From The Straits Times    |

Credit: Singapore Ballet

What’s in a name, or so Shakespeare once mulled. I don’t usually quote the bard, but his musing seems apt in the context of the Singapore Dance Theatre, which, after 34 years of existence, has been rebranded to Singapore Ballet.

Would the updated name usher in a new repertoire, and how would it influence the way the ballets are currently presented?  It was with this question in mind that I attended the Masterpiece in Motion ballet performance back in July at the Esplanade, my first since the pandemic.

I have to admit that watching Singapore Dance Theatre performances has always been a cathartic, slightly spiritual experience for me, where I immerse myself completely in the performance. So it was through this dual lens of does-absence-make-the-heart-grow-fonder and curiosity-about-the-new-brand that I attended the performance.  

Coppélia will be presented from the 15th to 18th September 2022

It ended up being (IMO) one of the best Singapore Ballet performances I’d ever attended – it was clear from the first pirouette that the company had clearly levelled up, and each performance was exhilarating. For the 2022 performance, Masterpiece in Motion featured three contemporary ballets, including the world premiere of Quiver by Timothy Rushton, the company premiere of Ibsen’s House by Val Caniparoli, and a restaging of Nils Christie’s Organ Concerto. Like a crescendo, each performance was better than last, powerful and evocative, and demonstrative of the dancers’ level of sophistication.

It got me wondering – was the change of name merely aesthetic, or did it signify greater ripples within the company? What can we expect from the upcoming performances, and how can we expect Singapore Ballet to evolve in the next few years? I decided to interview Janek Schergen, who joined the company in 1988, just one year after it was established by dancers Goh Soo Khim and Anthony Then. Both founders were dancers who had performed in leading roles in Washington and London respectively, and had earned a reputation for their creative excellence. Since their “humble beginnings” in a studio at Killiney Road, Singapore Ballet has grown from strength to strength, eventually staging full-length ballets and commissioning world premieres.

Janek Schergen

Today, Janek is the award-winning, recognisable artistic director of Singapore Ballet, working tirelessly to produce world-class performances and honing talent in and around Singapore. Humble and soft-spoken, Janek can sometimes be spotted on stage by eagle-eyed attendees.

As the company gears up for its next edition of Ballet Under the Stars – happening from 2nd to 4th, and 9th to 11th September – we speak to Janek and find out more about the future of the company.

Tell us about the reason behind changing the name of Singapore Dance Theatre to Singapore Ballet — what does it signify for the future of Singapore Ballet?

The name change to Singapore Ballet better reflects the repertoire we perform. It will also help us when we go on tours, as it gives the audience, who may have never seen us, an idea of what to expect in performance. In reality, the company became Singapore Ballet once it started presenting full length narrative classical ballet regularly.

Apart from a name change, on the surface, things seem pretty similar — i.e, the same line-up of Ballet Under the Stars, Masterpieces in Motion, two full-length ballets a year — but I am sure there are plenty of changes below the surface that we don’t see. What are some of the changes that have been implemented internally to start the new chapter? What have been some major decisions made?

There aren’t really any planned repertory changes. What will alter is that there is a desire to take Singapore Ballet international with touring outside Singapore, while keeping our performance line- up unchanged here at home.

What can we expect in the next year?

In 2023, we have a special 35th Anniversary Ballet being created for us by Tim Rushton, using all the dancers in Singapore Ballet. For next year’s Masterpiece in Motion, we will finally present the full production of Choo-San Goh’s Configurations. Passages 2023 was planned long ago, and it will include works by Natalie Weir, Alice Topp and Christina Chan.

How do you envision Singapore Ballet in the next 5 years?

We will create a new production of Cinderella with an all-Singaporean design team for costumes, sets and lighting. I have a strong desire to get Singapore Ballet back out on tour immediate region, as well as Europe, London, New York, and North America.

As we’re finally recovering from the pandemic & the world is (hopefully) going back to normal, what was the impact of Covid on Singapore Ballet?

We faced a great deal of restrictions as did everyone and to each one we adapted. We used the time to do choreographic workshops with ‘Made in Singapore’ as well as the Choo-San Goh Archives of ten ballets, which we are just finishing this year.

You’ve been part of Singapore Ballet for more than 30 years — what have been some of the most seminal milestones you’ve witnessed?

I’ve been part of the company for 34 years, there are too many milestones to list. The biggest moments have been absorbed into the history. The most important thing has been the establishment of a company identity through our repertoire and performances. Anthony Then and Goh Soo Khim wanted to present a uniquely Singaporean professional dance company that would perform at an international level, as well as giving Singaporean dancers the possibility of having professional careers here. Those remain our guiding principles.

In past performances, we’ve seen you on stage (often uncredited) — Do you miss performing? What’s a typical day like for you?

For me, I have a day that begins with teaching the daily company class and usually followed by three to five hours of rehearsals. I take care of the majority of classical and neoclassical choreographic works, which constitutes to 60 per cent of the repertoire. I do a major amount of the forward planning with all the day to day activities. I also teach students in the Scholars Programme and Ballet Associates Course. Performance seasons need to be planned about 18 months in advance. Do I miss performing? I only go on stage when it is appropriate in a character role.

Ballet sometimes can be seen as traditional — how has the dance form evolved over the years, and how can we continue attracting young children to the art form?

Dance has evolved tremendously in so many ways, choreographically, and that is far from over. The greatest change in the blending of classical and modern dance to what we now call neoclassical and contemporary repertoire.

Bringing children to ballets like Peter & Blue or Dance Appreciation Series, provides a good introduction to them.

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