When the Singapore Dance Theatre (SDT) made its debut in 1988, the first piece on the programme was Beginnings, which Goh Choo San had developed five years earlier in New York for a group of apprentice dancers. The emotions of first love bubble under the formality of this neoclassical ballet for two men and two women, as they mingle and pair off to British composer Lennox Berkeley’s ‘Serenade for Strings’.

It was the Singapore-born choreographer’s gift to the then seven-strong troupe, which has not performed it since 1989. Parts of it will be seen at this month’s Ballet Under the Stars, the SDT’s annual season of outdoor concerts. ‘Since this is the SDT’s 20th anniversary, we felt that it was important to give our loyal audiences a chance to relive their memories of some of the best works that the company has performed,’ says artistic director Goh Soo Khim, 64.

The 11 pieces that will be presented here in excerpt, she adds, were picked for their artistic value and suitability for an open-air setting. Also showcased will be Schumann Impressions, a charming ode to the pursuit of love that SDT co-founder Anthony Then choreographed in 1990. This restaging by assistant ballet master Mohamed Noor Sarman, 44, marks its return to the stage after an absence of 18 years. Mohamed Noor, who was in the original cast, began rehearsing the ballet in mid-April and the experience has brought back ‘fond memories’ of Then, who co-directed the troupe until his death in 1995. ‘Seeing the piece come alive once again has been very rewarding,’ he says. ‘The dancers today bring their own unique qualities and flavour to it.’

As part of its anniversary celebrations, the troupe has also published a 112-page commemorative book featuring newly commissioned photos, which will be on sale at these performances.

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