Passages Contemporary Season is a choreography workshop and presentation project by the Singapore Dance Theatre. This 4th edition featured new works by new choreographers Cici Chen, Jereh Leong, Timothy Coleman and Max Chan, under the guidance of Artistic Director Janek Schergen.
Both Cici Chen's and Jereh Leong's works
had a contemporary dance feel; Timothy Coleman piece was beautiful but rather ballet to me. Max Chan's piece was the most interesting as he explored many areas.
By the time we had seen the 4 dance pieces and hearing short discussions with the choreographers, most of us were tired. I sort of lost my concentration with Christina Chan(past participant)'s Shift or Go and Kinsun Chan's Slide. Maybe the organiser could just restrict the programme to just the 4 choreographers.
Nonetheless, this is a very good platform. How often do young choreographers have the chance to work with professional dancers?
The version of The Nutcracker by Janek Schergen was set in the early 20th Century Shanghai. The set design, costumes reflected the era. The 5th December performance was generally enjoyable, but for some reason, it lacked the excitement of a Christmas show. At times, the lighting made the stage look bare and empty. Clara and the Magician looked more like intruders than visitors, being so distant from the staging. The company of young dancers did a good job, and they would continue to get better as an ensemble over the next few years.
It will be interesting to see how Romeo and Juliet turns out in March.
No comments :
Post a Comment