PROGRAMME

WELCOME2DECA,

-Edwin

SYNOPSIS

Three choreographic voices — from Belgium, Taiwan, and Singapore — gather in twelve white chrysanthemums to contemplate how we part, remember, and begin again. Across cultures and bodies, the works trace the unseen shapes of grief: the silence after departure, the beauty of ritual and release, and the uneasy brightness of denial. Through movement, light, and human fragility, twelve white chrysanthemumstransforms mourning into reflection, and reflection into renewal.

twelve white chrysanthemums unfolds in three movements — each a reflection of how we confront absence, perform remembrance, and resist forgetting. Though distinct in language and form, the works share a quiet intimacy — an unspoken understanding that grief is not a single moment, but a continuum of feeling and release.

La nature n’aime pas le vide
Choreographed by Irène Kalbusch (Compagnie Irene K, Belgium)
Minimal and arresting, this opening work enters the stillness of absence — the breath just after departure. In pared-down gestures and delicate tension, it traces the contours of emptiness and the fragile space left behind by loss.

Sàng Tsáu
Choreographed by Hsu Chen-Wei (Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company, Taiwan)
Rooted in the Taoist “Farewell to the Deities” ritual, Sàng Tsáu transforms collective grief into ceremony. It moves between the sacred and the theatrical, embodying the beauty of release — where dance becomes prayer, and mourning becomes an act of grace.

Cloud 9
Choreographed by Rachel Lum (Decadance Co, Singapore)
Closing the evening, Cloud 9 bursts into uneasy brightness — a restless euphoria that conceals the ache beneath. It captures our impulse to escape sorrow through forced joy, asking what remains when we refuse to face the permanence of loss.

Together, these three works offer a curatorial journey through the emotional terrains of mourning — from rupture to release, from denial to quiet renewal.

MUSIC

“LA NATURE N’AIME PAS LE VIDE”

PAROLA - REWORK - DONATO DOZZY
WHOZA MTWANA - DOLLAR BRAND (ABDULLAH IBRAHIM)
RAIN - TONY ANN
THE HOMECOMING SONG - DOLLAR BRAND

“SÀNG TSÁU”

“CLOUD 9”

TO DREAM - MICHAEL WALL
2001 A SPACE ODYSSEY - A SPACE ODYSSEY
I LIE - DAVID LANG, ARS NOVA COPENHAGEN, PAUL HILLIER
RIPLI - RAIME
ORCHESTRAL SUITES NO.3 IN D MAJOR - JOHN SEBASTIAN BACH

CREATIVE TEAM

PRODUCEREDWIN WEE
CHOREOGRAPHERIRÈNE KALBUSCH - LA NATURE N’AIME PAS LE VIDE
CHOREOGRAPHERHSU CHEN-WEI - SÀNG TSÁU
CHOREOGRAPHERRACHEL LUM - CLOUD 9

“LA NATURE N’AIME PAS LE VIDE” CAST

PERFORMERFABIO CAVALERI
PERFORMER

“SÀNG TSÁU” CAST

PERFORMERCHI-CHENG CHAN
PERFORMER

“CLOUD 9” CAST

PERFORMERRACHEL LUM
PERFORMERJOANNE SEOW
PERFORMERPAOPA-NGA KARUNNARAPORN

MARKETING TEAM

EDWIN WEE
JOANNE SEOW

PRODUCTION TEAM

STAGE MANAGERRACHEL CHNG
ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGEREILEEN CHEA
TECH CREWJOSEPH CHUA
FRONT OF HOUSEEILEEN CHEA

SUPPORTEDBY

NATIONAL ARTS COUNCIL - TWELVE WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUMS is a recipient of Performance & Participation Grant
ARTS FUND - TWELVE WHITE CHRYSANTHEMUMS is a recipient of Arts fund

SPECIAL THANKS

PERFORMANCE SPACE SPONSOR - MIZUMA GALLERY, GILLMAN BARRACKS
STUDIO SPACE SPONSOR - NANYANG ACADEMY OF FINE ARTS
WINE SPONSOR - GOH SENG HENK

SUPPORT US

Please consider supporting us! You can do so by following us on our social media accounts (Facebook or Instagram), attending our dance classes, volunteering as an usher, or spreading the word about us to your friends and community. You can also do so with a donation. We are a non-profit company focussed on collaborative applications of contemporary dance, and every little bit of support helps our company continue our mission.

Edwin graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 2008 with a Diploma in Dance. Upon graduation, he was invited to present his graduating choreography, The Shaman's Cat, at the da:ns Festival 2008 at Esplanade. He was part of Generations Spotlight: Moscow (2008) directed by Ivan Heng, where he performed for the President of Russia, Dmitriy Medvedev, and Singapore's Senior Minister, Goh Chok Tong. He later performed for His Excellency President of Singapore SR Nathan at the Singapore Design Awards 2008. 

He joined Arts Fission in 2008 ad has been actively choreographing and performing since. He was appointed Rehearsal Director in 2011 and Artistic Director for the company’s annual young people environmental dance-theatre productions since 2012. He has directed, curated, designed and choreographed more than 20 staged and site specific original productions.

With Arts Fission, he was involved in all productions and community projects. Some notable performances include, and not limited to, The Rite of Spring: A People’s Stravinsky (2013), Temple Reimagined (2013): a dance film, Future Feed (2014): a collaboration with Irene K Compagnie and presented in Belgium, In the Name of Red (2015): a site specific performance commissioned by National Gallery Singapore, Fire Monkey: a site specific performance under the arts festival of Mapping Melbourne (2016), and again at Northcote Townhall, Melbourne (2018).

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Rachel Lum graduated with a Diploma in Dance from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in year 2011. Upon graduation, she joined Frontier Danceland as an apprentice. Rachel then joined Re:Dance Theatre (RDT) as a founding member where she actively performed in all of her core and external productions such as M1 Contact Dance Festival, M1 Singapore Fringe Festival, Singapore Night Festival and NUS Arts Festival. Rachel was also the training mistress for Re:Dance Theatre 2. In 2017, she joined The Arts Fission Company as a movement artist. In addition, she has created numerous dance works and one of them, No Corners, was invited to perform at Lift Off Dance Festival in Bracknell, United Kingdom. As a freelance artist, she has performed in M1 Contact Dance Festival, CDE Springboard Dance Festival Macau and DANCESTAGES Shanghai.

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Joanne embarked on her dance journey with the Royal Academy of Dance ballet program at the age of five. She later pursued her professional training at LASALLE College of the Arts, earning a diploma in dance. In 2021, she graduated with Distinction.

During her time at LASALLE, Joanne diversified her skills by studying genres including jazz and street dance. Her training also involved collaborations with numerous local and international artists such as Rachel Lopez de la Nieta (UK), Leah Morrison (UK), Ery Mefri (Indonesia), Eisa Jocson (Philippines), Susan Sentler (UK/Singapore), and Jenny Neo (Singapore). These experiences extended beyond dance into disciplines like fine arts, fashion, film, and animation, enriching her artistic perspective.

Currently, Joanne is a full-time dance artist with Decadance Co.

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Pao born and raised in Chiangmai, Thailand. Her journey in dance began at young age in Thailand. Pao's dedication to dance led her to numerous classes, workshops, and competitions in Thailand, as well as international stages in Macao, Manila, and Singapore.

At age of 18, she decided to pursue in dance career and join diploma in dance at the Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. Pao's dedication to excellence earned her the Dean's List Award from the School of Dance at NAFA. Beyond school performances, Pao's talents graced the stage at Emergence presented by Singapore Chinese Dance Theater, Singapore Night Festival ,and University of Arts Singapore Symposium. She is currently joining decadance co as project artist

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