The Singapore national dance company: Reminiscences of an artistic director

Abstract

These reminiscences of Francis Yeoh, founding artistic director of The Singapore National Dance Company (1970-1985) is to create a tangible record of the Company’s history. Its inaugural overseas performance was launched at the Adelaide Festival in 1972 following an invitation from the South Australian Premier Donald Dunstan. The enormous success of the performances paved the way for the Company to become the island nation’s flagship company: embarking as cultural ambassadors in tours that included performances in the Soviet Union (1973-Moscow, Kharkov and Kurst), Theran, Iran (1974), Seoul, South Korea (1975), Bangkok, Thailand (1976) and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1977). Its history marks an important phase in the island nation’s history when it was seeking to establish its national identity and its eventual development as a global city.