Singapore Dance Theatre

The Singapore Dance Theatre is Singapore's national dance company, founded in 1988 by the late Anthony Then and Goh Soo Khim. It made its debut in June 1988 at the Singapore Festival of The Arts, and received its first arts patronage by the then-Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ong Teng Cheong.cite news|last=Lisa|first=Lee|title=A first for Teng Cheong and local dance group|location=Singapore|publisher=Business Times|date=1988-01-04|page=9]

Its humble beginnings started with a group of seven ballet dancers, and in a modest dance studio on the second storey of a creaky colonial bungalow on Killiney Road. This studio space was shared by the Singapore Ballet Academy, and the Theatre's dancers could only train in between the Academy's rehearsal schedules on normal days. The building's condition was bad, and often dancers had to be careful with their dance movements lest the floorboards gave way. On rainy days, the studio would experience leaking roofs and had to put buckets at the corner of the studio, to collect rainwater.cite news|last=Chong|first=Grace|title=In love with dance|location=Singapore|publisher=Business Times|date=2006-06-01]

The Theatre is now based on Fort Canning Green, and consists of 22 dancers mainly from the Asia-Pacific region. It receives its funding from both public and private sources, like the National Arts Council and corporate and private donations.cite news|last=Tara|first=Tan|title=Ballet company co-founder bows out - Singapore Dance Theatre co-founder and artistic director Goh Soo Khim to step down in December after 20 years|publisher=Straits Times|date=2008-07-18]

It has six seasons in a year, including performances at the Esplanade Theatre, and the Fort Canning Green, where its widely popular Ballet Under The Stars (BUTS) series of outdoor performances are staged. BUTS has to date, attracted over 180,000 spectators from all walks of life and have become dance aficionados.

Repertoire

The company’s repertoire ranges from classical to contemporary ballet, from renowned choreographers like Goh Choo San, George Balanchine, Jean Paul Comelin, Nacho Duato, Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Sakiko Oshima, Boi Sakti, Stanton Welch, and Marie-Claude Pietragalla. The Company also engaged Johnny Eliasen to stage La Sylphide. The Theatre also takes on the works by contemporary Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo.

Soo Khim has choreographed a number of dances for the SDT:
*"Brahm’s Sentiments", which premiered in the company’s second season
*"Environmental Phases" was restaged in 1990 in a celebratory concert for Singapore’s 25th Anniversary.

Choreography

Besides developing its repertoire, the company is dedicated to nurturing young choreographic talents in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific region. Its widely popular Ballet Under The Stars seasons at Fort Canning Green have become a viable working space for up-and-coming choreographers, who present their creations through the Singapore Young-Choreographers’ Platform and the Asia-Pacific Choreographer Workshop.

Currently, SDT's dancers train under Swedish ballet master Janek Schergen, who was also a fellow dancer of Goh Choo San from Washington Ballet days. Throughout the years, SDT has also groomed notable dancers and choreographers such as Kuik Swee Boon and resident choreographer Jeffery Tan, a Young Artist Award for Dance recepient in 2000.

Education

As a major grant recipient from the Singapore Government and in keeping with SDT’s commitment to bring the finest in dance to the public audience, on-going Education and Outreach programmes are organized to provide people with opportunities to appreciate dance. SDT continues to make extensive school visits and offer special courses for non-dancers and adult students. These efforts aim to make dance more accessible to the masses. Singapore Dance Theatre hopes to spread the beauty, passion and discipline of dance to as many people as possible and place Singapore in the minds of international dance aficionados.

On July 16, 2008 Goh Soo Khim formally announced that she is stepping down from her position as Artistic Director of the Singapore Dance Theatre, effective from July 19, 2008 as the Theatre company celebrates its 20th anniversary celebrations with a gala performance at Victoria Theatre. Opening the gala performance will be a repertoire of dance excerpts of SDT's landdmark performances over the last two decades, like the "Living Greens" by Mohamed Noor Sarman and "Negro Y Blanco".

References

External links

[http://www.singaporedancetheatre.com Singapore Dance Theatre]