Singapore Dance Theatre is formed

Singapore’s first professional dance company, the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT), was set up in 1987^[1] by Goh Soo Khim and Anthony Then.^[2] The SDT has its beginnings in 1984 as a ballet group under the National Dance Company; Goh and Then were appointed as artistic directors of the newly formed section.^[3]

The formation of the SDT was announced in September 1987, following which Goh and Then began the laborious task of recruiting gifted dancers from the region for the company.^[4] A number of dancers from the National Dance Company joined the SDT. The seven eventual founding members of the SDT comprised Singaporeans Chantal Pestana, Elizabeth Thng and Jamaludin Jalil from the National Dance Company; Malaysian Ellie Lai, who was trained in the Royal Ballet School in London; and Filippinos Mario Esperanza, Donato Ferrer and Ricardo Culalic from the Ballet Philippines.^[5] The name “Singapore Dance Theatre” instead of “Singapore Ballet Company” was chosen so that the company could explore and attempt a wider variety of choreography, and not limit itself to ballet. Goh has also mentioned that “Dance Theatre” somehow provided the freedom to explore and experiment with more diverse directions.^[6]

Due to a tight budget, the company had a humble beginning: It shared the same premises with the Singapore Ballet Academy off Killiney Road, the dance studio was small, and the dancers had neither a proper canteen nor dressing room where they could rest. The dancers were also not well paid. As the company could not afford a ballet mistress, Goh and Then took turns conducting classes and rehearsals.^[7] Nonetheless, the company managed to overcome the initial difficulties and presented its well-received debut on 12 June 1988 at the Victoria Theatre, as part of the Singapore Festival of Arts.^[8]

In 1990, the SDT company to its new location at Fort Canning Centre – the refurbished Fort Canning barracks – under the Arts Housing Scheme.^[9] In 1995, the company presented its first outdoor dance performance, Ballet Under the Stars, in an attempt to bring dance to the masses. It has since become a hugely popular and much-anticipated event in the SDT’s calendar, drawing the crowds to the annual series held at Fort Canning Park.^[10] Over the years, the SDT has flourished and grown in strength, and has currently more than 30 dancers and apprentices in its fold.^[11] In 2013, the SDT moved to new and bigger premises at the Bugis+ shopping mall on Victoria Street.^[12]

References
1. Singapore Dance Theatre. (1993). Singapore Dance Theatre: 5th anniversary: 23–26 June Victoria Theatre: An evening of contemporary ballets(p. 6). Singapore: The Theatre. Call no.: RSING 792.8095957 SIN; Ambassadors of ballet. (1989). On Pointe, 2. Call no.: RSING 792.8095957 OP.
2. Singapore Dance Theatre. (1998). Touches: 10 years of the Singapore Dance Theatre (p. 10). Singapore: Singapore Dance Theatre. Call no.: RSING 792.8095957 TOU.
3. Chan, E. C. (1984, September 17). Flying leap forward. The Straits Times, p. 26; Koh, J. (1988, March 5). And now, a professional dance group. The Straits Times, p. 13. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
4. Lee, L. (1988, March 21). All for the love of dance. The Business Times, p. 11. Retrieved from NewspaperSG;
Singapore Dance Theatre, 1993, p.6.
5. Singapore Dance Theatre, 1998, p. 13; The Straits Times, 5 Mar 1988, p. 13.
6. Singapore Dance Theatre, 1998, p. 13.
7. Singapore Dance Theatre, 1998, pp. 13–14; The Business Times, 21 Mar 1988, p. 11.
8. Singapore Dance Theatre. (2013). Momentum: 25 years of Singapore Dance Theatre. (p. 14). Singapore: Singapore Dance Theatre. Call no.: RSING 792.8095957 MOM.
9. Ong, S. C. (1990, March 30). Singapore Dance Theatre to move into Fort Canning home. The Straits Times, p. 31. Retrieved from NewspaperSG.
10. Ballet in park. (1995, April 10). The Straits Times, p. 10. Retrieved from NewspaperSG; Lee, J. X. (2015, February 17). Refining Sleeping Beauty. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva.
11. Singapore Dance Theatre. (2015). Introduction. Retrieved from Singapore Dance Theatre website: http://www.singaporedancetheatre.com/thecompany/index.php
12. Huang, L. (2012, December 31). New home for Singapore Dance Theatre. The Straits Times. Retrieved from Factiva.