Explore Odissi dance in performances and workshops

Odissi Festival 2026

The ancient art of odissi dance is showcased in this festival organised by Bhaskar’s Arts Academy. Originating from temples in India’s Odisha state, the dance is marked by its sensuous sculptural forms and sinuous swaying moves. 

Dance fans can look forward to performances while dancers can sign up for masterclasses. 

Odissi Mancha – The Performance Platform on May 8 and 9 will showcase two works.

The renowned Padma Shri Guru Aruna Mohanty and her troupe from Orissa Dance Academy will present Eka Prashna, a dance drama centring on the famed women of Indian myths such as Sita, Draupadi and Mandodari, on the first evening.

Shri Rahul Acharya, recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar award for artists under 40, will command the spotlight with his solo performance, Konark – A Glimpse Into Eternity, on the following night.

Padma Shri Guru Aruna will conduct masterclasses as part of Prashikshana – The Learning Platform at Stamford Arts Centre on May 10. 

Home-grown dancers will be showcased at Nrityalaya Black Box on May 23 and 24 in programmes that bring together performers from Bhaskar’s, Apsaras Arts, Parampara Music Academy & Temple of Fine Arts. 

Where: Various venues
When: Till May 24, various timings
MRT: City Hall/Esplanade
Admission: $20 to $80 
Info: str.sg/HxbY

Dream In Peony Pavilion

Playwright Tang Xianzu’s Peony Pavilion is better known as a Ming Dynasty opera classic, which some theatre fans might remember from the spectacular 19-hour presentation by the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay in 2003. 

This dance drama adaptation of the classic story, produced by He Sheng Dance Theatre and Suzhou Cultural Investment and Development Group, was a hit in China.

After more than 70 performances in 22 cities, the show is making its overseas debut at the Esplanade. 

The original epic 55 scenes have been necessarily condensed into a two-act dance, focusing on six main characters – the lovers Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei, Liniang’s mischievious maid Chunxiang, the Flower Goddess, failed scholar Chen Zuiliang and the Judge.

The work is directed and choreographed by Li Xing, recipient of China’s coveted Wenhua Award for professional stage arts in China, who has chosen to focus on the interior lives of the characters.

The contemporary score draws from kunqu opera, the original Suzhou artform that inspired Tang’s work, just as the choreography combines contemporary and classical Chinese forms. 

Where: Esplanade Theatre, 1 Esplanade Drive 
When: May 22 and 23, 8pm, May 24, 3pm 
MRT: City Hall/Esplanade
Admission: $58 to $398
Info: str.sg/kVrb

Patchworks Of Hope – Colours For Every Child

Art gallery Eagle’s Eye is marking its 31st anniversary with this fund-raising exhibition which supports The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (SPMF). 

In keeping with the aim, the show is themed on childhood and brings together a diverse array of works from practitioners. Two works by Cultural Medallion recipient Goh Beng Kwan – Gardens By The Bay and Echoes Of Serenity – are characteristic of his abstract, Expressionist style. 

More accessible are Malaysia-born Michael Tan’s nostalgic works, packed with South-east Asian details such as batik prints and palm trees, which depict idyllic kampung scenes of childhood play. 

The prices of works range from four to five figures, but the gallery has also set up an inclusive section where works are priced at $400 and below. 

The gallery will donate 40 per cent of the proceeds from sales to ST’s SPMF. The SPMF is a community initiative which dispenses funds to children from low-income families so that they can spend on school-related expenses, from books to lunches. The fund supports about 10,000 children and youth a year.  

Where: Eagle’s Eye Art Gallery, 34B North Canal Road 
When: Till July 4, Mondays to Saturdays, 10am to 6.30pm; Tuesdays, 10.30am to 3.30pm; closed on Sundays
MRT: Clarke Quay 
Admission: Free 
Info: eagles-eye.com.sg