After dinner at Cityhall, a few of my friends and I made our way to the Marina Barrage via the shuttle bus service provided from Marina Bay MRT station. As soon as we got off the bus, we were greeted by friendly and enthusiastic staff who guided us into the main arena. However to our disappointment there seem to be an absence of crowd for such a major event. We were not left disappointed for long though, as we approached the main arena we saw a huge crowd gathered at the stage as well as above it.
Before rushing to reserve a good view just like all Singaporeans do, we took a sneak peek at a Chinese drum performance. It had caught our attention the moment we got in due to the loud booming sound coming from it. Below is a short clip on it although its not very clear. The drummers were very coordinated both in the sound as well as their actions. This proved to be the result of numerous practices during the preparation for this event. Although it was only a brief performance, it was applauded by many spectators.
As the clock strikes 8pm commencing the start of the Hélios II performance, we quickly rushed to get the best view we could find. Ok firstly a little intro about Hélios , it is actually a performance about the creation of the Greek ancient sun god by the French urban theatre extraordinaires La Compagnie Malabar.
The performance started off with the entrance of a giant mythical insect which looked like a praying mantis, accompanied by acrobats dressed in fanciful outfits walking on sticks. The scene was also blurred by a large amount of red smoke which was probably to enhance the mysterious atmosphere. After which, the team of performers paraded around the main stage. Many of us will not deny that we didn’t quite get what they were doing until we read through brochure that was given to us. The main gist of the performance was the construction of the Greek sun god at its highest point. The acrobats walking on sticks were actually the builders of light and worshippers of the sun. This astonishing performance was then taken on to the main stage as spectators watch in excitement.
As the performance continued on stage, one of the acrobats was actually suspended from the mouth of the insect with a string and a large hoop. The video below is not very clear but she basically performed some gymnastics stunts just by making use of her body’s flexibility and the large hoop. It was very amusing to watch her perform as she was not only able to perfect such challenging stunts effortlessly while being hanged in mid air and still be able to display such elegance.
Overall, I felt that it was an excellent performance with class and elegance. The symphony of lights, sound and smoke effect also adds up to the entire experience.
Last but not least, was the fireworks display. Strangely enough, this was also the time where most of the crowd were anticipating. The booming sound of fireworks was paired with the cheers and screams of the spectators which to me was the peak of the entire ceremony. I had the privilege to be really close to the fireworks as my friends and I were standing nearby thus explaining the great quality of the video below. I felt that the opening ceremony of the Singapore Arts Festival 2009 was a great success in many ways and I look forward to enjoying more of it in the month ahead. So do look out for more of my posts on the other events during the Singapore Arts Festival 2009!!!
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