When I say “last night was a movie,” I really mean it! That’s because, as part of the opening night for the Singapore International Festival of the Arts (SIFA) 2025, I managed to catch The Sea and the Neighbourhood–a multidisciplinary work that beautifully blends Bedok’s coastal heritage, neighbourhood charm, and the modernity of its inhabitants.
Set atop the colossal installation by visual artist Wang Ruobing, which doubles as both a performance stage and the visual icon of SIFA’s first-ever Pavilion, this collaborative performance marked a powerful and fitting start to this year’s edition, themed “More Than Ever.”
Simply put, everything—from the music to the movement—blew me away. So, before I unpack everything at once, let’s dive into The Sea and the Neighbourhood and explore what made this site-specific spectacle such a standout start to SIFA 2025.
Dance
Let’s start with the dance. Even as someone who was no stranger to Singapore Ballet, their performance of Pact of Water, as choreographed by Christina Chan, was an eclectic and refreshing fusion of balletic, contemporary, and folk dance.
Yes, while signature elements of the company’s repertoire—like its impressive lifts and elegant waltzes—continued to captivate me throughout the work, unexpected moments, such as when three male artists danced using only their hands and faces, also truly took me by surprise.
Still, there were some parts where the team could’ve been more fluid, particularly when the male artists began lifting vocalist Claire Teo and were noticeably struggling whilst rotating her from her back onto her stomach.
The quick, instinctive jerks they made to correct her position clashed with the long, graceful notes she was singing. But if what I heard after the performance was correct—that the company only had a week to rehearse with the actual musical composition—then, putting aside this gaffe, they did remarkably well with the cards they were given.
Music
Speaking of vocals, let’s shift from the sights to the sounds of this work. Now, I’ll admit: I can’t exactly explain how Philip Tan’s composition, Ode to the Sea, seamlessly switches between being foreboding at one moment and calm at the next, since after all, I’m no musicologist.
But, as a writer, what I can say is this: this soundtrack is like the ocean itself, ebbing effortlessly between the two moods like a wave rising and falling from crest to trough. There were multiple moments where I didn’t even realise we’d transitioned to a new section, and overall, the composition’s progression was excellent, never letting a single measure feel dull or out of place.
And that’s without mentioning the solos–I specifically enjoyed Azrin Abdullah on the oud, leading a soulful Middle Eastern melody as the dancers swayed their hips to its rhythm, eventually washing over and around him like a scene straight out of the Parting of the Red Sea.
On the vocals side, besides Claire Teo’s stunning siren song, I also enjoyed Mathilda D’Silva’s scatting towards the end of the show, since it added a hair-raising edge to the piece à la Clare Torry in Pink Floyd’s The Great Gig In The Sky.
Unfortunately, I do have just one gripe about her performance—though fortunately, it’s by no fault of her own. Instead, due to the show’s poor audio mixing, it was difficult to hear Mathilda at times through the overpowering orchestra, which drowned out her vocalisations.
However, I’m also willing to blame this on where I was seated, since for those not sandwiched between the audio mixing booth and the drums section, this might’ve been a non-issue.
Overall Thoughts
To conclude, The Sea and the Neighbourhood stood out to me for how much like Singapore itself, it brought together a rich blend of cultural practitioners and their practices by weaving them into one cohesive and harmonious performance.
It seemed like everyone—from Christina Chan, who danced during her pre-show introduction, to Philip Tan, who was bouncing along to his ode—was genuinely having fun showcasing their craft, and personally, that was very touching to witness.
Though the work may have been mired by sudden constraints like time and technical difficulties, these same troubles didn’t hinder the raucous applause the audience and I gave to each and every person involved in this multidisciplinary work one single bit! All in all, it’s a solid start to SIFA 2025–and honestly, it’s left me eagerly anticipating what’s coming next!
So, with SIFA 2025 now in full swing, be sure to check out what else they have in store with our handy guide rounding up all the programmes and details you’ll need to plan your festival experience! Also, do visit the official festival website to keep up with all the latest happenings at SIFA 2025. Lastly, don’t forget to follow SIFA on Instagram and Arts House Limited on both TikTok and YouTube for exclusive content and behind-the-scenes videos! With that, see you at the next SIFA event we’ll be covering!
Visuals Courtesy of Art House Limited.
