Dance's playful energy ends on a whimper

In a world where time is bent and imagination is king, a curious group of five distinct individuals traverses the landscape, spilling forth from the wings of the Esplanade Theatre Studio in a flurry of movement.

- Germaine Cheng

DANCE SLOTH CANON T.H.E Dance Company (Singapore) and Company 605 (Canada) Esplanade Theatre Studio June 20

A large chandelier of balloons hangs from the ceiling, a sign of the delicate yet ominous evening to follow.

This is the world of Sloth Canon, a co-production by Singapore's T.H.E Dance Company and Canada's Company 605 that is many years in the making. It is one of four new pieces in the line-up for T.H.E's contact Contemporary Dance Festival 2025, which is on till June 29.

Co-created by Anthea Seah, T.H.E's recently named resident choreographer, and Josh Martin, Company 605's artistic co-director, the hour-long work is a maelstrom of ideas and images that sucks the audience in.