Singapore Dance Theatre, the country’s premiere professional dance company, returns to Penang for the fourth year running with its wildly popular Ballet Illuminations. Three choreographic works will be presented, and the annual Master Class with artistic director Janek Schergen will also be held, on Saturday, 13 May, 10am – 11.30am.
Each year, Ballet Illuminations showcases some of the important repertoire the Singapore Dance Theatre offers in Singapore, and each year it is a diverse range of classical and contemporary dances. This year, they will begin with a ballet, created especially for them last year by choreographer Ma Cong, called Incomparable Beauty. This is followed by Blue Snow by Toru Shimazaki. The evening will close with a classical ballet, first performed in Russia in 1898, Raymonda Divertissements.
The Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) explains their repertoire as follows:
Incomparable Beauty by Ma Cong
Created for SDT, Incomparable Beauty was inspired by the beautiful and emotive scores of Italian Composer, Ezio Bosso. Delving into the depth of our humanity, this dance explores the four pinnacles of the human state – purity, pangs, passion and power; each incomparable to the other, and yet seamlessly melded into the beauty of our existence. Through the contrasting style of contemporary movements combined with classical ballet technique, Incomparable Beauty is an earthy and organic work that traverses through the diverse and transcendent dynamics of our being.
Blue Snow by Toru Shimazaki
“After having worked with the dancers of Singapore Dance Theatre on my previous ballet for them, Absence of Story, I wanted to explore a new direction in movement and stylistic content. In my mind were the ideas of trying to reach for something seen from a distance and combined with some underlying emotional longing. This developed as a choreographic work meant to be an impressionistic journey, giving a sensation and emotional feeling of moving toward something that is always just slightly out of reach. The dancers are looking forward, as if to a horizon, that is beautiful, but unattainable. It is with the thought that the journey is more important than the end.” – Toru Shimazaki
Blue Snow was created especially for SDT for Esplanade’s festival 2014.
Raymonda Divertissements after Marius Petipa
One of the lasting ballet pieces choreographed by Marius Petipa, Raymonda was performed by SDT in its inaugural performance in 1988. SDT will showcase a classical divertissement from Act III of Raymonda that is a pas de deux (dance by ten performers). A celebrative medley of pas de deux (dance by two performers) and several solo variations combined with segments where a total of ten dancers appear on stage together, this excerpt from Raymonda is a veritable feast for the senses that shows off the grace, vigour, and vitality of the dancers.
Ballet Illuminations will be performed on 12th May at 8.30pm, 13th May at 3pm and 8.30pm, and 14th May at 2pm at penangpac, Straits Quay. Tickets for the opening show are priced at RM 25. Otherwise, evening shows are RM 48, RM 38 (Conc.) and matinees RM 38, RM 32 (Conc.). A promotional package of 4 tickets is available for RM 152 or RM 128 for evening and matinee performances respectively. You can buy online via http://www.ticketpro.com.my/jnp/theatre/dance/2066384-penangpac-Ballet-Illumination.html or in person at the penangpac box office.