Sounds and movement

The curtain closer of the Centerstage series at the Esplande’s recent annual “da:ns festival” was “Gala Flamenca”, a performance that featured different generations of flamenco artists, among them Antonio Canales, Carlos Rodriguez, Karime Amaya and Jesus Carmona. The show was put together by another dancer and choreographer Angel Rojas, who Bangkok audiences may remember from his collaboration with Rodriguez a few years ago.
Just like any dance performance with the word “gala” in its title, the two-hour, two-part extravaganza served up the very best of their individual works, showcasing immaculate skills and high spirits that filled every centimetre of the 1,600-seat concert hall. They also experimented with different styles from different periods and regions of Spain’s national performing arts tradition. While there was enough variety to put the audience in a festive mood, more than a few found themselves wishing that the dancers had created more new works in addition to the opener “Cantes” and the final piece “Fin de Fiesta”. My favourite part of the performance saw the dancers interacting with the music ensemble – comprising two guitarists, a violinist and a percussionist – and engaging in new artistic conversations.
“da:ns” fans were also given another nice treat with “Rian”, a unique performance by Irish company Fabulous Beast that has been shown at many festivals around the globe over the past two years.
Against a semi-circular green backdrop, five Irish musicians, led by pianist, singer and composer Liam O Maonlai, and eight dancers – none of whom are Irish but rather come from places as diverse as Indonesia and Finland – were in a celebratory mood for the entire 90-minute show. The show built up slowly, causing a few spectators to find it a little too mellow but despite never reaching a climax, its after effects were longer lasting than those of several other shows.
Director and choreographer Michael Keegan-Dolan was inspired by Maonlai’s solo album “Rian”, which blends Irish music with music traditions from other parts of the world. Keegan-Dolan accordingly created physical movements that were based not just on traditional Irish dance but also on his dancers’ various backgrounds. His dancers looked natural in their moves and were occasionally joined in the physical movements by the musicians. While these were not trained in dance, their spirit were equal to that of the dancers and the entire troupe blended into a strong ensemble.
“Rian” not only took the audience to a unique visual, aural and spiritual level but also taught us that there are much more to Irish dance and music traditions than what we experienced in “Riverdance”. And like the meaning of the Irish title, “Rian” left us with a memorable “trace” and “imprint” of how traditional dance and music can be presented in a contemporary world defined by interculturalism.
Like in a happy marriage perhaps, dance and music will always be good partners—in crime as well as in love. It depends on who decides to lead and to follow or perhaps just the act of walking hand in hand.

The writer wishes to thank the Esplanade’s Gina Koh and the Embassy of Spain in Singapore for all assistance.
 

NEXT BIG FESTIVAL
Huayi: Chinese Festival of Arts runs from February 6 to 16 at the Esplanade – Theaters on the Bay in Singapore.
A highlight will be the Southeast Asia premiere of “A Dream Like a Dream”, an eight-hour, two-part play by Taiwanese playwright and director Stan Lai.
Find out more at www.HuayiFestival.com.