By: Rashida Arsiwala
All art, no matter in what form, has two purposes – one is to serve as a means for the artist to express himself, and the other as a way to tell a story. The dance performances that made up part of the NUS Arts Festival’s triple offering were no different.
Overdrive: A Triple Bill was a 90-minute show. The triad of performances showcased 13 NUS dancers and T.H.E Second Company with award-winning choreographer Idan Cohen (Israel), Akiko Kitamura (Japan) and HORSE Dance Theatre (Taiwan).
Each of the performances had a story to narrate. Kitamura’s Emotional Strata was a depiction of how humans’ perception of objects has changed in a consumerist world. The imagery of the tsumani, raging fires and storms that were interweaved into the performance from time to time kept the audience enthralled throughout.
The second (and my personal favourite) performance, Private Dancer, was choreographed by Idan Cohen. The award-winning artist’s take on the trials and tribulations of, and what goes on in, the backstage life of a dancer made for a thought-provoking piece. The dancers were exquisite to watch. From the pointe to the plie, the dancers’ clean and graceful moves had the audience applauding long after the show was over.
The final performance had a star line-up consisting of Su We-Chia and Chen Wu-Kang. Their excerpt from the critically acclaimed 2 Men proved exactly why the two men are so famous. From the moves to the expression, this one was a professional piece right to the end.
If Overdrive: A Triple Bill is anything to go by, the NUS Arts Festival is a definite hit.
