Singapore, 19 March 2026 — The 16th edition of cont·act Dance Festival returns this June with a shift in the festival’s identity and a rich programme of performances, workshops, and studio encounters that bring together artists from Singapore and across Asia and Europe.

Formerly known as cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival, the festival now adopts a streamlined name: cont·act Dance Festival. By setting aside the word “contemporary”, the festival invites audiences to approach dance without preconceptions, while continuing to present practices that are current, reflective, and grounded in today’s artistic conversations.

Kuik Swee Boon, Festival Director of cont·act Dance Festival, reflects on the shift in the festival’s name: “In recent years, Singapore’s dance landscape has flourished with diverse voices and expressions, and this has led me to wonder if we’ve been allowing dance to be too narrowly categorised—even within cont·act itself. Has the word ‘contemporary’ confined us in ways we didn’t intend? By setting it aside, we hope to encounter dance more honestly, without labels, and create space for greater freedom, diversity, and connection.”

The festival continues its long-standing collaboration with Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, presenting performances across both indoor and outdoor stages and bringing dance into dialogue with the public spaces of the city.

“Over the years, cont·act Dance Festival has been an important platform for dance in Singapore,” says Faith Tan, Director, Programming (Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts & International Development), The Esplanade Co Ltd. “Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is pleased to continue our long-standing partnership with T.H.E Dance Company for this 16th edition of the festival, welcoming two key productions to our stages. As the festival and landscape evolve, Esplanade remains committed to supporting T.H.E Dance Company's presentation of new work which introduces new choreographic voices and expressions. We look forward to seeing the festival continue to inspire dialogue and exchange within the dance community in Singapore and beyond.”

At the centre of the festival is Elusive, the return of T.H.E Dance Company’s main stage double bill following its debut in 2024. Performed by the company’s full-time dance artists at the Esplanade Theatre Studio, this year’s edition brings together two new international collaborations with choreographers Panzetti/Ticconi (Italy/Germany) and Art Project BORA (South Korea). Both works receive their world premiere at the festival, reinforcing Elusive as a platform for newly commissioned creations developed in collaboration with T.H.E Dance Company’s dance artists.

Panzetti/Ticconi return to Elusive following their 2024 work MALEBRANCHE, presenting a new creation titled CARILLON—a hypnotic choreography inspired by the mechanics of the music box, where cycles, repetition and shifting tempo unfold with intricate precision.

Art Project BORA presents O:ro, a work that transforms breath, vibration and resonance into a shared emotional landscape. Led by choreographer Kim Bora, one of South Korea’s most sought-after choreographers on the international festival circuit, the company is known for cross-disciplinary choreography that blurs the boundaries between dance, theatre and visual art.

Developed in close collaboration with the company’s dance artists, the double bill places the creative process at the centre of the encounter between choreographers and performers while reflecting the festival’s continued commitment to artistic exchange and the creation of new works.

This year, Elusive is also featured within the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival 2026 – Closing Curtain, organised by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), connecting the festival with wider cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe. “I am delighted to see Elusive featured as part of the Asia-Europe Cultural Festival’s Closing Curtain in Singapore, in partnership with T.H.E Dance Company and cont·act Dance Festival. At a time when international dialogue feels more important than ever, artistic collaboration offers a powerful way to build meaningful connections across borders. By bringing artists from Asia and Europe together, ASEF continues to create the conditions for artists to meet, experiment, and build relationships that go far beyond the stage.” Valentina Riccardi, Director Culture Department, ASEF.

Beyond the main stage, cont·act Dance Festival continues to present programmes that invite audiences into different encounters with dance.

Dance at Dusk, the festival’s free outdoor series at the DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre at Esplanade, offers an open and accessible entry point for audiences to experience dance against the backdrop of Marina Bay. Marking a new direction for the platform, this year’s programme features newly created works instead of restaged repertoire, with two new creations by Singapore choreographers Jieying Nah and Kwek Yixuan, performed by dance artists from T.H.E Second Company.

New to the festival this year is ante-space, a studio platform dedicated to works-in-progress and shared artistic inquiry. Taking place at T.H.E’s studio at Goodman Arts Centre, the platform invites audiences to witness the early phases of choreographic development, where ideas are still unfolding. Through studio sharings and conversations with the artists, ante-space opens space for reflection and dialogue, allowing audiences to engage with the creative process before works move toward their next stage of development.

The festival also expands its public participation programmes. Across June, cont·act Dance Festival hosts 26 workshops led by artists from Singapore and abroad, offering opportunities for dancers, movers, and the curious public to engage with diverse practices in the studio.

For those seeking deeper immersion, the annual T.H.E Mid-Year Intensive returns as a five-day programme rooted in the company’s HollowBody methodology, offering participants a closer look at the training processes and working rhythms of a professional dance company.

Through performances, workshops, and studio encounters, cont·act Dance Festival continues to open multiple ways for audiences and participants to engage with dance. Bringing together artists from Singapore and the wider region, the festival invites the public to experience dance not only as performance, but as an evolving practice shaped by exchange, inquiry, and participation.

cont·act Dance Festival runs from 8 June to 28 June 2026. Tickets for cont·act Dance Festival 2026 go on sale from 19 March 2026 with early bird promotions available until 18 April 2026. Bookings and information at contactdancefestival.com via BookMyShow.

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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:

Crispian Chan | Communications Strategist (Part-time) | crispian@the-dancecompany.com

Athelyna Swee | General Manager/Producer | athelyna@the-dancecompany.com

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Opportunities to collaborate on preview features and in-depth articles that spotlight the festival’s 16th edition, its international collaborations, and the artistic voices shaping this year’s lineup are most welcome. Full programme details are available upon request.