Page 26 - Year in Review 2018/2019

Photo credit: Jeff Low
CROSSINGS 2018

To celebrate the 80 anniversary of NAFA,
th
Crossings 2018 presented a diverse repertoire of
exciting works from international choreographers Photo credit: Jeff Low
— Ezekiel Oliveira (Portugal), Dr Filomar Tariao
(Philippines), Gillian Tan (Singapore) and Richard
Chappell (United Kingdom). This interdisciplinary
must-see performance demonstrated the edge
and versatility of the NAFA dancers, trained in the
Dance Programme’s unique conservatoire style,
in contemporary choreographies. Crossings 2018
enjoyed two performances on 27 and 28 April.

Photo credit: Jeff Low
THE THIRD SPACE

This annual production is part of
Esplanade’s da:ns festival’s Next
Generation platform. In The Third Space,
Dr Homi Bhabha’s theory on hybrid
identities was used metaphorically to
describe Singapore’s increasingly complex
cultural landscape. Drawing on their diverse
backgrounds, NAFA choreographers
Dr Filomar Tariao (a Senior Dance Lecturer
who migrated from the Philippines),
SWEET-LEE: PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES Ming Poon (a NAFA artist-in-residence who
OF INCLUSIVITY moved to Europe), and Kenneth Tan and
Chew Shaw En (both of whom are global
trekking NAFA alumni based in Singapore),
A joint production by NAFA and I’m Soul Inc, Sweet-Lee: Pushing the positioned their work at the ‘inter,’ which is
Boundaries of Inclusivity tugged at the audiences’ heartstrings with a love defined by Bhabha as the cutting edge of
story that pushes the limitations of inclusivity. NAFA’s Dance students translation and negotiation.
collaborated for the event with I’m Soul Inc’s community, including seniors
and a therapist from the SASCO Senior Citizens’ Home, youths from Down
Syndrome Association (Singapore) and students with special needs from the
Melbourne Specialist International School.

26