Crossing Cultures: In Motion

Programme

acm wide

Free admission to most activities.

Discounted $6 entry into Body & Spirit special exhibition from 4–9pm on programme days.

 

Celebrate the strength and grace of the human body with a weekend of stimulating Asian dance, movement, and other physical disciplines. Participate in movement workshops and activities or witness ancient forms of performance still popular today. This edition of Crossing Cultures is presented in conjunction with the Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice special exhibition.

Be one of the first to purchase a ticket for Body & Spirit at a discounted rate of $6 from 4–9pm, 3 to 5 March and redeem exclusive merchandise and massages! While supplies last.

3 - 5 March 2023
5 mins walk from Raffles Place MRT Station (Exit H), More Info
Free admission to most activities
3 - 5 March 2023
5 mins walk from Raffles Place MRT Station (Exit H), More Info
Free admission to most activities

Free admission to most activities.

Discounted $6 entry into Body & Spirit special exhibition from 4–9pm on programme days.

 

Celebrate the strength and grace of the human body with a weekend of stimulating Asian dance, movement, and other physical disciplines. Participate in movement workshops and activities or witness ancient forms of performance still popular today. This edition of Crossing Cultures is presented in conjunction with the Body & Spirit: The Human Body in Thought and Practice special exhibition.

Be one of the first to purchase a ticket for Body & Spirit at a discounted rate of $6 from 4–9pm, 3 to 5 March and redeem exclusive merchandise and massages! While supplies last.

Outdoor Performances

Pack a picnic and enjoy a dynamic showcase of traditional and contemporary performances on the ACM Green, against the backdrop of the Singapore River.

Gilded Tapestries: A Celebration of Balinese Dance with Eka Suwara Santhi

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Be enchanted by the magic and dynamism of traditional Balinese dance with Singapore’s only Balinese dance group. Across the three days, Eka Suwara Santhi will present a varied programme, from female-centred “welcome” dances to unique creations within the Legong and Janger genres. Male masked dances, derived from older sacred dramatic productions, add to the dance showcase.

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Gilded Tapestries: A Celebration of Balinese Dance with Eka Suwara Santhi

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
5pm, 6.30pm, 8pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Be enchanted by the magic and dynamism of traditional Balinese dance with Singapore’s only Balinese dance group. Across the three days, Eka Suwara Santhi will present a varied programme, from female-centred “welcome” dances to unique creations within the Legong and Janger genres. Male masked dances, derived from older sacred dramatic productions, add to the dance showcase.

Desert Groove with Angelina Tay & School of Belly Dance

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
5.30pm, 7pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Belly dance, originating from the Middle East, is a form of dance that celebrates the body. Watch a dynamic performance and shimmy away with our dancers!

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Desert Groove with Angelina Tay & School of Belly Dance

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
5.30pm, 7pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Belly dance, originating from the Middle East, is a form of dance that celebrates the body. Watch a dynamic performance and shimmy away with our dancers!

"Flower of Life" LED Performance with Starlight Alchemy

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
7.30pm, 8.30pm
ACM Green
Free admission

"Flower of Life" is a mesmerising LED performance that celebrates the beauty and complexity of nature. Using a combination of LED props and choreographed movement, it will amaze and delight audiences of all ages. Based around motifs of growth, renewal, and rebirth, the show follows an abstract narrative as flow artists spin and leap around a glowing, flower-shaped formation of LED lights, leaving you with a newfound appreciation for the world around us.

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"Flower of Life" LED Performance with Starlight Alchemy

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
7.30pm, 8.30pm
ACM Green
Free admission

"Flower of Life" is a mesmerising LED performance that celebrates the beauty and complexity of nature. Using a combination of LED props and choreographed movement, it will amaze and delight audiences of all ages. Based around motifs of growth, renewal, and rebirth, the show follows an abstract narrative as flow artists spin and leap around a glowing, flower-shaped formation of LED lights, leaving you with a newfound appreciation for the world around us.

Vel Vel Music Performance with Singai Kaliyugan Urumi Melam

Saturday, 4 March
4pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Enjoy the euphoric rhythms of Singai Kaliyugan Urumi Melam, a band that is part of the community that celebrates Thaipusam in Singapore. Established in 2017, the group is composed of nine musicians that play traditional Tamil instruments, such as the urumi, thavil, jaalra, and pambai. This outdoor concert is held in conjunction with Vel Vel: The Burden Dance, presented by Sistrum.
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Vel Vel Music Performance with Singai Kaliyugan Urumi Melam

Saturday, 4 March
4pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Enjoy the euphoric rhythms of Singai Kaliyugan Urumi Melam, a band that is part of the community that celebrates Thaipusam in Singapore. Established in 2017, the group is composed of nine musicians that play traditional Tamil instruments, such as the urumi, thavil, jaalra, and pambai. This outdoor concert is held in conjunction with Vel Vel: The Burden Dance, presented by Sistrum.

The Tubemen Dance-off! Installation

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4–11pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Originally commissioned and shown as part of The Non Season presented by Hyphen BB, colourful and fun tubemen covered in imagery created by selected artists will be dancing over at the ACM Green for one weekend! Catch these spectacular and photogenic figures as they move and dance.

Featured Artists:

Mojoko

Kristal Melson

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The Tubemen Dance-off! Installation

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4–11pm
ACM Green
Free admission

Originally commissioned and shown as part of The Non Season presented by Hyphen BB, colourful and fun tubemen covered in imagery created by selected artists will be dancing over at the ACM Green for one weekend! Catch these spectacular and photogenic figures as they move and dance.

Featured Artists:

Mojoko

Kristal Melson

Drop-in Experiences

Sashay your way into the museum, for an eclectic mix of drop-in experiences that will leave you buzzing with endorphins.

DIY Mobile Boombox: Drop-in Craft

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4pm–8pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Create your very own paper boombox for your mobile phone! Fold, decorate, and throw your own dance party or tune-filled workout session. While supplies last.

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DIY Mobile Boombox: Drop-in Craft

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4pm–8pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Create your very own paper boombox for your mobile phone! Fold, decorate, and throw your own dance party or tune-filled workout session. While supplies last.

Dance Mania

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4pm–8pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Find out how coordinated a dancer you are! Organise your footwork and arm movements with Dance Dance Revolution and NX Dance machines. Transform yourself into a dance machine as you groove to tunes at the dance simulation arcade machines!

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Dance Mania

Friday to Sunday, 3–5 March
4pm–8pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Find out how coordinated a dancer you are! Organise your footwork and arm movements with Dance Dance Revolution and NX Dance machines. Transform yourself into a dance machine as you groove to tunes at the dance simulation arcade machines!

Lecture: Documenting the Sound of Thaipusam with Ramesh Krishnan

Saturday, 4 March
3pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium, B1
Free admission

Lecture in conjunction with Vel Vel: The Burden Dance

Music and chanting are vital and unique elements of the Thaipusam festival in Singapore. Sound helps devotees to maintain an ecstatic state of mind and is also a form of collective expression — the result of walking in unison with families, friends, and musicians. Conceived as a listening session, this lecture explores the sonic textures of this living tradition. It also unpacks the process of documenting sound and moving images for Vel Vel: The Burden Dance as a way of understanding intangible aspects of heritage.

Speaker:
Ramesh Krishnan is a sound designer, music creative, and DJ. His latest works have been featured at the Arts House Singapore, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, and Gwangju Design Biennale. As a founding member of Sistrum, Ramesh was part of the artist-in-residence programme at the Botanic Gardens for Nature Remixed (2022) and co-produced the highly acclaimed Vel Vel: A Sonic Walk (2021). His journey as a sound designer began in 2004 when he collaborated with Marseilles-based artist Mathieu Briand on Derrière Le Monde Flottant at the Musée d’art Contemporain in Lyon. He explores perception, stimuli, and play through electronic music and technology. In 2009, he created original compositions for the Quest for Immortality and Singapore 1960 exhibitions at the National Museum of Singapore by re-arranging historical recordings into experimental soundscapes. He is received the President’s Design Award in 2010.

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Lecture: Documenting the Sound of Thaipusam with Ramesh Krishnan

Saturday, 4 March
3pm
Ngee Ann Auditorium, B1
Free admission

Lecture in conjunction with Vel Vel: The Burden Dance

Music and chanting are vital and unique elements of the Thaipusam festival in Singapore. Sound helps devotees to maintain an ecstatic state of mind and is also a form of collective expression — the result of walking in unison with families, friends, and musicians. Conceived as a listening session, this lecture explores the sonic textures of this living tradition. It also unpacks the process of documenting sound and moving images for Vel Vel: The Burden Dance as a way of understanding intangible aspects of heritage.

Speaker:
Ramesh Krishnan is a sound designer, music creative, and DJ. His latest works have been featured at the Arts House Singapore, NTU Centre for Contemporary Art, and Gwangju Design Biennale. As a founding member of Sistrum, Ramesh was part of the artist-in-residence programme at the Botanic Gardens for Nature Remixed (2022) and co-produced the highly acclaimed Vel Vel: A Sonic Walk (2021). His journey as a sound designer began in 2004 when he collaborated with Marseilles-based artist Mathieu Briand on Derrière Le Monde Flottant at the Musée d’art Contemporain in Lyon. He explores perception, stimuli, and play through electronic music and technology. In 2009, he created original compositions for the Quest for Immortality and Singapore 1960 exhibitions at the National Museum of Singapore by re-arranging historical recordings into experimental soundscapes. He is received the President’s Design Award in 2010.

Mobile Massage with Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped

Saturday to Sunday, 4–5 March
4pm–8pm
Foyer, L2
Free with proof of Body & Spirit ticket

Soothe your weary bones with a head and shoulder massage from visually handicapped masseurs.

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Mobile Massage with Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped

Saturday to Sunday, 4–5 March
4pm–8pm
Foyer, L2
Free with proof of Body & Spirit ticket

Soothe your weary bones with a head and shoulder massage from visually handicapped masseurs.

ACM After Hours: Salsa Dance Party with Salsa Cubana Singapore

Friday, 3 March
8.30pm–10.30pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

A party for dancers of all levels to come together to dance salsa! There will be two Latin DJs on the decks ready to spin the hottest salsa and bachata beats. Grab your dancing shoes, get ready to sweat, and join us for a night of unforgettable fun!

If you’re a beginner to salsa, register for a Salsa Beginner Workshop for Pairs at 7.30pm on the same day to pick up the basics. Register here

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ACM After Hours: Salsa Dance Party with Salsa Cubana Singapore

Friday, 3 March
8.30pm–10.30pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

A party for dancers of all levels to come together to dance salsa! There will be two Latin DJs on the decks ready to spin the hottest salsa and bachata beats. Grab your dancing shoes, get ready to sweat, and join us for a night of unforgettable fun!

If you’re a beginner to salsa, register for a Salsa Beginner Workshop for Pairs at 7.30pm on the same day to pick up the basics. Register here

ACM After Hours: Silent Disco

Saturday, 4 March
8.30pm–10.30pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Dance the night away at ACM with a silent disco! Three DJs will spin crowd favourites, cultural beats, and new musical discoveries — switch the
channel for a three-in-one party!

Walk-ins available on a first-come-first-served basis.

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ACM After Hours: Silent Disco

Saturday, 4 March
8.30pm–10.30pm
ACM Lobby, L1
Free

Dance the night away at ACM with a silent disco! Three DJs will spin crowd favourites, cultural beats, and new musical discoveries — switch the
channel for a three-in-one party!

Walk-ins available on a first-come-first-served basis.

Movement Workshops

Participate in workshops related to dance, movement, and wellness. Each ticket includes entry to Body & Spirit special exhibition.

Salsa 101: Beginner Workshop for Pairs with Salsa Cubana Singapore

Friday, 3 March
7.30pm–8.30pm
River Room, L2
$16/pair (includes admission to Body & Spirit)

Calling all salsa beginners! This workshop introduces the basics and is designed to give absolute beginners a solid foundation in salsa dancing. Participants will learn how to dance the basic steps and turns in salsa, and how to dance with a partner, using lead and follow techniques. Then, take your newfound skills to the dancefloor at ACM After Hours, from 8.30pm–10.30pm at the ACM lobby!

Register here

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Salsa 101: Beginner Workshop for Pairs with Salsa Cubana Singapore

Friday, 3 March
7.30pm–8.30pm
River Room, L2
$16/pair (includes admission to Body & Spirit)

Calling all salsa beginners! This workshop introduces the basics and is designed to give absolute beginners a solid foundation in salsa dancing. Participants will learn how to dance the basic steps and turns in salsa, and how to dance with a partner, using lead and follow techniques. Then, take your newfound skills to the dancefloor at ACM After Hours, from 8.30pm–10.30pm at the ACM lobby!

Register here

Move with Silat: Movement & Mobility Workshop with Hafeez Hassan

Saturday, 4 March
4pm–5pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Embrace steadiness, control, and flow with silat practice, utilising joint mobility and strength. In this class, Hafeez will open your body to a dynamic range of movement in your hips, spine, and shoulders. The session begins with a short meditation practice followed by repetitive movement patterns blended with silat moves like langkah (warriors’ walk), kekuda (horse stance), and kunci (hand locks). The class ends with stretches.

Register here

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Move with Silat: Movement & Mobility Workshop with Hafeez Hassan

Saturday, 4 March
4pm–5pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Embrace steadiness, control, and flow with silat practice, utilising joint mobility and strength. In this class, Hafeez will open your body to a dynamic range of movement in your hips, spine, and shoulders. The session begins with a short meditation practice followed by repetitive movement patterns blended with silat moves like langkah (warriors’ walk), kekuda (horse stance), and kunci (hand locks). The class ends with stretches.

Register here

Mudras & Movement with Apsaras Arts

Saturday, 4 March
5.30pm–6.30pm
River Room, L2
$15 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

A mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, employed in iconography and spiritual practice. Mudras are featured in many forms of Indian dance and yoga. In Indian classical dance, they are referred to as hastas or hasta mudras, and bring to life stories through intricate hand gestures combined with facial expressions and dynamic movement. Join us as we explore the mudras depicted in the sculptures found in the Ancient Religions Gallery at ACM, and learn about hasta mudras from the dancers of Apsaras Arts Dance Company.

Register here

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Mudras & Movement with Apsaras Arts

Saturday, 4 March
5.30pm–6.30pm
River Room, L2
$15 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

A mudra is a symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, employed in iconography and spiritual practice. Mudras are featured in many forms of Indian dance and yoga. In Indian classical dance, they are referred to as hastas or hasta mudras, and bring to life stories through intricate hand gestures combined with facial expressions and dynamic movement. Join us as we explore the mudras depicted in the sculptures found in the Ancient Religions Gallery at ACM, and learn about hasta mudras from the dancers of Apsaras Arts Dance Company.

Register here

Wheel Yoga with Yoga Mala

Saturday, 4 March
7pm–8pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Stretch and breathe deeply with Yoga Mala through practising Wheel Yoga. This form of yoga uses a special wheel to help stimulate breathing by opening the chest and shoulders, and improves spinal flexibility.

You will need to bring your own yoga mat for this workshop. Yoga wheels will be provided.

Register here

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Wheel Yoga with Yoga Mala

Saturday, 4 March
7pm–8pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Stretch and breathe deeply with Yoga Mala through practising Wheel Yoga. This form of yoga uses a special wheel to help stimulate breathing by opening the chest and shoulders, and improves spinal flexibility.

You will need to bring your own yoga mat for this workshop. Yoga wheels will be provided.

Register here

Barong Movement Workshop with Eka Suwara Santhi

Sunday, 5 March
4pm–5pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

The Barong Dance is a traditional performance originating from Bali that tells the story of good versus evil. The Barong, a mythical creature in Balinese folklore, is a symbol of goodness that protects communities from evil. Learn more about this fascinating creature and the art form of Barong dancing while trying out movements that have been passed down over generations.

Register here

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Barong Movement Workshop with Eka Suwara Santhi

Sunday, 5 March
4pm–5pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

The Barong Dance is a traditional performance originating from Bali that tells the story of good versus evil. The Barong, a mythical creature in Balinese folklore, is a symbol of goodness that protects communities from evil. Learn more about this fascinating creature and the art form of Barong dancing while trying out movements that have been passed down over generations.

Register here

Aromatherapy Yoga with Yoga Mala

Sunday, 5 March
7pm–8pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Aromatherapy has been used as a traditional healing tool. It can induce relaxation. Paired with yoga, it can allow the practitioner to balance the mind and body. Join the teachers of Yoga Mala to stretch and relax with scents.

You will need to bring your own yoga mat for this workshop.

Register here

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Aromatherapy Yoga with Yoga Mala

Sunday, 5 March
7pm–8pm
River Room, L2
$10 (includes admission into Body & Spirit)

Aromatherapy has been used as a traditional healing tool. It can induce relaxation. Paired with yoga, it can allow the practitioner to balance the mind and body. Join the teachers of Yoga Mala to stretch and relax with scents.

You will need to bring your own yoga mat for this workshop.

Register here

About Crossing Cultures at ACM

Taking inspiration from objects in the galleries, Crossing Cultures explores ACM's collection through performing arts, craftsmanship, food traditions, wellness practices, and other aspects of intangible cultural heritage – past and present. Dive deep into Asia’s rich heritage with these special weekend programmes. Learn, explore, and create with us at ACM.

 

Crossing Cultures at ACM takes place on the first weekend of March, June, September, and December.

 

 

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