28 July 2026 — Five years since its world premiere, a digital livestream in 2021, T.H.E Dance Company is proud to announce the local re-staging of Pán《盤》and the live staging premiere of this work for local audiences. 

Pán《盤》is an evocative two-part full length work by T.H.E Dance Company's founding artistic director Kuik Swee Boon and resident choreographer Kim Jae Duk, inspired by their shared and distinct cultural roots. It invites audiences to reflect on a shared humanity beyond personal identity. 

Set to music by acclaimed Taiwanese musician Wang Yu-Jun and Kim Jae Duk's original composition, Pán《盤》is a testament to the beauty of cultural exchange and the richness it brings to artistic expression. Featuring guest artists Tung Ka Wai and Wheelsmith (Danial Bawthan) with diverse backgrounds, the work continually evolves, offering fresh perspectives and new dimensions as it invites audiences to discover how a shared positionality can emerge in our contemporary world. 

“...a convergence of cultures...weav[ing] different bodies together seamlessly, successfully highlighting the beauty of every performer's movements individually and collectively." 

– Melissa Quek, The Straits Times (SG) 

“It is superbly danced. The performers may have different backgrounds and skills but they come together in a delicious whole... It does initially feel abstract, but the makers leave plenty of space for personal interpretation and meaning. 

– David Mead, Seeing Dance (UK) 

The work draws from the Chinese creation myth of Pangu, a fabled being whose body fragments into various elements of nature. It serves as a powerful metaphor for transculturation—the continuous convergence and evolution of cultures. Rich in meaning, the Chinese title, “盤” is commonly used across Mandarin-speaking cultures, while also found in the native vocabularies of the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese. 

The performance unfolds in two distinct parts: Pán: The Notion of Transculturation (by Kuik Swee Boon), set to the music of Taiwanese musician Wang Yu-Jun, and Pán: SeungMu (by Kim Jae Duk) Kim Jae Duk’s choreography, accompanied by his own music composition. The epilogue brings these creative forces together, culminating in a collaborative segment that highlights the synergy between the artists. 

A defining feature of Pán《盤》is its commitment to inclusive performance. A wheelchair dancer performs alongside standing dancers as equal artistic collaborators, creating choreography that celebrates diverse bodies and movement vocabularies. Rather than centring on disability, the work foregrounds shared humanity, demonstrating how difference can become a source of artistic richness and innovation. 

More than a dance performance, Pán《盤》is an immersive artistic encounter that invites audiences to see beyond labels and binaries. As societies become increasingly multicultural and multisubcultural, Pán《盤》 offers a timely exploration of transcultural identity—encouraging audiences to embrace complexity instead of certainty. It reminds us that belonging is not defined by a single culture or community, but continually shaped through empathy, dialogue, and shared experiences. It is a celebration of diversity, connection, and the possibilities that emerge when different stories, bodies, and cultures come together. 

"Pán《盤》is an invitation to reflect on the identities we inherit, the ones we choose, and those that emerge through our relationships with others, we hope audiences leave not with definitive answers, but with a deeper curiosity about how we express our owned culture and how we connect across cultures." 

– Kuik Swee Boon, founding artistic director and choreographer for Pán《盤》 

Commissioned by Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre for its Cultural Extravaganza 2021, Pán《盤》premiered as a livestream in May 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, before being presented at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where it received the Best Performance award at the Asian Arts Awards. Pán《盤》had its physical world premiere in Oriente Occidente, Rovereto, Italy in September 2022. Now making its long-awaited Singapore live premiere, this re-staging of Pán《盤》at Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre includes more than half of the original cast and concludes T.H.E Dance Company’s 2026 season. 

As a continued effort to championing and supporting the disabled community, this re-staging includes a Friday matinee show with special concession prices for the disabled community and schools and includes audio description and creative captioning by Access Path Productions. 

In addition, T.H.E Dance Company has also launched Pán It Forward—a ticket sponsorship initiative, seeking individual and corporate donors to support the disabled community with sponsored tickets to the Friday, 3pm show. Interested donors may reach out to admin@the-dancecompany.com for more information.

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For media inquiries, including press invitations to festival performances, artist interviews, or access to behind-the-scenes insights, please reach out to:

Kimberly Cheng, Brand & Communications Manager 

kimberly@the-dancecompany.com | 9049 1213 

Kennice Foo, Marketing Manager 

kennice@the-dancecompany.com | 9828 5318 

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