THE 36-year-old Singapore Ballet and the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC) will present a dance extravaganza, Ballet Illuminations, from Nov 29 to Dec 1.
Held at KLPAC in Sentul Park, Kuala Lumpur, the two-hour magical ballet show returns to Kuala Lumpur and delivers the best of Singapore's premier professional ballet company.
Singapore Ballet will be presenting excerpts from classical ballet favourites Swan Lake and The Nutcracker, and artistic director Janek Schergen will inspire budding dancers with a masterclass on Nov 30.
COMPELLING
In a recent interview, Schergen said Singapore Ballet felt a great responsibility in presenting the best in everything they do.
"Swan Lake and The Nutcracker are known for their compelling stories, iconic music and rich visual imagery.
"Both ballets exemplify the beauty and artistry of ballet, making them enduring favourites in the dance world."
He said Singapore Ballet was excited to bring these famous ballets to Kuala Lumpur and share the joy and beauty of ballet with the audience there.
APPRENTICES
Schergen said Singapore Ballet had performed in Malaysia numerous times, with its first performance at KLPAC in 2010.
"Since then, we have returned annually, making Ballet Illuminations our 11th collaboration with KLPAC."
He said they had 36 professional dancers in the company, as well as six apprentices.
"We will be bringing 40 dancers aged between 20- and 30-something."
CONTEMPORARY
Schergen said ballet had an audience in Singapore due to professional organisations like Singapore Ballet, as well as several contemporary dance groups.
"This year, we have performed in the United States at The Kennedy Center in June, and, over our history, we have been to 15 countries.
"Dancers are required to be at an international standard to dance the repertoire we have.
"We always invigorate the repertoire with new ballets while continuing to present our established repertoire."
REWARDING
Schergen said they had a long relationship with KLPAC and that it had been very rewarding to them.
"Usually, we try to assemble a performance line-up that represents classical and new ballets recently created for us.
"Our dancers are with us throughout the year and perform in all six seasons we present annually in Singapore."
PRINCIPAL
Schergen said they had many Malaysian dancers, and one of them, Ellie Lai, became a principal dancer in the company.
"We have just invited a new dancer from Malaysia to join the company next year."
Schergen said the gala at the Kennedy Center was the highlight of the year.
"The evening was dedicated to Singaporean choreographer Choo-San Goh, the first and most influential Asian choreographer in ballet history.
CINDERELLA
Next year, Singapore Ballet will be presenting ballets from Goh and other great choreographers such as Ma Cong, Christina Chan, Timothy Rushton and Toru Shimazaki.
"We will also have full-length classics — Romeo and Juliet in March 2025 and Cinderella in December 2025. Additionally, we have invited three choreographers to create new ballets for the company."
SWANS
Singapore Ballet will present the first two acts of Swan Lake, and the play tells the story of Prince Siegfried, who is celebrating his birthday and is expected to choose a bride.
While hunting in the forest one day, Siegfried encounters a flock of swans and discovers that they are maidens under the spell of the evil sorcerer, Rothbart.
Siegfried soon meets and falls in love with the Swan Queen, Odette, who reveals that she and her companions are cursed to remain as swans by day.
The curse can only be broken if someone swears his allegiance and undying love to her.
CHRISTMAS
After a brief intermission, Singapore Ballet will perform excerpts from The Nutcracker, a story that unfolds on Christmas Eve.
Here, young Clara Stahlbaum receives a Nutcracker doll from her godfather, Drosselmeyer, and that night, she witnesses the Nutcracker come to life and battle the Mouse King.
With Clara's help, the Nutcracker defeats the Mouse King and transforms into a prince. He takes Clara to the Land of Sweets, where they are celebrated by the Sugar Plum Fairy and other delightful characters.