Singapore celebrates Chinese New Year, Deepavali and Hari Raya in offices, malls, condos and community halls, and a cultural dance performance is the easiest way to mark each one. Book the dance that belongs to the festival, and book it early: each season has a short peak, and the best troupes fill those dates first.
Price: a 15 to 20 minute Malay dance set or a classical Indian solo usually costs SGD 600 to 1,500, a Chinese cultural dance SGD 800 to 2,500 per set and a Bollywood troupe SGD 1,200 to 3,500. See how much a cultural dance performance costs in Singapore.
Chinese New Year
Chinese New Year falls in late January or February and the celebration runs 15 days, up to Chap Goh Mei. Companies, malls and condos start booking from November. The eve and the first three days are the peak and fill first, and most company events land in the working week before the eve. Alongside the lion dance, Chinese dance troupes are part of the cultural programme too: a fan dance or a ribbon dance in red and gold silk for an office lobby, a mall atrium or a dinner. Ribbon and fan dancers with wide movements need ceiling height, so check it before you book. Read about Chinese dance and the ribbon dance.
Deepavali
Deepavali falls in October or November. Bookings pick up from September and peak in the two weekends before the festival. Offices, malls and condos usually book a 20 to 30 minute Bollywood or fusion set. Community clubs and associations often book a 45 minute programme that moves from a classical dance to a dhol interlude, a Bollywood set and a closing bhangra number with the audience. A 90 minute showcase suits a dedicated Deepavali night. If your event honours the festival's roots, open with classical dance and close with Bollywood or bhangra. Book six to eight weeks ahead. Read about Indian dance and bhangra and dhol.
Hari Raya
Company open houses and Hari Raya dinners usually centre on a Malay dance set or a kompang performance as the headline moment, often 15 to 25 minutes timed around the meal. A traditional Malay dance set has 2 to 3 dances and 4 to 8 dancers, and a kompang group can welcome guests at the door. Ramadan to Syawal is the busiest season for Malay performers, so book six to eight weeks ahead, earlier near the public holiday. Hari Raya programmes are regularly booked for mixed, multi racial audiences. Read about Malay dance and kompang.
National Day and multicultural events
For National Day celebrations, government functions and events that celebrate diversity, a multicultural showcase puts Chinese, Malay and Indian dance in one programme, with a compere to link the segments and short changeovers between them.
Space for a festival show
A dance or kompang set needs about 3 by 3 metres of clear floor as a baseline, more for six or more performers, and a raised stage once the crowd passes about 80 people. Marble and tile lobbies often need matting for footwork. If the troupe uses a backing track, you need a power point near the performance spot.
The guide to booking a cultural dance performance covers the brief and the checks. Send the festival, the date and the venue on WhatsApp or through the quote form.
