Choreography Showreel
Photoshoots
Photo courtesy of Kuang Jingkai and Burke Raby
Interviews and Reviews
"Fully in line with SMU Arts Fest’s theme of Post, Beyond Human ends up becoming a richly imaginative lens into how drastically our lives might change in the near future...
Despite the overarching sense of doom and gloom, it is altogether quite hopeful as it considers our integral ability
to forge bonds and connections with everything around us, and that regardless of how much destruction and change
the world faces, we find a way to survive, and find new ways of being."
-Bakchormeeboy.com, 15 September 2023
The Birthday, the debut production by Tinydancer Productions, is a poignant and thought-provoking collaboration between choreographer Jieying Nah, dramaturg Sim Yan Ying, and composer Germaine Goh. This evocative piece masterfully intertwines movement, dialogue, and props to explore the passage of time, memory, and intergenerational relationships with remarkable sensitivity.
A standout moment lies in the innovative use of an oven as a metaphorical treasure box of memories. Accompanied by a thought-provoking dialogue—“If you live till 70, and deduct the first 20 years which you have no control over, as well as the last 10 when you may not be so mobile, how many years do you really have to make your own decisions?”—the oven becomes a striking visual and narrative anchor. Its solidity contrasts beautifully with the dancers’ fluid movements, symbolizing birth, the weight of time, memory, and ultimately, death.
Equally compelling is the clever integration of balloons, a seemingly simple prop transformed into a dynamic medium of interaction. Through subtle exchanges, the dancers evoke a silent dialogue between generations, capturing the delicate, unspoken bonds of moral support and shared understanding. This interplay resonates deeply, highlighting the complexities of familial and intergenerational relationships.
The Birthday is a triumphant debut—a testament to the power of collaboration. By merging choreography, dramaturgy, and music with such care, this production offers an unforgettable exploration of the human experience.