STAGE WORKS

KNOTTED

21 & 22 June 2024
Goodman Arts Centre, Black Box

'Knotted’ delves deep into the beauty, complexities, and enduring struggles inherent in the institution of marriage, examining how its impact resonates across generations. Through the movement lens and language of the artists, witness the joyous moments of connection and intimacy, juxtaposed with the poignant challenges and sacrifices that define the journey of marriage.

As with our previous editions of intergenerational works, the short narratives are informed by personal stories from the 3 generations of performers, to showcase the ever-evolving beliefs, cultures and perspectives.

THE 11TH HOUR

5 & 6 January 2024
Esplanade Theatre Studio

‘The 11th Hour’is a dark dance comedy that dives into the topic of death and ageless speculation of what comes after, in a satirical manner. In the Chinese culture, we accumulate good karma in this life, preparing for a reincarnation that would send us towards a better life. In the Jewish faith, there is no afterlife, just an end.

In many ways, this work is about endings and our inability to accept them. Instead, we make up stories of good places, bad places, vampires, ghouls, ghosts and zombies to fictionalise the idea that, after death we may still exist in some capacity. It’s a dark subject and one that bonds humanity and sometimes the only way to deal with the dark, is with the light.
The thematic double bill will feature the works of Decadance Co’s Resident Choreographer, Rachel Lum, and world renowned British Choreographer, Sam Coren, together with an impressive ensemble of dancers.

CREASED

1 & 2 September 2023
Stamford Art Centre, Black box

As we journey through life, we often experience a shift in our perspectives on acceptance, culture, tradition, and the values that define us as individuals in society. "Creased" offers a contemporary exploration of generational understanding, seeking to bridge the gap between family members, neighbours, and even strangers. 

Envisioned as a beautiful tapestry of human connection, "Creased" brings together three generations of dancers: our enthusiastic seniors from the decasilver program, our vibrant and energetic youngsters from the decak!ds program, and our passionate dancers from decastudios. This performance is a collaborative effort, a creation shaped by everyone, and intended for everyone. 

NUNO

9 & 10 June 2023
Esplanade Theatre Studio

NUNO (布) is a contemporary and aerial dance production that exploits the convergent possibilities and divergent tensions between contemporary and aerial dance. Five dancers move between the ground and the air, exploring the dynamics between body to body, body to silk and body to space. Between the tensile pull of muscle and silk, NUNO seeks to ask - what new movement possibilities can occur?

Contemporary Choreography by Edwin Wee
Aerial Choreography by Shirley Wong
Performed by Rachel Lum, Stephanie Rae Yoong, Joanne Seow, Shirley Wong and Edwin Wee

DRIFTED

3, 4 September 2022
Aliwal Arts Centre, Multi-purpose Hall

Drifted explores grief, memory, and celebration, unfurling the different dynamics of loss for all bodies young and old. Taking reference from the book ‘Lost in the Clouds’ by Tom-Tinn Disbury as a starting point, Drifted is devised together with dancers from Decadance Co, our decak!ds young dancers, and seniors from our decasilver elderly community engagement program. This production is perfect for all ages, and will resonate with audiences new or familiar to contemporary dance. Journey through the landscape of life after loss with us, as we explore how emotional bonds are ageless, timeless, and unbound by physical presence.

THREE

18th-27th June 2022
Goodman Arts Centre Block O, Multi Purpose Studios

THREE by Decadance Co is an immersive dance film exhibition and live performance production that responds to our growing modern anxieties through the deadly sins. Our work comes in three parts, expanding on Gluttony, Lust and Sloth. In THREE, metaphor, movement, film create a narrative of how these deadly sins cycle through humanity.

Situated in the Goodman Arts Centre Block O Multipurpose Rooms, three distinct spaces delineate each deadly sin. Draping the background will be a series of short films in each room repeating in cyclical, Sisyphean loop. Created in collaboration with filmmaker Khairulhakim, our dance films bring our signature visual lyricism with disjointed anxiety. During the one week of exhibition, six live performances at the start and and the end of the week transform the space. Roam freely through our immersive reality, as we move between physical reality, digital worlds, and the deadly pitfalls of human behaviour. 

DOUBLE TROUBLE

29 & 30 December 2021
Esplanade Recital Studio

Double Trouble is a double bill of contemporary dance works by Decadance Co artistic directors Rachel Lum and Edwin Wee and their collaborators. First presented as a livestream work-in-progress in 2020, our 2021 full-length production of double trouble seeks to develop and establish the next generation of contemporary dance choreographer-performers.

Who is a stranger? What happens when you feel a stranger amongst friends, or when you find kinship with strangers? Strangers by Edwin Wee and Goh Shouyi embodies these fragile and uneasy dichotomies of familiarity and unfamiliarity, the person and the crowd, push and pull. The work will feature music and live percussion by Benjamin Boo. 

8 by Rachel Lum explores the many multi-facets of womanhood and women’s bodies. Envisioned as the interplay of living sculptures in a pocket of suspended time, the two replay, re-live, and re-explore the cyclical tableaus of womanhood through a duet of empathy and comparison in eight parts. Original music composed by Ran Bagno. 

LOCKED!

4, 5 September 2021
Goodman Arts Centre, Black Box

Locked! reflects the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the private and public body. Joined by dancers from Decadance Co and decak!ds, this production goes inside the inner mind and out to the world behind closed doors. Cycles of loneliness, creativity, isolation, ideation, routines old and new all collapse into one body and space. Locked! invites you to think about how our bodies, young and old, will remember this era-defining moment.

double trouble

18 & 19 December 2020
LIVESTREAM

A live stream featuring 2 fresh collaborations between Rachel Lum and Christina Chan, and Edwin Wee and Goh Shouyi. These work-in-progress duets are a glimpse at the first stage to creating a double bill production at the end of 2021.

poly:taire II

18 July 2020
LIVESTREAM

Following the successful first edition of poly:taire, where we explored the collaboration between aerial, contemporary dance and the piano while being in lockdown, we are back with a brand new performative work where we continued to push the boundaries of the collaboration.

In poly:taire II, we heighten our interactions with technology, introduced an element of film, and continued to explored the definition of space in a digital realm, while preserving the magic of performing live.

𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐲:𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐈 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘖𝘝𝘐𝘋-19. 𝘈 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.

Dance | Edwin Wee
Aerial | Shirley Wong
Piano | Sueli Tang
Film | Edwin Wee
Digital | Adrenalin Group

This project is a recipient of the Digital Presentation Grant from National Arts Council;

Presented by Decadance Co, part of #SGCultureAnywhere #SGUnited #stayhomeforSG #polytaire #polytaire2

poly:taire

2 May 2020
LIVESTREAM

'𝘠𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.' -𝘙𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬

Three artists from different walks, bring their personal colour to the common palette, a digital one, in hopes of finding a new hue of solitude. This global pandemic brings us to a state of confinement, isolation and distancing, giving birth to a new breed of creative tension within artists all over the world. Like birds in cages, we now feel the absence of freedom and social instincts ever so starkly.

While we work together towards flattening the curve, we are now riding the learning curve but pushing ourselves out of the norms, to collaborate with technology and reach out to audiences in the comforts of their home.

A live broadcasted presentation about finding and experimenting on new ways of artistic synthesis, while being completely grounded within our homes, Shirley (aerial arts), Sueli (piano) and Edwin (contemporary dance), digitally zoomed throughout the artistic process and dived into what ignites us as artists and how we could still fly unbounded despite the given situation.

During these days of worldwide lockdown, many of us artists lose our projects, engagements and livelihood as the social aspects in communities shut down. Any amount of contribution to the work and presentation of ‘poly:taire” is greatly appreciated and goes straight to supporting the artists, allowing us to continue creating and presenting works for you, for now and in future.

Contribution can be done via PayNow to 98800289 or https://www.paypal.me/shirleyaerialist

NO CORNERS

20 & 21 March 2020
Design Orchard Rooftop

Decadance Co presents No Corners, a full length contemporary dance work developed from the first edition which was premiered in 2015. This work re-examines the boundaries of comfort and negotiates the psychological space surrounding that highly sought after quality of life we tirelessly navigate towards. How comfortable are we with ourselves as individuals to leave a mark in society and how do we alter the idea of comfort for others to feel included? 

In collaboration with film artist Khairulhakim, No Corners dives deep into the in-between state of comfort and discomfort by using the medium to further push the idea of transporting and stimulating emotions. 

An ambitious move to bring contemporary dance into the bustling intersection of Orchard Road, No Corners works with the challenging surroundings and spatial relations, finding the silver lining of comfort in the midst of the over-stimulative environmental havoc. 

FOURTH WALL: DUETS

8 & 9 November 2019
Miaja Gallery

in collaboration with Fantasium Group
as part of VOILAH! France Singapore Festival

‘Fourth Wall: Duets’ weaves classical ballet and contemporary dance, digital painting and enthralling narrative threads into a celebration of French and Singaporean culture. A feast for the senses, this unique event breaks the conventional ‘fourth wall’ where the roles of performers and audience blur to create an evocative experience for the eyes, ears, palate and soul.

The interactive show features three intertwined duet performances. Guests will experience an award-winning performance in virtual reality: music and ballet revolving around the love story of French sculptors Auguste Rodin and Camille Claudel. In parallel, a duet by experimental choreographers from Decadance Co, Edwin Wee and Rachel Lum, will reimagine the narrative’s tenderness and memories. Pushing creative limits further, the third experience is a duet of digital artists. The audience will not only witness a live 3D painting but can also explore and co- create in a virtual space.

DBL.TAP

3 & 4 July 2019
Esplanade Annexe Studio

as part of
M1 CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival 2019: DiverCity

This dynamic duet takes on the phenomenon of social media addiction to ask: Are we lost in a fantasised version of who we think we are, and are we becoming more disconnected than ever in this era of lauded connectivity?