a thematic contemporary dance triple bill
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.
Curated by Decadance Co (Singapore), the programme extends the company’s exploration of mortality and care, first begun in The 11th Hour. Presented within the intimate spaces of Mizuma Gallery (Singapore) and Mind + Move Space (Bangkok), this cross-cultural encounter invites audiences into a quiet, immersive meditation on loss — and the ways we learn to carry it.
In conjunction with the performances, artist-led workshops will invite dancers and audiences to engage directly with the choreographers. Each session offers insight into their unique creative languages—from stillness and ritual to emotional release—allowing participants to explore how movement can hold memory, transformation, and renewal.
Show Dates
11–13 December 2025 8pm, Singapore — Mizuma Gallery, Gillman Barracks
19–20 December 2025 7:30pm, Bangkok — Mind + Move Space
Workshop Dates
Singapore - 13 December 2025
Bangkok - 17 December 2025
About the Works
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.
About the Artists
Compagnie Irene K (Belgium)
Founded by choreographer Irène Kalbusch, Compagnie Irene K is known for its poetic and humanistic approach to contemporary dance. Based in Eupen, Belgium, the company’s works blur the boundaries between stage and site, body and architecture — transforming everyday spaces into landscapes of emotion. Their contribution to twelve white chrysanthemums distills grief into movement of exquisite simplicity, revealing the quiet power of stillness.
www.irene-k.be
Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company (Taiwan)
Led by Hsu Chen-Wei, this award-winning company integrates Taiwanese folk rituals, contemporary aesthetics, and the spirituality of Taoist philosophy. Their work in twelve white chrysanthemums draws from the “Farewell to the Deities” ceremony, reimagining it as a vibrant and transformative act of release. Through ritualized choreography and powerful ensemble energy, it bridges the worlds of the living and the departed.
www.hsuwallydance.com
Decadance Co (Singapore)
Led by co-founders Edwin Wee and Rachel Lum, Decadance Co is a contemporary dance company rooted in social consciousness and intergenerational collaboration. Known for its distinctive blend of artistic design and emotional honesty, the company creates works that are both tender and provocative—reflecting Singapore’s evolving contemporary realities with depth, sensitivity, and heart.
This project is made possible with the support of:
National Arts Council
Tote Board Arts Fund
Mizuma Gallery
Mind + Move Space