Interactive installation explores connections between dance and other art forms
Performers warming up backstage before the full dress rehearsal on May 15. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Dancer Fu Guo Zhan is wearing a layer of plastic film beneath his clothing to make it easier for the calligrapher to write on and allow the ink to glide more smoothly. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
Calligrapher Nancy Teo painting on dancer Fu Guo Zhan's body. The choreography is specially designed for movements to allow characters to be presented clearly. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
(From left) Actor Lim Hock Lai, representing drama, dancer Deng Chengjia and artist See Too Hoi Siang, both representing opera, at a full dress rehearsal. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
'Intersections' is a sensory installation that explores the connections between dance and various art forms. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
SINGAPORE – Imagine a game of tic-tac-toe brought to life, with each of the nine squares pulsing with movement, rhythm, narrative and creative energy.
'Intersections' is a sensory installation staged on a nine-square grid that explores the connections between dance and other art forms – opera, music, theatre, multimedia art, Peranakan fashion, photography, wayang kulit ( shadow puppetry) , and calligraphy.
Produced by Dance Ensemble Singapore (DES), the performance marks the first time the dance troupe is combining the nine art forms in this unique format.
Dancers performing 'Dancing Puppets' - their movements represent wayang kulit or shadow puppetry.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
For some of the performers – such as the practitioners of photography, wayang kulit and Cantonese opera – it is also their first time integrating their craft with dance.
The sensory installation is part of the 8th edition of Cultural Extravaganza, an annual event organised by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre (SCCC) since 2017.
Photographer Amos Poh and dancer Gong Wenxuan performing Shadow and Dance. The photographer is constantly moving around the grids to take photographs and the images are projected in the performing area during the performance.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The performance unfolds in three segments.
In the first one , members of the audience can enter a given grid and immerse themselves in the performance. Some grids allow for a more interactive experience, such as those showcasing music and hosting multimedia projections: those grids respond to the way the performers move in real time, creating a dynamic exchange between sounds, visuals and dance. Visitors can dance and create music, while talking with the performers .
Audience members can participate and immerse themselves in the artistic experience.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
In the second segment, the dancers attempt to create a different form of artistic expression, blending movement and the art form in the grid. Their fluid movement from grid to grid connects them in a line of meaning drawn in space, like playing a game of tic-tac-toe, but one that is made possible by performing cohesive artistic actions within each grid .
The last segment is Dance: Awakenings, in which dancers interact with an installation art piece called Whispers from the Woods. The performance tells us we should learn to let go if we want our consciousness to evolve and our lives to change, and that we can rise from chaos in society like a phoenix rises from its ashes.
In Dance: Awakenings, dancers interact with an installation art piece called Whispers from the Woods.
ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI
The event runs from May 16 to May 18 at SCCC's multi-purpose hall.
For ticketing details, visit https://singaporeccc.org.sg/events/intersections-cultural-extravaganza-2025/.
There will also be a free dance performance by young dancers from DES Performing Arts Academy at SCCC's concourse on May 17 (12pm and 5pm) and May 18 (11am and 3pm).
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'I'm usually in the kitchen helping to push out orders, but I also help in the front if it's too busy. I even do the dishwashing sometimes – my TikToks show that side of the business too.' He also manages Ka-Soh's social media accounts and has been transparent about the behind-the-scenes grind of running a small F&B outlet. 'It's not glamorous.' PIVOTING TO HOME-BASED BUSINESS Still, not all is lost for the heritage brand. Cedric is currently working on a home-based business that will keep the Ka-Soh name alive in a small way. 'I'll be selling our Cantonese-style fish soup online, so people can cook it at home,' he shared. It will be based in his Punggol flat. And after the restaurant closes, he also plans to explore starting a hawker stall. 'During the pandemic, our no-MSG, no-salt, no-sugar soups were popular, especially among families with kids or elderly folks. So I plan to sell our signature soups frozen, from my own home,' he said. 'It won't be huge – I'm using a residential stove, so production will be limited.' He has spent the past year learning to cook by himself – experimenting with various recipes, including Ka-Soh's signature fish soup. 'I never used to cook. I used to say, 'I don't know how to cook.' But I've been watching my chefs every day for years. I started trying things out at home like black bean bitter gourd, spring onion beef, even cereal chicken.' MIGHT OPEN HAWKER STALL IN FUTURE He's also toying with the idea of starting a hawker stall after the restaurant closes. While nothing is set in stone, Cedric said he's staying in F&B – at least for the short term – to see if there's still a way to keep the brand going. 'The current climate is unpredictable, so everything's still in the early stages of planning and learning,' he explained. Trading a team of chefs in a restaurant for the solo grind of hawker life might seem like a big change, but he's unfazed. 'If I go out and work for someone else, I'll probably be putting in the same number of hours. So I'm willing to try doing it under my own brand,' he said. He's also rediscovered something along the way: His love for cooking. 'When I was young, I'd always made pancakes and cooked [any old how],' he laughed. 'This year, I started experimenting more at home and I've been making dinner regularly.' Recently, he even mustered the courage to step behind the restaurant's wok station. 'I literally begged my chefs to teach me the basics of cooking in a restaurant kitchen,' he said. 'I've posted a couple of TikToks,' he added. 'But yeah, I guess you could say I've rediscovered my love for cooking.' He laughed: 'Now I can say I know how to cook, but I still won't call myself a chef. I'm just a home cook.' ONLY ONE SIBLING WILL REMAIN IN F&B, THE REST RETURN TO CORPORATE JOBS One of Cedric's proudest achievements? Perfecting Ka-Soh's concentrated fish soup. 'I've been testing the recipe every week. It takes hours and a lot of patience. I tried different fish bones, boiling methods, and even learned how to make pork lard properly after burning my first batch.' The result is a fish soup that's creamy, rich and unmistakably Cantonese. 'Our soup is boiled for at least three hours with a lot of bones. Some say it's too fishy, but that's because it's so concentrated. It's not diluted.' While Cedric is pivoting to small-batch soup production, his siblings are also moving on to new chapters. His sister, who was previously involved in the business, now works as a veterinary technician. His brother plans to return to programming and is seeking a more stable role in IT after previously running his own e-commerce infrastructure company. TRY THESE DISHES BEFORE THEY'RE GONE... Ka-Soh's last day of operations is Sep 28. Till then, you can still head down to Greenwood Avenue to tuck into some of the eatery's signature dishes: Prawn Paste Chicken, S$16 Sliced Fish Hor Fun in Black Bean Sauce, S$9 San Lao Hor Fun, S$10 Sliced Fish Noodle Soup, S$9 Spare Pork Ribs, S$20 Ka-Soh's last day of operation is on Sep 28 2025. Located at 22 Greenwood Ave, Singapore 289218. Open Tue to Sun, 11.30 am–2 pm; 5.30–9 pm. Tel: 8754 7481. More info via Instagram.
