liTHE 2021

T.H.E Second Company presented its annual showcase ‘liTHE 2021’ with options to a ticketed performance for an in-venue live studio audience, and a SISTIC-hosted ticketed livestream for everyone else. As much as I miss watching dancers dance live on stage, I opted for the livestream.

I watched the 1.5-hour show on my phone, at the bar, over light bites and beers. My phone resolution was sharp enough, and the internet connection held stable. The man knew that I was watching the show, so he lined up his own stuff to watch online too. He has little interest in watching dance performances. Kekekeke. The dog was happily snoozing at the side. 

liTHE 2021 showcased three works from last year’s incubator ‘WIP’ show. I wasn’t even sure I would remember how these works flowed last year. I wouldn’t be able to compare it to this year’s progress! I could refer to my own blog post and thoughts, but I couldn't recall the works in its entirety to give a fair comment in terms of comparing their maturity or feel between last year and this year's tweaks. But this year, the works are supposed to be finished with the incubation, and fully ready for an audience, and well, critique. 

We’re still living in a pandemic with all the restrictions on traveling overseas and social gatherings. The works are still relevant. Presented together as a show, these three works are diverse and make for a good watch. The performance pieces have been re-worked and re-titled. Some portions of the music have been tweaked, and some loose bits neatened up in the movements. I'm too lazy to type out what these works are, and I'm even lazier to formulate a coherent comment about it. These are the blurbs from the program:- 

‘The Remains of Being’ by choreographer Nah Jieying is an ode to withering and regeneration. What remains true after everything is experienced and lost? Also a dance artist with the main company, Nah brings her attention to detail and emotional sensitivity to this introspective exploration of the act of holding on and letting go.

What happens when five bodies unravel in one space? Choreographers Goh Jia Yin and Maybelle Lek take off from their 2020 work-in-progress ‘Re:Writing’ to investigate duality with a group of five. 'When Five Encounter’ explores the tensions arising from opposites – solitude and solidarity, light and dark, meeting and parting – through stories, dialogues, and encounters within the realm of familiar and unfamiliar spaces.

I don't think I can pick a favorite piece under liTHE 2021. There isn't one. Each work is strong in their unique ways, and each tells a different story, sends a different message. It's all about resilience and self-identity of course. The pandemic has scarred all of us in ways we never knew it could, subconsciously or otherwise.  

I’m not a critic of dance, or of any art form. I'm part of the average audience. I claim no expertise in dissecting the choreography or the movements. I’m not delving into the specific postures or even the music. Unfortunately, not being able to be part of the live studio audience and opting to watch the show outdoors meant that I couldn't really hear the music that well, no matter how high fidelity or fantastic my ear buds are. Ticketing this via SISTIC LIVE meant that the dance company had to up their camera skills and livestream game. 

I really enjoyed this year’s liTHE's more polished works. It's fairly fun seeing what choreographers do these days, and I like seeing how our Singapore choreographers interpret their lives or surroundings to present relevant works to the local audience, and also adapting them so that they can travel (when that returns into fashion). These works have been refined and given some more thought. The performers remain largely the same, and their movements are much smoother as they tell a story the choreography tries to portray.

The final piece of the night was rounded up by 'Kawayan'. And yes, this summary is still from the program:-

With a reflective nod toward man's challenging and oft-times destructive relationship with nature, 'Kawayan', meaning "bamboo" in Tagalog, is a call to resilience. Choreographer and T.H.E's dance artist Klievert Jon Junia Mendoza's fluid movement style evokes the flexibility and strength of bamboo which stands strong amidst calamities.