SINGAPORE — The National Arts Council of Singapore and Singapore Tourism Board have released the grand finale to their dance campaign trilogy with the launch of ‘Together We Rise’ – the last sequel to ‘Dance To A New Beat’ (2020) and ‘Be Drawn In’ (2021) campaigns.
Through the interpretation of dance, the campaign aims to honor all Singaporeans for their strength in character and spirit of togetherness to overcome adversity, as well as guide the audience to reimagine the travel experience Singapore offers.
“Moving away from a traditional tourism campaign, the story of the dance trilogy was inspired by the pivotal points in Singapore’s Covid-19 journey, and each film was designed around the social experience that we were all facing at that point in time. This third of a trilogy ‘Together We Rise’ an original dance, choreographed by The Human Expression (T.H.E) Dance Company, Singapore Ballet, and O School, celebrates the very welcome shift in reconnecting again and capturing that feeling of togetherness. We have visualized this feeling through the expression of dance, and we hope that this film like the others before it, will inspire everyone to reconnect again,” said Andy Grant, executive creative director at TBWA\Singapore.
Although challenging, Singapore’s tourism sector remained resilient throughout 2021, and is now set for a strong recovery in 2022, and beyond, evidenced by international visitor arrivals and tourism receipts reaching 330,000 and SG$1.9 billion*, with encouraging growth amid continued border restrictions.
“The Dance Trilogy was born through the inspiration to showcase Singapore’s local arts community such as musicians and dancers to the world, while sharing messages of encouragement, hope and solidarity through their works,” said Ms Lilian Chee, Director of Industry Marketing at Singapore Tourism Board. “With the gradual resumption of international travel, the final film ‘Together We Rise’ celebrates the tourism industry for its unity and tenacity during the pandemic.”
“The National Arts Council believes that the arts inspire and connect people to build a creative society. Through this campaign and partnership with the Singapore Tourism Board, we are witnessing how performing arts can showcase our distinctive multicultural city that is home to a vibrant arts ecosystem,” said Serene Lim, Director (Performing Arts) at National Arts Council, Singapore.
Dance to a New Beat
The first film in 2020, ‘Dance to a New Beat’ was about signifying the transition that Singapore was going through after the nationwide partial lockdown. To express the Singapore spirit and in trepidation of coming out, and to tell a story of hope and Singapore emerging stronger from the pandemic. The film features modern HDBs to traditional Peranakan shophouses that speak of Singapore’s unique heritage, to futurist gardens and museums to display the nation’s spirit for innovation and creativity.
Be Drawn In
In 2021, the second campaign was about inviting international audiences to connect with the different sides of Singapore and to uncover new possibilities, as well as to encourage the discovery of Singapore through the arts and heritage. The film features 30 local dancers performing at various artistic locations across the city – from murals in Chinatown and Little India, to the bright bold colors of the historic House of Tan Teng Niah and the electric atmosphere along Bussorah Street – each paired with a different style of dance to complement the theme of the location.
