The Edge of Solace

Founded in 1993, Dance Ensemble Singapore (DES) aims to present multi-faceted dance styles and to constantly explore new genres through the core company of professional performers, DES Arts, alongside the Performing Arts Academy. The company strongly believes in sharing the cultural messages imbued within Chinese arts and cultures, and thus strives to expand their reach through exploring various fields of dance. DES Arts actively strives for opportunities to diversify its artistic scope for creative mastery in the development of DES Arts and its journey towards the international stage. To date, they have represented Singapore in various capacities for international cultural exchanges.

In recent years, DES Arts has been actively sharing and promoting the Nanyang style of Chinese dance. The core company was highly commended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong during the 2014 National Day Rally for their innovative interpretations and styles, as well as their unceasing efforts in pushing boundaries in the local arts and cultural scene.

Laba Zhaxi is a dancer, choreographer, stage producer and graduated from the Minzu University of China under the Department of Dance. He is the founder of the Beijing MultiElement Dance Theatre and is a member of the China Dancers Association and the Tibetan Dancers Association. He is also a commissioned artist signed by the National Centre for the Performing Arts in China as well as an assistant choreographer for the Opera and Dance Drama Theater of Sichuan. He has also been a guest artist for the Hainan Provincial Song and Dance Theater and is the founder of the Tibet Mingjue Art Culture.

Laba Zhaxi won several awards including The 7th Chinese Dance “Lotus Award” Modern Dance Performance Bronze Award, The 9th Seoul International Dance Competition Gold Award, Best Actor Award and Dance Drama Gold Award at the 4th Ethnic Minority Showcase, The 16th Ministry of Culture and Tourism (China) Cultural Award, the commissioned artist of the 2018 National Centre for the Performing Arts, Gold Award for dance drama at the 11th “Lotus Award” dance drama competition, and The 11th “Lotus Award” National Folk Dance Repertoire Gold Award.

Hyunsik Roh is currently a professor at Changwon National University in South Korea. He has worked as the Executive Director at Gyeonggi Provincial Dance Company, Changwon Dance Company and Gumi Municipal Dance Companies for the last 10 years. Roh, who has also obtained a Doctorate of Science, won countless awards and has been directing creative and experimental performances classified as Korean Creative Dancing.

Established in 1995, Roh Hyun Sik Dance Company has pursued the realistic creation of dances involving historical and social events.