Written by: Rui Yee and Yu Jin
As a continuation of last month’s post about arts and cultural events, here are 4 recommendations by Rui Yee and Yu Jin for events happening in the month of November. Take your pick!
Dance
Image from: http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cswan1116
Swan Lake by St Petersburg Ballet
I’ve always been enthralled with dance, especially after taking lessons in school.The dancers always manage to make amazing feats like leaping in the air look so effortless! Thus began a childhood dream of becoming a ballerina. While I’ve given up the thought, I still enjoy marvelling at dance performances. If you’re like me, you’re sure to enjoy Swan Lake, and if you’re undecided on whether to go, why not check it out? After all, this act was so popular in 2015 that the St Petersburg Ballet Theatre came back this year to present their full-length classic production of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake.
Lead by prima ballerina Irina Kolesnikova and featuring a company of 60, the company continues to collect rave reviews around the world and thrill audiences with breathtaking scenery and magnificent costumes.
Date: Wed, 23 – Sun, 27 Nov 2016
Times: Wed – Fri: 7.30pm/Sat: 2pm & 7.30pm/Sun: 2pm & 6pm
Price: $175, $135, $95, $65
Venue: The Theatre at MediaCorp, 1 Stars Avenue
Website: http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cswan1116
Literary Arts
Image from: https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf.html
Singapore Writer’s Festival
Personally, reading transports me into a world far away, and whether I am curled up on the sofa or sprawled on my bed, the time spent reading always flies by. Sadly, I’ve had less time for reading now that other commitments and distractions abound (*cough K-dramas cough*) But I’m determined to carve out some time for reading during this holiday!
For USPians who love the literary arts, we have the Singapore Writer’s Festival which delves into the multi-faceted human condition with the theme, Sayang. A Malay word with multiple layers of meaning, it is used as a term of endearment, expressing effusive love and adoration. At the same time, it can also refer to pity and a bittersweet sense of lost opportunities. Join the Festival to examine life’s riches and ambivalences together. The $20 festival pass allows entry into many more events, so make sure to make the most out of your pass and check the other events too!
(Panel Discussion) What Makes a Story Singaporean?
Date: 5 Nov
Time: 7pm – 8 pm
Venue: The Arts House, Play Den
Price: $20 (Festival pass event)
Website: https://www.singaporewritersfestival.com/nacswf/nacswf/programme-listing/festival-events/Panel-WHAT-MAKES-A-STORY-SINGAPOREAN-.html
What are the cultural, social and literary values that characterise a text as Singaporean? Must the story or novel be physically set within HDB blocks and have Singlish-speaking characters? This panel looks at what makes a story ‘Singaporean’, and whether there is room for writing that goes beyond expected and conventional themes and motifs.
Visual Arts/ Exhibitions
Nyonya Needlework: Embroidery and Beadwork in the Peranakan World
Image from: http://peranakanmuseum.org.sg/exhibitions/nyonya-needlework
Though Peranakan beadwork isn’t new to me since my secondary school was a Peranakan school, I thought that it would be interesting for you guys to find out about this culture! Once, my teachers held a workshop on kasut manik and it required extremely nimble fingers and patience. I’m pretty sure I have that half-finished piece of beadwork somewhere at home — I guess I’m a little lacking in the patience department, ha ha. But it made me appreciate the needlework much more!
This exhibition celebrates the art of nyonya needlework, a vibrant part of Peranakan Chinese heritage. Visitors can discover the ingenuity and skill embedded in the art, the importance of tradition, and the innovations inspired by the dynamic, multicultural environment of the region.
There are also beading workshops and demonstrations if you enjoy arts and crafts, check out the website for more details!
Date: now till 26 Mar 2017
Time: 10am to 7pm (Monday to Thursdays, Weekends), 10am to 9pm (Fridays)
Venue: Peranakan Museum
Price: Free for Singaporean Citizens and PR students
Website: http://peranakanmuseum.org.sg/exhibitions/nyonya-needlework
Theatre
Image from: http://www.mirvish.com/shows/disgraced
Disgraced by Ayad Akhtar
If I had all the money in the world, I would spend it on…Category 1 tickets for theatrical performances from all over the world! (and probably food too!) After all, there is a saying that there’s life in a theatre, and theatre in a life!
If you are also an ardent fan of theatrical performances, you definitely wouldn’t want to miss Disgraced! Set in post 9/11 America, Disgraced is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play which explores issues on race, religion and class in the contemporary world. As four people of different backgrounds come together for dinner, this play depicts racial prejudices, especially the struggle of Muslim-American citizens in finding their self-identity in an increasingly Islamophobic America.
Date: 16 November 2016 – 4 December 2016
Time: 8pm
Venue: KC Arts Centre – Home of SRT
Price: $45 (Cat 1)/ $35 (Cat 2)
Website: http://www.sistic.com.sg/events/cgrace1116
