In conjunction with the company’s Golden Jubilee celebrating 50 years of artistic excellence, Apsaras Dance Company is proud to collaborate with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay to present Agápe. 

Agápe is a multidisciplinary work exploring the beauty of human relationships: with oneself, between others, with nature, and across cultures. It serves as an artistic response to the contemporary challenges of mental wellbeing, societal disconnect, and digital alienation. The performance brings together leading Indian classical and crossover musicians from both Singapore and India, performing alongside the musicians from the Singapore Symphony Orchestra and Singaporean dancers from Apsaras Dance Company, featuring some guest dancers from India. 

The title is inspired by the Greek word agápe (Greek: Ἀγάπη, pronounced uh-GAH-pay) that encapsulates the meaning of deep human connection with all its complexities of love, compassion and spiritual ties that binds humanity beyond romance or family relations. In ancient Greek philosophy and theology, agápe is the highest form of love: the love that connects all human beings in empathy, sacrifice, and shared humanity. As a poetic title as well as thematic for this production, Agápe presents a universality that speaks to heart and head globally.

This groundbreaking production represents a proudly Singaporean artistic endeavour led by Artistic Director and Cultural Medallion recipient Aravinth Kumarasamy, in collaboration with  SSO’s Joshua Tan, a Young Artist Award recipient. The creative team also features distinguished international collaborators, including choreographer and guest dancer Rama Vaidhyanathan (India), principle dancer Mohanapriyan Thavarajah (Sri Lanka), music composer Dr Rajkumar Bharathi (India), music arranger and director Sai Shravanam (India), costume design – MOHA by Priyan (Singapore), set designer Wong Chee Wai (Singapore), and dramaturg Lim How Ngean (Australia).