10 Questions with Kuik Swee Boon, Choreographer and Artistic Director of T.H.E. Dance Company

PUBLISHED April 29th, 2014 01:40 am | UPDATED July 22nd, 2024 02:35 pm

Of all the arts that are flourishing in Singapore, one could argue that it is dance that is often found fighting the most for attention. But yes! dance in Singapore goes way beyond Singapore Dance Theatre and absolute shining proof of that is Founder and Artistic Director of T.H.E. Dance Company and CONTACT Contemporary Dance Festival – Kuik Swee Boon, one of the local dance pioneers behind the revitilization of the dance space in Singapore.

Having started his career all the way back in 1990 with Singapore People’s Association Dance Company and the Singapore Dance Theatre, he went on to make his mark as the first Asian principal male dancer with Spain’s national ballet. Known for his exceptional and award winning artistry, it’s no wonder that since founding T.H.E Dance Company in 2008 that it has since quickly ascended to become a well-known company both locally and throughout Asia with critically acclaimed works recognised as amongst the best of shows in their respective years, many of which have toured prestigious international festivals.

As he prepares to bring back one of the company’s landmark performances – As It Fades – to the stage, Kuik Swee Boon talks about life as a choreographer and artistic director in our interview here:

1. When did you first know you wanted to do what you do?

I’ve been involved in dance for about 26 years now. I got my first taste of it as a 15 year-old student in Malaysia, and the training and performance opportunities we had were limited. It was only when I moved to Singapore at age 17 and joined the People’s Association, that I got exposed to a variety of dance genres from jazz to folk dance. Thereafter, I joined the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) and began my professional career in ballet as one of its principal dancers.

2. Where do you find your inspiration?

Like all artists, inspiration comes to me from daily life and the people that I meet. Take As It Fades, for instance: Madam Han Tok Ngan, the Hainanese lady who performed live in the 2011 original, and whose singing we recorded and used in the work. She didn’t have much of an education, and relied entirely on phonetic memory to learn the folk tunes of her dialect – and because of her, these important pieces of culture are kept alive.

In general, the work of other artists, whether in music, dance, visual arts, is also an endless source of inspiration and learning because they are constantly creating and questioning the environment and time in which we live.

3. What do you get from dance that you don’t get in other arts?

The beauty and simplicity of dance lies in its use of the body to communicate a message. It is conveyed much more powerfully, and evocatively, when the idea, concept, or belief transcends speech and is fully internalised by the dancer, before gaining full expression in movement.

4. What do you do each night before a show? Do you have any pre-show rituals?

Meditating before a show helps to still my mind and body, and rid it of any unnecessary tension and stress. I’d practise this when I was performing, and still do so now as a choreographer. Before a production, I’ll also run through everything from the technical end of things to monitoring the dancers’ physical and mental condition. When it comes to the time right before the show though, I tell myself to let it all go, and place absolute trust in the dancers’ abilities and training.

5. What has been the most embarrassing moment of your career to date?

This took me awhile to recall! Probably back in my SDT days when I was a principal dancer, taking on lead roles in the classical romantic ballets such as Romeo and Juliet. These ballets would usually feature kissing scenes, and I would be hyper-aware of the presence of my then-girlfriend (and now wife) Silvia Yong in the audience. Personally it wasn’t an issue for me as I saw it as part of playing a character, but placing myself in Silvia’s shoes, that’d be when my dance partner and I would start to feel awkward!

6. The hardest thing about what you do is…

Juggling multiple hats as artist/choreographer, artistic director, and managing a company. Each of these roles takes on a different headspace and work process, and sometimes it gets a little overwhelming! It’s particularly challenging when I’m in the midst of creating a new work; having to shift my focus to the administrative, operational or budgetary aspects at the end of a long day in the studio requires definite effort.

7. What couldn’t you do your role as Artistic Director without?

The most essential piece of the puzzle, which I can’t stress enough, is the hundred percent commitment of the dancers – both to the company and to each and every production. Without their professionalism and dedication, I would not have been able to bring the company this far and persist in my creative vision.

8. What was the worst piece of advice you have been given?

What I had been told continuously and endlessly, and out of the kindest of intentions; that is, to never start my own dance company in Singapore!

9. When things get tough, how do you keep yourself going?

I’m a perfectionist, so it took me some time to fully appreciate this: knowing when and how to let go of certain things is the best way to handle situations that don’t go as planned. And without doubt, my family too is a huge source of strength.

10. Do you dance alone when you are at home?

I dance with my baby boy; we do a lot of improvisation work! (laughs). But seriously, it is something I do with him to build up a sense of physical and spatial awareness, and comfort in interacting with others.

If you mean when I was a dancer, yes, definitely. Even now as a choreographer, I need to do my ‘homework’ before working with the dancers. I’ll try out certain movements and work out how each dancer might interpret it with their individual physiques and sensibilities, which eventually informs the choreography.

You can catch the restaging of As It Fades on 8th – 10th May 2014, 8pm at SOTA Drama Theatre, 1 Zubir Said Drive, Singapore, 227968. For more information and ticketing see SISTIC here.