To all dance lovers and those curious, da:ns festival invites you to fall in love with dance through a full-hearted celebration of movement from 10 – 20 Oct 2019.
With powerful performances from around the world, exciting new creations and a wide range of opportunities to learn various kinds of dance, this 11-day festival will open your mind, lift your spirit and get your body moving.
Here’s a guide to help you navigate (dance) your way through da:ns festival:
Ticketed programmes
Centrestage: The world’s most inspiring dance productions and renowned artists at Esplanade Theatre
Shift: Thought-provoking works that shift your notions of dance and choreography
Next Generation: Showcasing up-and-coming young artists or works for young audiences
Footwork, Masterclasses and Workshops: Beginners take their first steps at Footwork and other 101 dance lessons, while professional dancers can attend masterclasses by the festival’s visiting artists from around the world
Free programmes
Rasas: Discover the rich culture of Asia’s traditional dances performed by leading artists in the region
What’s Your Move?: Free mass dance sessions under the stars and along the Esplanade Forecourt, led by instructors from Singapore’s dance studios.
Sixteen da:ns Challenge: Selected dancers will be mentored by the guest choreographers over 16 hours of rehearsals (four hours over four consecutive days), which will culminate in a performance with other international street dance crews at the Centrestage street dance programme FULL OUT!
Roving Performance: Local dance duo, ScRach MarcS will be bringing dance to various locations around the Esplanade, and the public gets to choose to watch them perform, learn some simple steps from them, or even be part of their performance.
da: ns lab: A platform dedicated to engaging dance practitioners in Singapore and the Asian region in the artistic discourse, research, reflection, and exchange; thereby enriching the critical thinking space of dance in Singapore.
Everybody da: ns now:: Everybody da: ns now is a unique social experience that invites people to let down their hair and has their own private mini dance party (for 3-4 people) in a specially constructed box full of fun.
Acosta Danza
(Cuba)
Thu & Friday, 10 & 11 Oct 2019 | 8pm | 1hr 20mins @Esplanade Theatre
Tickets: $40 – $100
Admission for ages 6 and above
★★★★
“Beg, borrow or steal a ticket for Acosta’s exhilarating Cuban trip. A striking show” – Evening Standard
Following an exceptional career, acclaimed international ballet superstar Carlos Acosta brings his company Acosta Danza to da:ns festival for its first performance in Singapore.
Princess
Eisa Jocson (Philippines)
Fri & Saturday, 11 & 12 Oct 2019 | 8pm | 1hr 15mins @Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets: $30
Admission for ages 6 and above.
“Jocson exemplifies the multi-dimensional capabilities of the body as a tool for understanding, critiquing and responding to society.” – ArtsEquator
The Disney empire created its own brand of happiness with smiling and waving princesses in theme parks across the globe, and Snow White represents the essence of the “Happy Girl”.
Forward Shift
Raka Maitra & Dharma, Ming Poon & Pichet Klunchun (Singapore, Germany, Thailand)
Fri – Sunday, 11 – 13 Oct 2019 | Fri & Sat: 8pm Sun: 5pm | 2hrs @Esplanade Annexe Studio
Tickets: $30
Admission for ages 6 and above.
Forward Shift is a new platform focused on new creations by Asian dancemakers who are pushing dance forward in their respective forums or communities. Each choreographer will perform a complete scene from a work they are currently creating, which aims to eventually become a full-length production in the future. As an audience member you will be able to watch these performances which are fresh from the rehearsal studio, and experience a range of artistic practices and ideas from the strongest dance artists in our region in one evening, as well as offer support or feedback.
Humans, Slugs and other creatures
LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore)
Sat & Sunday, 12 & 13 Oct 2019 | Sat: 2pm, Sun: 6pm | 1hr @Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets: $20
Admission for ages 6 and above.
Meet the next generation of dance talents in Singapore from LASALLE College of the Arts, as they present dances by local and international choreographers. The programme reflects LASALLE’s cosmopolitan and cutting-edge approach that produces performers who expand and challenge the boundaries of dance both physically and conceptually.
The Third Space
Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (Singapore)
Sat & Sunday, 12 & 13 Oct 2019 | Sat: 6pm, Sun: 2pm | 1hr @Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets: $20
Celebrate the talents and diversity of Singapore’s dance landscape in this showcase by pre-professional dance students from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA).
FULL OUT!
Featuring s**t kingz, GRV, IP LOCKERS, Nelson Ewande, Fabulous Sisters, Stoney X Junglebeats (Japan, USA, France, Taiwan, Singapore)
Tue & Wedesday, 15 & 16 Oct 2019 | 8pm | 1hr 15mins @Esplanade Theatre
Tickets: $35 – $68
Street dance is storming onto the Centrestage of da:ns festival! Watch out for this epic showcase of mind-blowing street dance from some of the best crews from Japan, Taiwan and more, coming to you from slaying the stages of World of Dance and Hip Hop International. With various street dance styles and unique choreography, they prove that age, gender, location, and language are no barriers to the power of dance.
Grand Finale
Hofesh Shechter Company (UK)
Fri & Saturday, 18 & 19 Oct 2019 | 8pm | 1hr 45mins @Esplanade Theatre
Tickets: $40 – $100
★★★★
“a wild waltz for the end of time … (Grand Finale) ranks among Shechter’s most sophisticated creations” – The Guardian
Nominated for an Olivier Award 2018 for Best New Dance Production and for Outstanding Production in the Bessies 2018. Won a 2019 Dora Award for Outstanding Touring Performance and nominated for Best Dance Production in the 2019 Helpmann Awards.
Pas de Deux
Raimund Hoghe (Germany)
Fri & Saturday, 18 & 19 Oct 2019 | 8pm | 2hrs @Esplanade Theatre Studio
Tickets: $30
“Hoghe is extraordinary to watch…He is a performer of quiet, dignified intensity…” – HuffPost.com
“Hoghe moves with economy and care, lightly yet fiercely; every gesture is pristine, flooded with dramatic import. Ueno is supple, gentle, able to leap with abandon one moment and to describe delicate patterns with his hands the next.” – The New Yorker
Echoa
Arcosm (France)
Fri & Saturday, 18 & 19 Oct 2019 | Fri: 3pm, Sat: 5pm | 1hr 20mins @Esplanade Recital Studio
Tickets: $30
How does a percussionist dance? What is the sound of a dancer? An international success in over 25 countries with more than 930 performances, Echoa is a wonderfully entertaining and accessible music and movement experience for the whole family.
Street Dance Masterclasses
Yaobai (IP LOCKERS), Nelson Ewande, David Lim (GRV), s**t kingz (Taiwan, France, USA, Japan)
Friday – Sunday, 11 – 13 Oct 2019 | 2hrs(with suitable breaks) @Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: $40
11 Oct 2019, Fri,
8.30pm – 10.30pm: Yaobai (IP LOCKERS)
12 Oct 2019, Sat,
9.30am – 11.30am: Nelson Ewande
2pm – 4pm: David Lim (GRV)
13 Oct 2019, Sun,
7.30pm – 9.30pm: s**t king
Push your boundaries and turn your dance routines up a notch by joining in these masterclasses with the dancers and choreographers from FULL OUT!
Dance Masterclass with Acosta Danza
(Cuba)
Saturday, 12 Oct 2019 | 12pm | 1hr(with short breaks) @Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: $25
Don’t miss this opportunity to immerse yourself in the energetic and lively culture of Cuba through this masterclass led by Cuban dancer Yasser Dominguez from the critically acclaimed dance company Acosta Danza. This masterclass will incorporate movement stemming from the AfroCuban modern technique and focus on increasing your awareness of your body in space and moving each limb independently whilst retaining a rhythmic flow.
Dance Masterclass with Hofesh Shechter Company
(UK)
Saturday, 19 Oct 2019 | 10am | 1hr 30mins @Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: $25
Hofesh Shechter is one of the UK’s most exciting contemporary artists. His unique style of choreography, infused with honesty and raw physicality has won him and his company worldwide acclaim.
Rasas Workshops: Introduction to Lengger and Nora Dance
Otniel Dance, Nora Thummanit Thaksin University Group (Indonesia, Thailand)
Sunday, 13 & 20 Oct 2019 | 1hr 30mins @Esplanade Rehearsal Studio
Tickets: $10
13 Oct 2019, Sun, 10am
Introduction to Lengger Dance
20 Oct 2019, Sun, 10am
Introduction to Nora Dance
Rasas Workshop – Introduction to Lengger Dance
Conducted by Otniel Dance (Indonesia)
Join the dancers from Otniel Dance as they share their knowledge on the graceful costumes and intricate movements of Lengger, a dance form originating from Banyumas. In the past, Lengger functioned as a harvest ritual as entertainment for farming communities. Today, Lengger is a popular entertainment form in Central Java, amalgamating dance, calung music and vocals. Prior experience in learning dance and/or movement would be advantageous, but not necessary.
Rasas Workshop – Introduction to Nora Dance
Conducted by Nora Thummanit Thaksin University Group (Thailand)
Come learn the ancient graceful ritual dance of Nora by Nora Thummanit Nikomrat, one of the leading masters of the genre. Rarely performed outside of Southern Thailand and Northern Malaysia, Nora is an archaic dance-drama whose origins are steeped in legend and prominent around the Songkhla Lake where it has thrived for centuries. The dance has its own music traditions and its movement techniques have an undeniably magical character, drawing on influences from as far away as India and Sri Lanka. This workshop is suitable for people with no dance experience.
