Explore 'Wonder'
The 11th NUS Arts Festival, themed “Wonder”, features cutting-edge performances that weave a touch of science into performing arts.
The arts-science showcase is a collaboration between the NUS Centre For the Arts (CFA) and the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT) at NUS. To prepare for the Festival, CFA student groups had to learn about quantum theories from CQT. They then interlaced this knowledge with their practices, underlining the Festival’s cruxes of research, learning and process.
Guest-of-Honour Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) Grace Fu will grace the opening show — space. time. mind — performed by NUS Chinese Dance and the internationally acclaimed Beijing Dance Academy Youth Dance Company on 11 March. The partnership between the two dance groups has led to two original works by Ding Hong, NUS Chinese Dance’s Artistic Director and Resident Choreographer.
NUS Indian Dance Artistic Director and Cultural Medallion recipient Santha Baskar also worked intimately with CQT to choreograph Sambhavna (Probability). The innovative piece explores the quantum nature of reality by marrying quantum theories with Bharatanatyam, the Indian classical dance. Dancer Nishalini Lakchimanathas, a Year 3 NUS Biomedical Science student, said, “It’s a way of bringing science into the arts… as the concepts in Sambhavna are not typical to the Bharatanatyam dance language, it’s a challenge. I’m basically treating this whole production like a science experiment.”
The Festival’s line-up also includes First Sparks: 30 Years of Arts on Campus, in celebration of ExxonMobil Campus Concert’s 30th anniversary, which will be graced by Guest-of-Honour MCCY Parliamentary Secretary Baey Yam Keng on 13 March. First Sparks brings into play personal stories about the concert series and how it set the stage for many brilliant careers. Local talents Rani Singam, Andrew Lim, Jack & Rai and Selena Tan are part of the star-studded cast performing at the concert.
Other highlights are NUS Symphony Orchestra’s Music For Curious Minds; Brian Lobel’s Purge, a performance lecture about society’s social and emotional interaction with digital media; and Joseph Simons’ comedic solo dance, First Things First. The season will end with Overdrive III: The Final Chapter, a double bill by choreographic powerhouses Ricky Hu and Kentaro.
Joseph Simons will perform a comedic solo dance titled First Things First
NUS CFA Director Sharon Tan shared that the NUS Arts Festival has always been a valuable platform for students and alumni to work with industry professionals, bringing together their creative and intellectual energies to present quality performances. “The Festival in 2016 continues to underscore the Centre’s role in nurturing NUS students, not only complementing academia but also cultivating a deeper appreciation of the arts amongst the community, even beyond the University,” she said.
The NUS Arts Festival 2016 will hold over 30 performances between 11 and 26 March at various locations throughout campus, as well as at the NUS Baba House. Find out more information about the Festival and ticketing.
