SoftMachine: The Return presents performative solo experiences, each reflecting the biography and practice of the artists.

The first is an intimate portrait of Rianto 's search for love across the spectrum of dance, gender and tradition in Indonesia.

With Surjit Nongmeikapam, the work recounts his journey from the margins of society to the political center, embodied in a dance of resilience that transcends the history of ethnic conflict in Manipur, India.

Overall, the SoftMachine project aims to return to the body - to think together about dance and beyond - while negotiating its own archive of knowledge to stimulate relevant dialogues about contemporary dance in Asia.

"As a family of artists, as friends, as collaborators, I feel the desire to question our dance practices over a period of ten years. I ask myself: How can we grow old together, think together and play together? How many more decades can we experience in our artistic lives? When we first came together as an informal collective in 2012, we were young and ambitious. We wanted to express ourselves as a new generation of dance makers. We were striving for change, resisting the norm and embracing radical difference. Perhaps we have remained radical in our own ways. And maybe it's time to gather and dance together - beyond the memories of the past - to create new futures for the landscape of contemporary dance in Asia." - Choy Ka Fai

The SoftMachine project was originally launched in 2012 as an independent investigation into the choreographic landscape in Asia, with a focus on the ecology of independent dance makers, in response to the persistent exoticism in the cultural production of contemporary dance. It culminated in the original production of SoftMachine, which was commissioned by the da:ns festival and performed at the Esplanade in 2015. The project then went on tour and was performed internationally in more than 60 performances until the outbreak of the pandemic in 2020.

People involved

• Concept, visual design, direction, documentation: Choy Ka Fai (Singapore/Germany)
• In collaboration with: Rianto (Indonesia), Surjit Nongmeikapam (India)
• 3D design and programming: Lisa Kaschubat
• Scenography, lighting design and technical direction: Ray Tseng
• Music and sound design: Zihan, Mo'ong Santoso Pribadi, Nova Ruth, Chaoba Thiyam
• Stage management: Ng Hui Ling
• Project management: CIRCUS PROJECTS
• Support of the residency: Studio Plesungan (Indonesia, Melati Suryodarmo), Dance Nucleus (Singapore, Daniel Kok)

Commissioned by Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay and receiving its world premiere in Singapore, this production was presented in September 2025 as part of da:ns focus - Connect Asia Now (CAN), a weekend highlighting contemporary dance works by and in collaboration with Asian artists, with a focus on the diverse voices and creative impulses from the region.

- 20 EUR / reduced 10 EUR

- Please book your ticket in advance online or at the box office in the foyer.

- from 12 years

- Language: English

- Location: Room 2, ground floor

- Belongs to: Transcontinental 2025