Esplanade da:ns

Presents

Melissa Hamilton’s
INTERNATIONAL BALLET STARS GALA
(Various countries)

FEATURING

Melissa Hamilton &

Ryoichi Hirano
(The Royal Ballet)

Yasmine Naghdi &

Xander Parish
(The Royal Ballet/
The Norwegian
National Ballet)

Madoka Sugai &

Alessandro Frola
(Hamburg Ballet)

Mackenzie Brown &

Martí Fernández Paixà
(Stuttgart Ballet)

Singapore Ballet

23 & 24 MAR 2024

SAT, 8PM • SUN, 3PM • ESPLANADE THEATRE
About Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay
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 CONTENTS
04 SPONSOR’S MESSAGE

06 MESSAGE FROM
MELISSA HAMILTON

07 SYNOPSIS

09 PROGRAMME

17 DANCERS BIOGRAPHIES

30 PRODUCTION AND
CREATIVE TEAM BIOGRAPHIES

32 PRODUCTION CREDITS

34 SPECIAL THANKS FROM

HAMILTON CHRISTOU
PRODUCTIONS
SPONSOR’S MESSAGE

BNP Paribas is proud to be the

Principal Sponsor of Esplanade
– Theatres on the Bay’s dance
programmes for the fourth
consecutive year. This year, we
are particularly pleased to support
the da:ns focus - Ballet by the Bay
presentation of Melissa Hamilton’s
International Ballet Stars Gala.
This spectacular showcase of
international stars from the most reputable dance companies
around the world also features Singapore Ballet, for which
BNP Paribas is also partner.

The Bank’s avid support for dance in Singapore is in line with

the BNP Paribas Foundation’s aim to promote the international
mobility of artists and to facilitate the development of their
work. Supporting the arts for over 40 years with passion and
fidelity, the Foundation marked the start of an extraordinarily
fruitful adventure with choreographers, artists, and key
institutions by nurturing creativity and fostering a culture
where artistic excellence thrives.

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The Foundation strives to breathe more dance into our daily
lives and to create shared experiences with as many people as
possible. Please join me as we celebrate the artists and their
ability to tell stories without words—a testament to the power
of art to transcend boundaries and touch the soul.

Joris Dierckx
Regional Head for Southeast Asia
BNP Paribas

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MESSAGE FROM
Melissa Hamilton
First Soloist, The Royal Ballet
Artistic Lead, Melissa Hamilton’s International Ballet Stars Gala

I first travelled to Singapore in 2017 for ballet education outreach

and to teach masterclasses to Singapore ballet students. I
immediately fell in love with Singapore, its people and amazing
setting. I eagerly accepted the opportunity to return in 2022,
where I had the pleasure of dancing on the Esplanade stage
for the first time and felt so privileged to be able to perform in
beautiful surroundings to such a warm audience.

A dream was sparked at that moment, to produce and dance

my own show, bringing to this fantastic theatre, ballet at its
best, from around the world. I wanted to collate and showcase
some of the amazing dancers, choreography, and creations
that I have been involved in and inspired by over the years,
at The Royal Ballet London and international stages, and
share them with you. This culminated in me forming my own
production company, Hamilton Christou Productions, with
my husband Michael Christou, and delivering, dancing and
producing this amazing ensemble you see here today. A start
of a journey that I am honoured that you can share with me in
its inception.

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SYNOPSIS

A spectacle filled with excitement, emotive beauty and

physical prowess, Melissa Hamilton’s International Ballet
Stars Gala brings some of today’s brightest stars from the
international ballet world to the Esplanade stage.

Witness the wonder of world-renowned dance artists from

the most revered dance companies in the world: The Royal
Ballet, The Norwegian National Ballet and Stuttgart Ballet,
with the Singapore Ballet in this star-studded weekend of
performances.

Audiences from around the world are invited to revel in the

performances of stars like Melissa Hamilton, Ryoichi Hirano,
Yasmine Naghdi, Xander Parish, Madoka Sugai, Alessandro
Frola, Mackenzie Brown and Martí Fernández Paixà, who
will grace the stage with excerpts from well-loved ballet
classics, iconic company heritage pieces and innovative new
works from today’s most inspiring choreographers.  

Complemented by an ensemble appearance from Singapore

Ballet, this performance is set to be a magical one, a
showcase of how dance is an art form with the ability to tell
stories without words, inspiring reflection and connection
that transcend day-to-day life.

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This programme is part of da:ns focus – Ballet by the Bay, a
ballet lovers’ weekend of classics and neo-classical works. Be
inspired by world-class productions and be introduced to new
perspectives on this celebrated art form.

(2hrs 30mins, including 20mins intermission)

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PROGRAMME

ACT I

The Sleeping Beauty, Rose Adagio

Choreography by Marius Petipa
Music by Pyotr Il’yich Tchaikovsky
Performed by Yasmine Naghdi, Xander Parish, Ryoichi Hirano,
Satoru Agetsuma and Timothy Ng

From Marius Petipa’s The Sleeping Beauty, the Rose Adagio

is performed by Princess Aurora with four suitors who have
travelled from across the world to ask for her hand in marriage.
Each suitor takes turns to present and partner Princess Aurora,
offering her a single, beautiful rose each time. It is one of
the most recognisable and iconic pieces in classical ballet
repertoire, which showcases the brilliance of the ballerina’s
strength, balance and control.

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La Luna
Choreography by Maurice Béjart
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Melissa Hamilton

A powerful and rarely performed female solo by Maurice

Béjart, La Luna was originally created for Luciana Savignano,
and later performed around the world by the extraordinary
Sylvie Guillem. La Luna is currently showcased and interpreted
by Melissa Hamilton. This solo is a mysteriously paradoxical
piece, in which melancholy permeates serenity, power fuses
with vulnerability, and determination is fuelled by grace.

Lady of the Camellias ‘Purple’ Pas de deux

Choreography by John Neumeier
Music by Frédéric Chopin
Costumes by Jürgen Rose
Performed by Madoka Sugai and Alessandro Frola

Lady of the Camellias is John Neumeier’s acknowledged

masterpiece set to Frédéric Chopin’s score, which premiered
at the Hamburg Ballet in 1978. This excerpt between
the ballet’s lead characters, Marguerite and Armand, is
a passionate exchange filled with drama. The dichotomy
between a courtesan’s true love and a compulsive desire for
riches, culminates in a conflict of choice for the couple.

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A Dialog
Choreography by Roman Novitzky
Music by Nina Simone, “Sinnerman”
Performed by Mackenzie Brown and Martí Fernández Paixà

This award-winning contemporary pas de deux by Roman

Novitzky is choreographed to Nina Simone’s iconic score
Sinnerman. The dance depicts a couple in crisis, utilising every
part of the dancers’ bodies with an original physicality, to keep
up with sharp changes in tempo and gestures. The dynamism
follows the arc of Simone’s track, keeping audiences on edge.

Giselle Pas de deux - Act II

Choreography by Marius Petipa, Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot
Music by Adolphe Adam
Performed by Melissa Hamilton and Xander Parish

Giselle transformed the dance world when it premiered

in 1841 in Paris and remains as one of the most popular
Romantic classical ballets of all time. The Act II pas de deux
between Giselle and Albrecht is the ultimate gesture of
forgiveness and representation of the transcendent power of
self-sacrificial love.

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Spring Waters Pas de deux
Choreography by Asaf Messerer
Music by Music by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Performed by Yasmine Naghdi and Ryoichi Hirano

This vibrant pas de deux, full of concentrated, athletic energy,

was choreographed by Asaf Messerer to music by Sergei
Rachmaninoff. An astounding piece that showcases thrilling
and virtuosic partner work, this pas de deux certainly conjures
up that sense of joy and anticipation felt in the first days of
spring bursting to life after a long winter.

ACT II

Momentum
Choreography by Choo-San Goh
Music by Sergei Prokofiev
Performed by Kwok Min Yi, Kana Minegishi, Esen Thang,
Nanase Tanaka, Stephanie Joe, Satoru Agetsuma, Kevin Zong,
Timothy Ng, Shan Del Vecchio, Takeaki Miura (Singapore Ballet)

Momentum, choreographed by Choo-San Goh, was created

for the Joffrey Ballet and was inspired by the composition of
Sergei Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 1. The cast features
ten dancers, with two main couples, setting a sleek and quick

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pace to the overall dynamics of the ballet’s choreography.
Momentum was awarded the First Prize for choreography
at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 1983. It was
originally staged for Singapore Dance Theatre on the occasion
of a joint performance with Hong Kong Ballet in 1992.

Qualia
Choreography by Wayne McGregor
Music by Scanner
Performed by Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano
Qualia was originally commissioned by The Royal Ballet, Covent Garden

The word Qualia is defined as a raw and sensory experience,

which this pas de deux imbues. A contemporary ballet, Qualia
marked Wayne McGregor’s debut on The Royal Opera House
stage, and was choreographed for dancers from The Royal
Ballet in 2003. This sensorial pas de deux is a tempestuous
meeting—set to Scanner’s percussive and hard-hitting music,
it is an impressively physical piece pushing both dancers’
bodies to their maximum.

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Romeo and Juliet ‘Balcony’ Pas de deux
Choreography by John Cranko
Music by Sergei Prokofiev
Performed by Mackenzie Brown and Martí Fernández Paixà

Arguably the most well-known tragic love story, Romeo and

Juliet was choreographed by John Cranko and is set to Sergei
Prokofiev’s score for the Stuttgart Ballet in 1962. A lyrical
and airborne pas de deux, the Balcony pas de deux is the
most anticipated scene in this ballet, filled with high lifts
and ecstatic flowing lines, truly representing the feelings of
enraptured young love.

Ballet 101
Choreography by Eric Gauthier
Performed by Xander Parish

Ballet 101 is a one-of-a-kind comedic solo that has the dancer

communicating with the audience. Choreographed by Eric
Gauthier, this piece presents the steps that make up ballet
repertoire in the most light-hearted and fun manner. Expect
many instantly recognisable ballet references in this piece that
displays precise technical skill, mixed with immense charm
and charisma.

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La Esmeralda Pas de deux
Choreography by Marius Petipa
Music by Cesare Pugni
Performed by Madoka Sugai and Alessandro Frola

La Esmeralda is a ballet inspired by Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel

The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Originally created by Jules
Perrot, the ballet was revived in 1886 by the influential French-
Russian ballet master Marius Petipa. Set to music by Cesare
Pugni, the full-length ballet is seldom performed outside of
Russia, but the La Esmeralda pas de deux is often performed
by companies all around the world. Filled with technical
prowess, skill and excitement, this piece has become a much
admired and well-known dance.

Manon ‘Bedroom’ Pas de deux

Choreography by Sir Kenneth MacMillan
Music by Jules Massenet
Performed by Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano

An unquestionable favourite of dancers and audiences alike,

the Bedroom pas de deux is from Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s
three-act masterpiece Manon, and was first performed by The
Royal Ballet in London in 1974. This beloved classic is a pas

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de deux between Manon and Des Grieux, who are filled with
the fresh and uninhabited feelings of new love, and swept
away by the romance of Jules Massenet’s dramatic score.

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DANCERS BIOGRAPHIES
Melissa Hamilton
Melissa Hamilton is a First
Soloist of The Royal Ballet. She
won the 2007 Youth American
Grand Prix and that year joined
the Royal Ballet Company as an
Artist, promoted to First Artist
in 2009, Soloist in 2010 and
First Soloist in 2013.

Her roles with The Royal Ballet include Manon, Juliet, Mary
Vetsera (Mayerling), Raven Girl, the Sugar Plum Fairy, Queen
of the Dryads, Olga (Onegin), the Lilac Fairy and Princess
Florine (Sleeping Beauty), Peasant Pas and Zulme (Giselle),
Fairy Godmother and Summer Fairy (Cinderella), Pas de Trois
and Big Swans (Swan Lake).  She has also performed leading
roles in Agon, Apollo, Serenade, Four Temperaments Rubies,
Afternoon of a Faun, The Concert, Requiem, The Judas Tree,
Elite Syncopations, among many others.

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Created roles include Wayne McGregor’s Infra, Acis and
Galatea, Limen, Carbon Life, Woolf Works, Yugen, The
Dante Project and Untitled, 2023, David Dawson’s The
Human Seasons, Christopher Wheeldon’s Trespass and Kyle
Abraham’s Optional Family: A Divertissement.

As a guest principal with Semperoper Ballett, she made

her role debuts of Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Aurora (The
Sleeping Beauty) and Nikiya (La Bayadere) and has appeared
as a guest with Teatro alla Scala, New National Theatre Tokyo,
Birmingham Royal Ballet and Polish National Ballet.

Other repertoire includes Ben Stevenson’s Three Preludes,

Matz Ek’s She was Black, Maurice Béjart’s La Luna and Wayne
McGregor’s Tree of Codes.

Awards include YAGP Grand Prix, Gold Medal at Seoul

International Ballet competition and the Critics’ Circle Award
for Outstanding Female Performance 2009.

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 Ryoichi Hirano
Japanese dancer Ryoichi Hirano
is a Principal of The Royal Ballet.
He joined the Company as a Prix
de Lausanne apprentice in 2001
and became an Artist in 2002,
promoted to First Artist in 2007,
Soloist in 2008, First Soloist in
2012 and Principal in 2016.

His repertory with The Royal Ballet includes Albrecht

(Giselle), Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake), Prince Florimund (The
Sleeping Beauty), Leontes and Polixenes (The Winter’s Tale),
Espada and Gamache (Don Quixote), Romeo, Tybalt and
Paris (Romeo and Juliet), Onegin (Onegin), Jean de Brienne
(Raymonda Act III), Crown Prince Rudolf (Mayerling), Prince
(The Prince of the Pagodas, The Nutcracker), Rasputin and
Officer (Anastasia), Witch (Hansel and Gretel), among many
others.

Ryoichi has created roles for the Royal Ballet in Liam Scarlett’s
Asphodel Meadows and in Wayne McGregor’s The Dante
Project, Infra and Obsidian Tear.

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 Yasmine Naghdi
Yasmine Naghdi is a Principal
of The Royal Ballet. She joined
in 2010, was promoted to
First Artist in 2012, Soloist in
2014, First Soloist in 2016 and
Principal in 2017.

Her leading roles with the

Company include Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Princess Aurora
(The Sleeping Beauty), Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Tatiana
(Onegin), Giselle, Cinderella, Kitri (Don Quixote), Gamzatti
(La Bayadère), Swanilda (Coppélia), Baroness Mary Vetsera,
Countess Marie Larish (Mayerling), Sugar Plum Fairy (The
Nutcracker), Firebird (The Firebird ), Mathilde Kschessinska
(Anastasia), Tita (Like Water for Chocolate), among many
others.

She created a role in Valentino Zucchetti’s Prima.

Her further repertory includes Le Corsaire Grand Pas de

deux, Sylvia Act III Pas de deux, Le Parc (Angelin Preljocaj),
Three Preludes (Ben Stevenson) and Ballet Imperial (George
Balanchine).

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 Xander Parish
Xander was born in East
Yorkshire and began dancing
in Hull at age eight. He
graduated from The Royal
Ballet School with honours in
2005, joining The Royal Ballet
along with his sister, Demelza.
In 2010, Xander became the
first British dancer to be employed by The Mariinsky Theatre
in St. Petersburg. Xander was promoted to Principal Dancer
in July 2017 after the opening night of Swan Lake during the
Mariinsky Ballet’s London season at Covent Garden.

His awards include the Positano Premia La Danza Léonide

Massine Emerging Dancer on the International Scene Award
(2014), Best Young Male Dancer at the 1st Taglioni European
Ballet Awards (2014) and Outstanding Male Performance
(Classical) for Apollo at the UK’s Critics’ Circle National
Dance Awards (2014). In 2017, the University of Hull awarded
Xander an Honorary Doctorate and in 2019 he was awarded
an OBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list for services
to dance and UK-Russia Cultural Relations.

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Xander has been a guest artist with companies including
Stanislavsky Ballet, English National Ballet and American
Ballet Theatre. In 2021, Xander launched balletclass.com,
a website showcasing leading dancers demonstrating their
own ballet and training classes. In August 2022, Xander
joined The Norwegian National Ballet as a Principal. In
November 2022, he became Artistic Director of Reunited in
Dance, a project with the Segerstrom Center in California.

Madoka Sugai
Japanese dancer Madoka
Sugai is a Principal dancer with
Hamburg Ballet.  She joined the
company in 2014, promoted to
Soloist in 2017 and Principal in
2019.

Her repertoire with the

company includes Peasant
Pas de deux (Giselle), Cinderella (A Cinderella Story),
Prudence Duvernoy (Lady of the Camellias), Princess Natalia
(Illusions – like Swan Lake), Woman III (Bernstein Dances),
Hermia (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Ophelia (Hamlet 21),
Sylvia (Sylvia), Princess Aurora, Princess Florine, Mercury and

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Aurora, the Dawn (The Sleeping Beauty, 2021), Louise and
The Beautiful Girl from Granada (The Nutcracker), Bronislava
Nijinsky (Nijinsky), Woman in Apricot – Dances at a Gathering
(Jerome Robbins), Kitri (Rudolf Nurejev after Marius Petipa),
Princess Perdita (The Winter’s Tale).

Other roles are Soldier Songs (Des Knaben Wunderhorn), The

Fifth Symphony of Gustav Mahler, Vaslav, Broadway’s Pavlova,
Saint Matthew Passion, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler,
Préludes CV, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (Balanchine).

Created roles include A Mystic and A young Woman in Dona

Nobis Pacem and solos in Beethoven Project, Ghost Light,
Beethoven Project II, Solo for Two (Konstantin Tselikov), Little
Requiem (Aleix Martínez) and Götterboten (Aljoscha Lenz).
Madoka’s awards include Prix de Lausanne 2012 and the Dr.
Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize 2018.

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 Alessandro Frola
Italian dancer Alessandro
Frola is a Principal of Hamburg
Ballet.  He joined the company
in 2019, promoted to Soloist in
2022 and to Principal in 2023.

His repertoire with the

company includes Lysander (A
Midsummer Night’s Dream), Endymion (Sylvia), Prince Désiré,
Catalabutte and Cupid’s Blessing (The Sleeping Beauty, 2021),
Wolf Beifeld (Liliom), Frederick the Great (Death in Venice),
Pas de deux (A Cinderella Story), Prince Siegfried and Prince
Alexander in (Illusions – like Swan Lake), Love (Bernstein
Dances), Mercutio (Romeo and Juliet), Allan Gray (A Streetcar
Named Desire), Arlequin (Carnaval) and The Spirit of the Rose
(Le Spectre de la rose in “Nijinsky”).

Other roles include Saint Matthew Passion, Third Symphony

of Gustav Mahler and Préludes CV. He created the role of
The Shadow (Dona Nobis Pacem) and a role in Peter and
Igor. Alessandro was awarded the Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer
Prize 2023.

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 Mackenzie Brown
Mackenzie Brown is a Principal
of Stuttgart Ballet. She joined
in 2020, promoted to Demi-
Soloist 2021, Soloist in 2022
and Principal in October 2023.

Her repertoire with the company

includes Aurora in Aurora’s Nap
(Johan Inger), Blake Works I (William Forsythe), Bliss (Johan
Inger), Bouillards (John Cranko): Les Fées sont d’exquises
danseuses, Cassiopeia’s Garden (Christian Spuck), Falling
Angels (Jiří Kylián), Große Fuge (Hans van Manen), Initials
R.B.M.E. (John Cranko), Princess Louise, Mayerling (Kenneth
MacMillan), One of a Kind (Jiří Kylián), Olga, Onegin (John
Cranko), Out of Breath (Johan Inger), Requiem (Kenneth
MacMillan), among many others.

She has created roles in A Dialog (Roman Novitzky), Aurora’s

Nap (Johan Inger), and Einssein (Mauro Bigonzetti), In Esisto
(Vittoria Girelli): Solo, Leisure (Fabio Adorisio), Nachtmerrie
(Marco Goecke), Reflection/s (Roman Novitzky): Solo, Was
bleibet (Alessandro Giaquinto).

Her awards include Prix de Lausanne 2019 gold medal, the

Contemporary Dance Prize and the Audience Favourite Prize.
She also won The Erik Bruhn Prize 2023.

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 Martí Fernández Paixà
Spanish dancer Martí Fernández
Paixà is a Principal with Stuttgart
Ballet.

He joined the company as an

apprentice in 2014/15, and one
season later he was taken into
the Corps de ballet. In 2016, he
was promoted to Demi Soloist, Soloist in 2017 and became
Principal at the beginning of the 2021/22 season.

Martí’s repertory includes Romeo, Paris and Benvolio, Romeo

& Juliet (Cranko); the title role in Demis Volpi’s Krabat; Prince
Desiré, Ali Baba and the Prince of the South, The Sleeping
Beauty (Marcia Haydée); Onegin and Lensky in Onegin
(Cranko); Allan Gray, A Streetcar named Desire (Neumeier);
Colas, La Fille mal Gardée (Ashton); Man in Blue and Man
in Purple, Dances at a Gathering (Robbins); Couple in White,
ForgottenLand (Kylián); Apollo in Demis Volpi’s Death in
Venice; Spring Waters (Asaf Messerer); Le Jeune Homme et La
Mort (Petit) in Boléro (Béjart). He has also performed leading
roles in works by Kenneth MacMillan, Jiří Kylián, Hans van
Manen, Edward Clug and Marco Goecke.

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Created roles include the title role in Demis Volpi’s The
Soldier’s Tale and the Young Syrian in his Salome and Ascaresa
(Alessandro Giaquinto), Cassiopeia’s Garden (Christian Spuck),
Naiad (Douglas Lee), Neurons (Katarzyna Kozielska), Patterns
in ¾ (Edward Clug), Petals (Louis Stiens), PS (Katarzyna
Kozielska), Reflection/s (Roman Novitzky): Solo, Take Your
Pleasure Seriously (Katarzyna Kozielska).

Photo Credit: Bernie Ng

Singapore Ballet
Singapore Ballet was founded as Singapore Dance Theatre
in 1988 by Goh Soo Khim and Anthony Then. In 2002, the
company graced the official opening of Esplanade – Theatres
on the Bay with the opening performance of Boi Sakti’s

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Reminiscing the Moon. Singapore Ballet continues to have
the privilege of performing in a world-class performing arts
venue, exhilarating audiences with a myriad of repertoires.
As Singapore’ premier ballet company comprising of 38
Company dancers plus apprentices, the Company performs
six seasons annually with three full ballet performances at the
stage of Esplanade Theatre. The highlights of the Company’s
annual performance season include the widely-popular
Ballet Under the Stars at Fort Canning Park and Masterpiece
in Motion, as well as Passages Contemporary Season. The
company also presents Made in Singapore through the
choreographic workshop, where budding choreographers
build on developing choreographic language through a sense
of exploration.

The Company’s repertoire ranges from classical to

contemporary ballet, from renowned choreographers like
Choo-San Goh, George Balanchine, Kinsun Chan, Val
Caniparoli, Ma Cong, Edmund Stripe, Natalie Weir, Edwaard
Liang, Nils Christe, Toru Shimazaki, Christina Chan, Timothy
Harbour, François Klaus, Timothy Rushton, Pam Tanowitz
and Loughlan Prior. In 2008, Janek Schergen was appointed
Artistic Director. Under his leadership, the Company has
made new achievements in the international and Singapore
dance arena, including 43 world premieres, 22 company
premieres, and numerous revivals of the Company’s existing

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repertoire. Singapore Ballet has captivated audiences in
Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Cambodia, Hong Kong,
Mexico, China, Australia, France, United States, London,
Laos, and Switzerland.

Singapore Ballet tours to Malaysia and Penang annually and

has seen a growth in its dedicated support to the company.
Through the invitation of Sadlers Wells, the Company has
also performed at London’s Singapore season at the Peacock
Theatre. Seen to be a little Asiatic gem, “the Company’s
strength lies in a seamless transition between strong classical
technique and contemporary movement,” as described by
Graham Watts of Ballet. Co magazine.

Dancers:
Kwok Min Yi
Kana Minegishi
Esen Thang
Nanase Tanaka
Stephanie Joe
Satoru Agetsuma
Kevin Zong
Timothy Ng
Shan Del Vecchio
Takeaki Miura

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PRODUCTION AND
CREATIVE TEAM
BIOGRAPHIES

Clement Cheong
Lighting Designer
Originally a graphic artist, Clement Cheong became a lighting
designer in 2006, triggered by the idea that lighting can paint
a picture for an audience. Without formal training in theatre,
Cheong started off as a lighting technician. To date, with
over 18 years of experience in the industry, he has worked
on a diverse range of projects, in smaller settings or at scale,
from performances in music, dance and theatre to visual arts
installations and TV presentations, in Singapore, China, Japan
and in Southeast Asia.

Genevieve Peck
Multimedia Designer
Genevieve graduated from The Royal Central School of Speech
and Drama, London with a BA(Hons) in Theatre Practice,
specialising in Lighting and Projection/Video Design.

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She has worked extensively on theatre productions in
Singapore, including Doubt: A Parable, People Places
and Things, The Glass Menagerie, Tango, The Effect
(Pangdemonium), Four Horse Road, I Came At Last to the
Seas, Lao Jiu: The Musical 2017, Liao Zhai Rocks! 2016
(The Theatre Practice), ubin, Both Sides Now 2019, Missing
(Drama Box), Everything For You, Between You and Me, Lear
is Dead, Art Studio (Nine Years Theatre), Lungs, The Sound
Inside, The Lifespan of a Fact (Singapore Repertory Theatre),
Three Years in the Life and Death of Land (The Necessary
Stage), as well as The Commission (Pangdemonium, SRT &
Wild Rice).

Hamilton Christou Productions

This gala is produced by Hamilton Christou Productions,
founded by internationally acclaimed and celebrated British
ballerina Melissa Hamilton of The Royal Ballet Company,
London, and her husband Michael Christou, a renowned
property developer and businessman. The company’s mission
is to create an inclusive global community of like-minded
dance enthusiasts, showcasing the best of ballet through live
performances.
www.hamiltonchristouproductions.com

BACK TO CONTENTS 31
PRODUCTION CREDITS
DANCERS

Melissa Hamilton and Ryoichi Hirano

(The Royal Ballet)

Yasmine Naghdi and Xander Parish

(The Royal Ballet / The Norwegian National Ballet)

Madoka Sugai and Alessandro Frola

(Hamburg Ballet)

Mackenzie Brown and Martí Fernández Paixà

(Stuttgart Ballet)

Kwok Min Yi, Kana Minegishi, Esen Thang, Nanase Tanaka,

Stephanie Joe, Satoru Agetsuma, Kevin Zong, Timothy Ng,
Shan Del Vecchio, Takeaki Miura
(Singapore Ballet)

BACK TO CONTENTS 32
ARTISTIC LEAD AND PRODUCER
Melissa Hamilton

PRODUCER
Michael Christou

LIGHTING DESIGN
Clement Cheong

MULTIMEDIA DESIGN
Genevieve Peck

PRODUCTION MANAGER
Chim Sin Yee

STAGE MANAGER
Ching Ting Tan

ASSISTANT PRODUCER FOR

HAMILTON CHRISTOU PRODUCTIONS
Hikaru Kobayashi

BACK TO CONTENTS 33
SPECIAL THANKS FROM
HAMILTON CHRISTOU
PRODUCTIONS
Hamilton Christou Productions would like to thank
their sponsors who have supported Melissa Hamilton’s
International Ballet Stars Gala as part of da:ns focus at
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay and made this incredible
opportunity possible.

• 1.61 London
• Arora Group

Melissa Hamilton would also like to thank:

• Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, for his kind

permission for The Royal Ballet dancers to be a part of
these performances

• Christopher Saunders, The Royal Ballet rehearsal director

• Antoine Vereecken, Studio Wayne McGregor

• Michael Christou, Hamilton Christou Productions

Special thanks to my husband and business partner,
the key component to making these gala performances
possible. I’m beyond grateful for his unwavering direction,
support, vision and love.

BACK TO CONTENTS 34
More programmes at
da:ns focus – Ballet by the Bay
MASTERCLASSES
Dance, learn and be inspired by world-renowned stars
of The Royal Ballet in two exclusive masterclasses with
Melissa Hamilton and Yasmine Naghdi on 24 March at
the Esplanade Rehearsal Studio.

Masterclass with
Melissa Hamilton
9am
This masterclass is recommended for
male and female dancers aged 10 and
above, with at least five years of ballet
training, or equivalent proficiency at
RAD Grade Five level or higher.

Masterclass with
Yasmine Naghdi
11am
This masterclass is recommended
for male and female dancers aged
13 and above, with at least eight
years of ballet training, or equivalent
proficiency at RAD Advanced One
level or higher.

$70 per masterclass

(1hr 30mins, no intermission)
FREE PROGRAMMES

Photo Credit: Michael Heng

Ballet 101: Decoding Impermanence
the Art Form for by Jeffrey Tan & National
New Audience Contemporary Ballet (Singapore)

by Etienne Ferrère, Rosa Park, Choreographed in an

Chihiro Uchida & Kenya Nakamura unmistakable style that adorns
(Hong Kong, Singapore) the bedrock of classical ballet
Learn more about this beloved technique with the flair of
art form from ballet experts, neo-classical expression,
who will break down the Impermanence is a creative
foundations of the art form for reflection on the ever evolving
new audience. landscape of Singapore.

22 & 23 Mar, Fri & Sat 22 – 24 Mar

7pm & 8.15pm Fri & Sat, 8pm & 9.15pm
Esplanade Concourse Sun, 7.30pm & 8.45pm
DBS Foundation Outdoor
Theatre at Esplanade
About da:ns focus
Having transformed from da:ns festival to da:ns focus in
2023/24, da:ns focus continues with an exciting
year-round season of five themed weekends in 2024/25.
Experience interconnected programmes that offer their
own counterpoints, dialogues and encounters in a
focused exploration.

EveryBody | 19 – 21 Apr 2024

EveryBody challenges conventions by presenting high
quality works and experiences focusing on inclusivity,
diversity and participation.

CAN – Connect Asia Now | 4 – 6 Oct 2024

A spotlight on contemporary dance works by Asian artists,
this annual gathering focuses on distinct voices and creative
impulses from the region.

Contemporary Dance | Nov/Dec 2024

Lean into the evolving and open nature of contemporary
dance and experience compelling international productions
framed by a different concept or idea each year.

Salero Flamenco | 10 – 12 Jan 2025

From lightning-fast footwork to intricate hand, arm and
body movements, embrace the passion, soul and fervor of
flamenco dance performed by some of the best musicians
and dancers worldwide.

Ballet by the Bay | Feb/Mar 2025

A ballet lovers’ weekend of classics and neo-classical works.
Be inspired by world-class productions and be introduced to
new perspectives on this celebrated art form.
 THANK YOU
FOR WATCHING
Help us make your next Esplanade
experience even better by taking a
moment to share your thoughts with us.

We look forward to creating more

wonderful memories with you soon.

Scan and do the survey now!

Information correct at time of print.

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 Esplanade da:ns as part of
Presents da:ns focus
– EveryBody

MONICA BILL BARNES & COMPANY (USA)

THE RUNNING SHOW

IN COLLABORATION WITH

SINGAPORE DANCERS
“Thoughtfully crafted,
enthusiastically performed and
universally relatable to dancers
and non-dancers alike.”
– Dance Cleveland

Information correct at time of print.

20 & 21 APR 2024
SAT, 8PM | SUN, 3PM
SINGTEL WATERFRONT THEATRE AT ESPLANADE

BOOK NOW $35^

www.esplanade.com/dans LIMITED CONCESSIONS: $25.60

SISTIC Hotline: 6348 5555 / Group Booking: 6828 8389 or email ^Esplanade&Me Specials available
boxoffice@esplanade.com.Admission age: 6 and above, unless otherwise stated. Not a member? Esplanade&Me Discover is a free membership.
Ticket prices exclude SISTIC fees. Terms and conditions apply. Sign up now at www.esplanade.com/membership

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 Esplanade da:ns as part of
Presents da:ns focus
– EveryBody
“Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most surprising.”
– MOONEY ON THEATRE

LISTEN TO SEE RESTLESS DANCE THEATRE

(AUSTRALIA)

Information correct at time of print.

19  21 APR 2024
FRI  SUN, VARIOUS TIMINGS
ESPLANADE CONCERT HALL CIRCLE 1 FOYER

BOOK NOW $35^

www.esplanade.com/dans LIMITED CONCESSIONS: $25.60

SISTIC Hotline: 6348 5555 / Group Booking: 6828 8389 or email ^Esplanade&Me Specials available
boxoffice@esplanade.com.Admission age: 6 and above, unless otherwise stated. Not a member? Esplanade&Me Discover is a free membership.
Ticket prices exclude SISTIC fees. Terms and conditions apply. Sign up now at www.esplanade.com/membership

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 Esplanade The Studios
Presents

Information correct at time of print.

An interdisciplinary work confronting the realities 12 – 14 Apr 2024, Fri – Sun
and anxieties of growing old(er) as a woman. Esplanade Theatre Studio
FRI, 8PM | SAT, 3PM & 8PM | SUN, 3PM
CONCEPTUALISED & DIRECTED BY
Sim Yan Ying “YY”
WRITTEN BY CHOREOGRAPHED BY
Jean Tay Dapheny Chen A programme of TRIP – a platform to
showcase work by early-career directors.

$32*^ Book Now

www.esplanade.com/trip
SISTICHotline:
SISTIC Hotline: 6348
6348 5555
5555 // School
School or
or Group
Group Booking:
Booking: 6828
6828 8389
8389or
or email
emailboxoffice@esplanade.com.
boxoffice@esplanade.com.Admission
Admissionage:
age:186 &
& above.
above. Ticket
Ticketprices
pricesexclude
excludeSISTIC
SISTICfees. Terms
fees. and
Terms conditions
and apply.
conditions apply.

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 Esplanade The Studios
Presents
AN ESPLANADE PRODUCTION

License managed by Harmonia Holdings, Ltd. under special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Ltd.
D I R E C T E D BY
RENEE YEONG

m 19 – 21 APR 2024, FRI – SUN

F R I 8 P M | S AT 3 P M & 8 P M | S U N 3 P M
E S P L A N A D E T H E AT R E S T U D I O

“ M S . VO G E L H AS W R I T T E N A
LOV E LY , H A R ROW I N G G U I D E TO
TH E C R I P P L I N G P E R S I ST E N C E
O F O N E WO M A N ’ S M E M O R I E S . ”

— T H E N E W YO R K T I M E S

Information correct at time of print.

$32*^
Limited concessions for students, NSFs, seniors and PWDs: $24*
^Esplanade&Me Specials available.
A programme of TRIP–a platform to

BOOK NOW
showcase work by early-career directors.

R18
www.esplanade.com/trip Contains references to sexual assault and grooming of minors.

SISTIC Hotline: 6348 5555 / School or Group Booking: 6828 8389 or email boxoffice@esplanade.com. Admission age: 18 & above. Ticket prices exclude SISTIC fees. Terms and conditions apply.

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 The Arts
& You
Your access to the arts starts with Esplanade&Me
• Up to 20% savings on tickets and priority bookings and
early bird specials to festival and events at Esplanade
• Up to 20% savings on retail and dining specials at
Esplanade Mall and partners
• Exclusive invitations to events, workshops and tours
• Member referral incentives, Birthday privileges and more!
• Check in at any of our free programmes, PIP’s PLAYbox
and Jendela for rewards

UEN: 199205206G Information correct at time of print.

Bryan Tan
31 Dec 2017

Free to join Free upgrade when Free upgrade when Free for kids Free for ages Free for ages
you spend $500 you spend $1000 12 years & under 17 to 26 years 55 & above

Not a member yet? Join at

www.esplanade.com/membership
1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 | Customer Experience Hotline: 6828 8377

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
Esplanade gives our heartfelt thanks
to our Esplanade partner, arts benefactor, donors and sponsors for
believing in our vision to be a performing arts centre for everyone.
They made all these possible!ˆ

4,562 3,354 Free

1,057 Paid
602
3,260,515
People attended our activities at the centre.
Activities

12,059
Participants
We believe that everyone

1,487,680
should be able to experience
Free the joy of the arts, including
children, youth, seniors, migrant
workers and individuals with
Paid 287,931 special needs. Our community
engagement activities bring the
arts to those in need.
*Figures for Esplanade’s activities from Apr 2022 to Mar 2023.

Your contribution* will make a difference.

On behalf of the communities we serve, thank you!
Find out how you too can make a difference through the arts at Esplanade.

Donate at www.esplanade.com/donate
To find out more, email us at donations@esplanade.com or speak with us at 6828 8321.

Esplanade is a charity and an Institution of a Public Character. Your donation to us is

matched dollar-for-dollar by the Cultural Matching Fund. Please note that the prevailing
tax exemption scheme for donors and sponsors of Arts-Related Businesses will depend
on the qualifying criteria imposed by IRAS.
With Gratitude
Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay is a charity, a not-for-profit organisation and Singapore’s national
performing arts centre. We seek to entertain, engage, educate and inspire through the arts.

We thank everyone who has helped us bring joy, inspiration and positive impact to Singaporeans
from all walks of life by supporting the arts and Esplanade.

Our heartfelt appreciation goes especially to our Donors and Sponsors, for their steadfast belief in
our mission and for their generous support.

DONORS AND SPONSORS Lam Soon Singapore Pte Ltd

Alice Koh Lee Eng Beng
Allen & Overy LLP Lee Huay Leng
Allianz Global Investors Singapore Limited Lee Tzu Yang
Alvin De Souza Lim Siew Kheng
Ang Chin Moh Funeral Directors Pte Ltd Matthew Teng
Ang Ziqian Ong Bok Aun
Asia Ghani Restaurant And Catering Pte Ltd Peter Yap Wan Shern
Asian Medical Foundation Phua Dong Haur
BNP Paribas Rachelle Hweejoo Francis
Bowen Enterprises Pte Ltd Ravindran S/O Sivalingam
Chia Lai Kuan Sanjeev Namath Kurungodan
Chow Chung Ping See Tho Keng Leong
Chow Wan Cheng Sora Media Pte Ltd
Cindy Cheng Ah Ching Soumyadip Ghosh
CLS International (1993) Pte Ltd The Family of BJ & CW Tresise
Composers And Authors Society of Singapore Ltd The Silent Foundation Limited
Daniel Teo Tong How Tye Wai Mun
Daryl Neo U.S. Embassy, Singapore
EFG Bank AG UOB
Embassy of France in Singapore Vemala K Rajamanickam
Esmond Loon William and Mavis Tok
Francis Chin Kuok Choon Winson Lay Chee Loong
Fort Sanctuary Pte Ltd Woon Yen Khai
High Commission of India, Singapore Yap Foo Kar
Hon Chia Chun Noel Yvonne Tham

The above are donors and sponsors who contributed $1000 and above from April 2022– March 2023.

Join us in sharing the joy of the arts and help us reach

more communities in need.
We believe that an experience with the arts is special and that with your generous
support, more people will get a chance to enjoy the arts. Join us in sharing the joy of
the arts and help us reach more communities in need.

Esplanade also receives grants from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, as well as support for our
Community Programmes from the Tote Board Family, comprising Tote Board, Singapore Pools and Singapore Turf Club.
 “
I could just scroll through IG or TikTok but I thought why
should I when I can do the same on Offstage? It makes me feel
like I know more things. Great arts content, anytime, anywhere.
Highly recommend.

”
Totally Anonymous Person
(who is not related to www.esplanade.com/offstage)

UEN: 199205206G Information correct at time of print.

1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981 | Customer Experience Hotline: 6828 8377

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian
 Information correct at time of print.

Principal Sponsor

Esplanade is a charity and not-for-profit organisation. www.esplanade.com EsplanadeSG

Help us bring the joy and inspiration of the arts to
different communities, including the underserved. EsplanadeSingapore
#esplanadesg #mydurian