SDT
Photo credit – nicolethen studio
Immerse yourself in the perfect evening at Singapore Dance Theatre’s (SDT) 19th Edition of the annual Ballet Under the Stars. This year, SDT will be presenting two weekends of exquisite choreography by award-winning international choreographers from 18 – 20 July and 25 – 27 July at Fort Canning Green.
Expect spectacular works in the likes of George Balanchine’s joyous Allegro Brillante and the grand masterpiece, Theme and Variations, Val Caniparoli’s Asian-inspired Chant, Edwaard Liang’s The Winds of Zephyrus and Opus 25, Edmund Stripe’s breath-taking Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 102, and a world premiere by internationally acclaimed Australian contemporary choreographer Natalie Weir.
SDT Artistic Director Janek Schergen comments,

For Singapore Dance Theatre, Ballet Under the Stars remains an iconic, signature event in our annual performance calendar. Now, with two consecutive weekends of performances, we can offer a more diverse range of repertoire to our audiences. Certain pieces lend themselves better in an outdoor setting and this year’s choice of seven ballets comprises the finest of both our classical and contemporary repertoire. Of special interest will be a new pas de deux created by Natalie Weir, especially for the park performances. Our audience will remember her from last year’s haunting 4Seasons and 2012’s performances of Jabula. Ballet Under the Stars is a time stamp – it is one of those events that lasts in memory long beyond the experience itself!

Since its conception in 1995, Ballet Under the Stars has become one of SDT’s trademarks of our yearly performance seasons and remains as Singapore’s favourite annual outdoor dance event.
Unwind with a sumptuous picnic spread at the park and enjoy an evening of dance together with your family and friends!

 
Performance Line up (18 – 20 July)
Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 102 by Edmund Stripe
Piano Concerto in F Major (music composed by Dimitri Shoskatovitch) by Edmund Stripe, is a 20-minute piece that features 7 female and 6 male dancers on stage in a fast-paced and exciting work. Audiences will probably find the music of the first movement of this choreography familiar as it was featured in the Disney movie, Fantasia 2000. This ballet was created for SDT and premiered in 2007 at Ballet Under the Stars.
Bittersweet by Natalie Weir (World Premiere)
Bittersweet is a pas de deux created by Natalie Weir for SDT. The pas de deux will be danced by two different couples for each weekend of Ballet Under the Stars. Natalie Weir is an established and acclaimed choreographer, known for her highly physical partner work, her organic movement style and her touching insight into human nature. Natalie Weir has created over 150 professional works in her 20+ year career. She was a founding member of Expressions Dance Company (EDC) and has worked extensively throughout Australia, creating many works for most of the country’s major classical and contemporary dance companies including the Australian Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Queensland Ballet, Expressions Dance Company, Australian Dance Theatre, Dance North and Tasdance.
Chant by Val Caniparoli
Created especially for SDT in 2012, Chant is an Asian-inspired work featuring thirteen dancers, performed to
Chant by Val Caniparoli
Chant by Val Caniparoli
Lou Harrison’s Double Concerto for Violin and Cello with Javanese Gamelan. In the movement Caniparoli created, one will eventually see a repetitive movement motif that corresponds to a way a chant is repeated over and over to create a sense of harmony and purpose. Val Caniparoli is one of the most sought after American choreographers in the United States and abroad and has created ballets for more than 35 companies including Pacific Northwest Ballet, Boston Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, Pennsylvania Ballet, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Ballet West, Washington Ballet, Singapore Dance Theatre and Tulsa Ballet.
The Winds of Zephyrus by Edwaard Liang
First created for SDT in 2011, The Winds of Zephyrus brings contemporary dance to stratospheric heights with dancers portraying the wind in all its forms. Winner of the Prince Prize Grant for Choreography and the Choo San Goh Award for Choreography, Edwaard Liang’s pieces have been performed all around the world by companies such as New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Shanghai Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet. Edwaard Liang is currently the Artistic Director of BalletMet Columbus.
 
Performance Line up (25 – 27 July)
Allegro Brillante by George Balanchine
Choreographed in 1956, Allegro Brillante by George Balanchine demonstrates the dramatic possibilities inherent in pure dance when coupled with the Russian romanticism of Tchaikovsky’s score. The music’s vigorous pace makes the steps appear even more difficult, but the ballet relies on strong dancing, precise timing, and breadth of gesture. Balanchine once said of the ballet, “It contains everything I know about the classical ballet in 13 minutes.”
Bittersweet by Natalie Weir
A world premiere by Natalie Weir, also performed at Ballet Under the Stars from 18 – 20 July.
Theme and Variations by George Balanchine
The legendary George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations, a company premiere, is a grand masterpiece of ballet. This breath- taking ballet showcases the intensive development of the classic ballet lexicon, featuring a cast of 26 dancers. Performed to Tchaikovsky’s brilliant score, “the moment” for the ballet is found in the grand polonaise which exudes drama and excitement. This ballet is a crowd pleaser, offering the audience any number of favourite moments, with dazzling choreography, gorgeous music, spectacular costumes and the remarkable culmination of all these elements on stage in performance.
Opus 25 by Edwaard Liang
Opus 25 by Edwaard Liang
Opus 25 by Edwaard Liang
Opus 25 is a specially commissioned work for SDT’s 25th Anniversary in 2013, choreographed to showcase the talents of SDT. Danced to a dynamic composition by American composer Michael Torke, this piece showcases the development of the organisation over the past 26 years. The ballet is a grand spectacle, featuring 32 dancers, and brings out the unique attributes and personalities of the dancers in SDT.
 

 
FAST FACTS 

Title : Ballet Under The Stars
Date : 18 – 20 July 2014 (Fri – Sun) 25 – 27 July 2014 (Fri – Sun)
Venue : Fort Canning Green
Time : 7.30pm (Main Performance) Gates open from 6 pm for picnic
Princes: $25, $20*
*Concession for Students/NSF/Senior Citizens
(Excluding SISTIC charges)
Free Admission for children below the age of 4 years old.
Double Weekend Offer at $40 (Excluding SISTIC charges) (purchase tickets for 2 weekends and enjoy $10 savings)
Early Bird Offer from 1 – 23 May General Sale from 24 May – 27 July
For discounts, please refer to www.sistic.com.sg

Tickets are available through all SISTIC outlets and SDT office from 1 May onwards. 
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