“Intersections” by Dance Ensemble Singapore (DES), an interactive, engaging, mesmerising and mind-blowing artistic performance at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) Cultural Extravaganza (CE) 2025 taking place from 9 May to 7 June, SCCC’s signature annual flagship cultural festival celebrating the best of SINGAPO人 arts.As I immersed myself into “Intersections”, there are three different parts of my journey into Intersections that the audience will go through.
- Part 1: Impressions
- Part 2: Amalgamate
- Part 3: Awakenings
Let me bring you into “Intersections”, this immersive, intriguing and uniquely experiential amalgamated performing arts adventure, through my visual storytelling and photographs.
Part 1: Impressions
Walking through the entrance, entering into the multi-purpose hall at SCCC, there was a short introduction by the ushers/chaperones.
What were my initial impressions?
This nine photo collage is the stage where “Intersections” come together in a ever shifting nine-grid formation, also known as “九宫格”, where audience can get themselves immersed with and interact with the different multi-sensory arts genres on offer, crossing boundaries that you might never think it’s possible with those different performing arts genres.
My initial impressions were, heh this “九宫格”, it’s really unique and different, a very interesting approach to present and amalgamate different performing arts genres together!
Nine-Grid Arts Formation
1) Music: Rhythmic Flow
2) Wayang Kulit: Dancing Puppets
3) Drama: The vicissitudes of Singapore River
4) Peranakan Fashion: Splendid Elegance
5) Installation Art: Whispers from the Woods | Dance: Awakenings
6) Opera: Dreams in Harmony
7) Calligraphy: Dancing Figure
8) Photography: Shadow and Dance
9) Multimedia: The Everchanging Land Beneath
Part 2: Amalgamate
That’s where the artists inside the “九宫格” make their way behind, and the audience proceed to sit down, waiting for the second part of the performance to begin. Next up, the various artists amalgamate together through brilliant choreography and artistic storytelling, each having its own chapter and arts/drama/creative journey to tell the world.
The flow of artists performances might seem chaotic at first, yet it’s also structured and planned. Everyone of us would be probably be intrigued and engrossed in different artists at work and performing. Personally for me, I was intrigued by Calligraphy: Dancing Figure (maybe because that’s the only art category that I passed in school), Photography: Shadow and Dance, as a photographer and visual storyteller myself, I am like the photographer capturing moments of a dance performance. Multimedia: The Everchanging Land Beneath, the moving and ever-changing multi-media lighting artwork with invoking dance performances, give me the light and direction to chase after them, hoping to capture a priceless moment in modern multi-media world.
Part 3: Awakenings
A massive grand finale dance performance, in a sea of red, inviting you to be immersed with them together in heart and soul, awakening to tell yourself and others that we need to be conscious, we also need to let go, so that we make important changes in our life, and we can rise again as we face the ongoing challenges around us and the world today.
Personal Thoughts and Views
At the end of the this wonderful and engaging performance “Intersections”, I did have a number of feelings, thoughts, emotions and views. Hearing the heartfelt stories, sharing from Artistic Director Cao Shiji from Dance Ensemble Singapore, hearing warmest congratulations across the board by the audience, everyone of us knew deep in our hearts, we had witnessed and experienced something really special and unique.
“Intersections” by Dance Ensemble Singapore – Engaging, immersive, uniquely contemporary yet strong and grounded in their own traditional roots of each of their respective performing arts discipline.
Showcasing cross promotion, cooperation, alliance and partnership with different arts and culture. It’s like a big family of practicing artists of various genres with immense love and passion for the arts, coming together under one roof, for a common purpose, to bring performing arts onto another level.
To some people who might be more critical and picky, they might feel too many different artistic genres combing together, too messy or “rojak” in our local lingo. Personally for me, I find this approach refreshing, an eye-opener, that somehow connects the audiences hearts, minds and souls, together in this amalgamated artistic approach.
A key and unique aspect of “Intersections” is inviting the audience to interact, immerse and engage, something missing in many arts and cultural performances (in my personal humble opinion).
As a photographer, visual storyteller myself, this is inspiring, how I can work further and better, with artists, creatives from other artistic genres.
One of the best performing arts that I ever attended and experienced till date, “Intersections” is a multi-sensory arts and performances installations exploring the connections between dance and other arts forms such as Music, Wayang Kulit, Drama, Peranakan Fashion, Performing Arts Installations, Opera, Calligraphy, Photography and Multimedia art, putting their deepest love and passion for their arts and craft into this amazing performance.
I had an amazing artistic journey and experiences, and I am pretty sure the rest of the audience that day shared the same sentiments too (and also the audiences watching your performances on 16, 17 and 18 May 2025).
Thank you Dance Ensemble Singapore for this mind-blowing artistic performance, “Intersections”, the meanings and stories behind each special parts.
- Impressions: How we (the audience) view/feel and engage various performing arts genres coming together that seem not likely or possible in the first place.
- Amalgamate: How you all bring them all together for a common goal to share and showcase performing arts
- Awakenings: How we can let go of ourselves (especially for those non-arts practitioners) to view, feel, enjoy and learn about traditional and contemporary performing arts in today’s modern technology driven society.
More photographs on Intersections by Dance Ensemble Singapore at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre Cultural Extravaganza can be viewed here in this Flickr photo album.
Thank you very much, Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and Dance Ensemble Singapore, for the invitation to the full-dress rehearsal of “Intersections”.