Open Stage

Open Stage returns in 2025 with two triple bills at Esplanade Annexe Studio, alongside a special spotlight performance at ArtScience Museum. Featuring artists whose long standing relationships with the festival have shaped contemporary dance in Singapore, this edition reflects a continued commitment to artistic growth. Selected from various festival platforms over the years, these returning artists present works that deepen ongoing creative inquiry—where ideas evolve, practices expand, and past works are reimagined with fresh perspectives.

Programme A

1) Mothership by Pat Toh (Singapore) and Jenni Large (Australia)

Mothership is a collaborative piece exploring themes of resilience and adaptation. Mothership investigates the body's capacity to respond to environmental and psychological challenges. Developed during a residency at Assembly 197 in Tasmania, Australia, and later presented at Dance Nucleus’ Vector #5 in Singapore, Pat and Jenni engage in movement practices that prepare for unforeseen challenges, offering a profound commentary on adaptability and survival.

2) A time within time, 공존 by Adele Goh (Singapore) and Kwon Hyuk (South Korea)

This duet contemplates the fluidity of time and memory, reflecting on moments of stillness and flux within personal and collective histories. First presented as part of 2020's cont·act, A time within time, 공존 serves as a poignant reminder of the disorienting nature of the pandemic, capturing the distorted passage of time and the resilience required to endure it. The work invites audiences to reflect on what we’ve lived through and how those experiences continue to shape our perceptions of reality.

3) Miss Shape by Cheng I-han (Taiwan)

Lai Hung-chung first presented his work, Watcher, performed by his dancers Cheng I-han, Chien Shun Liao, and Chien Li-yi, in 2017. Since then, he has started his own company, Hung Dance. Miss Shape is a solo work by one of his dancers and rehearsal director, Cheng I-han. The work delves into a deeply personal exploration of identity and resilience, framed through the lens of a woman's relationship with the concept of “shape”, reflecting on societal expectations the “right shape” and the “wrong shape”. Using popping techniques and moments of stillness, the choreography portrays the rhythmic pulse of life and the impact of external pressures.

Programme B

1) Give What Gives You by Chiew Peishan (Singapore)

In Give What Gives You, Chiew Peishan explores the different notions of giving—from the joy of unconditional generosity to the delicate balance of giving and receiving. This redevelopment of a duet, which premiered in 2023 as part of a . part presented by Frontier Danceland, delves into the duality of hope and hurt that underlies acts of giving. Peishan’s signature approach of blending autobiographical fiction and inventive representation invites audiences to reflect on the subtleties of this everyday act and the emotional complexities it entails. She will be performing this duet with former senior dance artist from T.H.E, Ng Zu You.

2) Cercle by Olé Khamchanla (Laos/France)

Cercle is a solo by Olé Khamchanla that embodies the crossroads of the cultures with which the choreographer dialogues, borrowing from the West and the East, from the gestures of the street or from those of the classical arts. In Cercle, Olé pushes the limits of what his dance is today, to explore a new energy and a universality in gestures. This work was meant to be presented in 2020’s edition of cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival, but the invitation was cancelled due to the pandemic.

3) Together, Yes? by Ross McCormack (New Zealand) and New Zealand Dance Company

In Together, Yes?, acclaimed choreographer Ross McCormack explores the complex push and pull between artist and curator—where power, influence, and negotiation intersect. Performed by Ross and Olivia McGregor, this dynamic duet unfolds like a strategic game, where control shifts, tensions rise, and order teeters on the edge of chaos. Blending precision, theatricality, and striking physicality, Together, Yes? offers a sharp and engaging look at the hidden forces that shape art and performance.

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Advisory: Latecomers will only be admitted at suitable breaks, if any. This venue is wheelchair-accessible. For audiences who may require support to access the venue, please get in touch with us at festival@the-dancecompany.com.

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Programme A

26 June 2025, Thurs, 7:30pm (with post-show dialogue)

27 June 2025, Fri, 7:30pm (with post-show dialogue)

Approximately 80 minutes excluding post-show dialogue

Programme B

28 June 2025, Sat, 3pm (with post-show dialogue)

28 June 2025, Sun, 8:30pm (with post-show dialogue)

Approximately 75 minutes excluding post-show dialogue

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Photo 1: Mothership by Pat Toh (Singapore) and Jenni Large (Australia). Original photo by Rogan Yeoh.

Photo 2: Miss Shape by Cheng I-han (Taiwan). Original photo by Terry Lin.

Photo 3: A time within time, 공존 by Adele Goh (Singapore) and Kwon Hyuk (South Korea). Original photo by Bernie Ng.

Photo 4: Give What Gives You by Chiew Peishan. Original photo by Bernie Ng.

Photo 5: Cercle by Olé Khamchanla. Original photo by B Becker.

Photo 6: Inspired By The Weight Of Force by Ross McCormack. Original photo by Robin P.E. Chee.