beat can be regular or erratic. Percussion rhythms can generate emotions and create an atmosphere when played together.

Take a look at Nadi Singapura during their rehearsal for the performance, 293NW:

WHAT WORDS AND COLOURS WOULD YOU USE Click or Scan here

Compare this to another rehearsal that Nadi Singapura did for their performance, 7etangga:

to describe the mood or atmosphere of the short performances you have just watched?

How similar and different are they?

Using the example given below, add your own words and colours to this word cloud to create your own new word cloud in comparing both performances:

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Click or Scan here

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Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

ACT III:

YANTRA MANTRA

BEFORE THE SHOW

(BHASKAR’S ARTS ACADEMY) Yantra Mantra enacts an ancient dance ritual performed in Hindu temples, where dancers pay obeisance to the nine celestial custodians that guard the eight directions and the centre of the earth.

WATCH THE INTERVIEW WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND

when you think about the universe around us?

Do you ever think about how the universe works, and how it can be experienced? Use the space below to pen down your thoughts:

with former Artistic Director and choreographer of Yantra Mantra, Santha Bhaskar, as she talks about how the body, music and dance can be used to explain or experience the universe and its planets in different ways:

SANTHA BHASKAR EXPLAINED THAT

when she wakes up, she takes note of the sun and nature as part of her own ritual practice.

What are some of your own personal rituals that you perform when you wake up?

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Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

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Click or Scan here

DURING THE SHOW

READ THESE QUESTIONS CAREFULLY before the performance starts, and remember to pay close attention while you are watching so you do not miss out on any details:

1

Notice the stage layout and set design.

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What does it remind you of? Why do you think the layout of the stage and the set design are built in this way, and how do you think it relates to the performances on stage?

2

How does ACT I: ANG show you the idea of birth and rituals through what you see on stage?

Think about the colours and the movements – how do they connect to what you know and understand about birth and rituals?

3

In ACT II: 293NW, what stands out the most about this performance and the atmosphere?

In what ways is it similar or different to the weddings ceremonies you have seen or attended before?

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4

For ACT III: Yantra Mantra, notice the hand gestures, facial expressions and body movements of the dancers.

How do they work together to suggest the idea of paying respects to the celestial custodians in a temple?

5

Which is your favourite part of the performance and why?

Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

NOW THAT THE PERFORMANCE IS OVER,

AFTER THE SHOW

Write down what you have noticed to answer the questions above, or a simple reflection of your thoughts about the performance.

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Arts House Limited Organises

Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

POSTSHOW ACTIVITY

THINK ABOUT THIS WRITER, EDITOR AND PRODUCER

Hong Xinyi had written some of her thoughts about the meaning of rituals, and how it relates to the performance of Ceremonial Enactments.

Take some time to read it here:

Click or Scan here

HAVE A DISCUSSION with your friends about a ceremony or ritual that you think is important, and create a guidebook to explain to others who are not familiar with this ceremony or ritual why it is special to you.

IN THIS GUIDEBOOK, YOU CAN INCLUDE:

1

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The name and purpose of the ceremony or ritual.

3

2

Reasons why this ceremony or ritual is important.

How is this ceremony or ritual performed?

5

4

What are some of the things needed to perform this ceremony or ritual?

What is this ceremony or ritual meant to do for the people involved?

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Ceremonial Enactments Education Kit

WORDS THAT MIGHT INTEREST YOU CONVEY

OBEISANCE

CELESTIAL

Expressing a thought, feeling or idea to be understood by others.

Expressing your obedience and respect for someone.

Of or from the sky or outside of this world.

EXPLORE

MOOD

CUSTODIANS

To search and discover; think or talk about something to find out more.

Someone responsible for taking care of or protecting something.

The feelings created at a particular time.

ATMOSPHERE The character, feeling or mood of a place or situation.

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FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION

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MAX.TAN

Nadi Singapura

The Bhaskar’s Arts Academy

Click or Scan here

Click or Scan here

Click or Scan here

Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) As Singapore’s annual pinnacle performing arts festival, the Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) presents captivating and diverse works across theatre, music, dance, film and visual arts. First launched as the Singapore Festival of Arts in 1977, the festival has gone through several evolutions and inspired generations of arts lovers and practitioners.

Under the helm of Festival Director Natalie Hennedige from 2022 to 2024, SIFA will focus on performance and creation in the physical and online space, around the theme The Anatomy of Performance.

Today, the highly anticipated festival is a high point on Singapore’s arts and cultural calendar.

SIFA continues its festival mission to champion the creation and presentation of Singaporean and international works.

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#SIFA2022 We can’t wait to welcome you at SIFA. Share with the world (and us!) what you are most excited to see at this year’s festival, or your photos and videos of your favourite SIFA festival moment. sifa.sg

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Arts House Limited (AHL) is a not-for-profit organisation committed to enriching lives through the arts. AHL is the cultural place manager of Singapore’s Civic District. It manages two key national monuments – The Arts House, a multidisciplinary arts centre with a focus on literary programming, and the Victoria Theatre & Victoria Concert Hall, a heritage building that is home to the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. It also runs performing arts space Drama Centre as well as three creative enclaves for artists, arts groups and creative businesses – the Goodman Arts Centre, Aliwal Arts Centre and Stamford Arts Centre.

AHL organises the Singapore International Festival of Arts – an annual pinnacle performing arts festival; as well as the Singapore Writers Festival – a multilingual festival presenting the world’s leading literary talents.

In addition, AHL manages Our Cultural Medallion Story – the showcase on Singapore’s Cultural Medallion recipients at The Arts House. AHL was set up in 11 December 2002 as a public company limited by guarantee under the National Arts Council and was officially renamed Arts House Limited on 19 March 2014.

For more information, visit artshouselimited.sg

TICKETING INFO FOR SCHOOL BOOKINGS

Engage your students in the arts at SIFA with our special deals for schools.

CONCESSIONS SIFA offers 20%* off ticket purchases to local and international students. *Applicable to selected ticket categories and programmes

TOTE BOARD ARTS GRANT For selected programmes, government schools may enjoy subsidies up to 50% of the ticket price. Applicable for Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges, Centralised Institute and Institute of Technical Educations (ITE) levels.

Special Education Schools may use the Tote Board Arts Grant to subsidise up to 70% of the programme cost. For more details on school bookings or Tote Board Arts Grant, please email sifatickets@artshouse.sg.

SCHOOL BOOKING DEALS For every 20 students tickets purchased, 1x complimentary ticket provided for the teacher.

CONTACT US

For further enquiries on programmes or education kits, please contact meganlee@artshouse.sg.

For group bookings, please contact sifatickets@artshouse.sg.

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To read more about the Tote Board Arts Grant, visit tinyurl.com/nac-Tote-Board-Arts-Grant.

For more information on the festival, visit sifa.sg.

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