Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director Of Dance And Culture On The Debut Of Dance Reflections In Singapore
The jewellery maison’s artistic initiative marks a new chapter with Singapore’s own Esplanade.
By Brandon Chia - published
Earlier this month, Van Cleef & Arpels debuted its first Dance Reflections performance—Corps extrêmes—in Singapore at the Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, now a partnering institution for the maison. Since its inception in 2020, Dance Reflections has expanded its reach to 16 countries, partnering with 57 dance companies and art institutions that work closely with Van Cleef & Arpels to present stunning performances and workshops through a cultural festival.
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While this initiative might seem surprising for the jewellery maison at a glance, it is actually a tribute to the art form of dance and choreography that has inspired countless Van Cleef & Arpels signature dancer clips and brooches throughout the decades. We sat down with Serge Laurent, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Programmes, to learn more.
“Dance Reflections is our way of giving back. We support companies to create new works that are totally free from our universe and we want to present them to audiences from different cultures and countries, which can be difficult for dance institutions to do on their own in terms of money,” said Laurent who is also the curator of Dance Reflections.
One of these works includes Corp extrêmes, a remarkable show by Rachid Ouramdane that marries dance and acrobatics with a video documentary. The exhilarating performance confronts gravity and keeps the audience on the edge of their seats.
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Created with two extreme sports athletes—world record holder Nathan Paulin and climbing champion Nina Caprez—alongside eight acrobats, Ouramdane’s choreography takes place on a rock climbing wall where the performers traverse, jump and swing without the use of harnesses, strings or ropes. The meditative nature of this performance and the strength of the athletes on stage perfectly encapsulate the emotions that Paulin and Caprez experience thousands of feet in the air, which can only be described as magical.
“You have never seen this type of bodywork because it’s a fusion between contemporary dance traditions and sports. A dance piece is a collaboration between a group of people and I like this piece because it is also very intimate,” said the curator.
Laurent continues: “The dancers are not robots executing a movement. So many things come across their minds and you will see what happens in their brains as they do the work. It is very emotional.”
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Although Corp extrêmes only showed in Singapore for one weekend, Laurent is open to launching a full Dance Reflections festival here in years to come.
“I need to know more about Singapore because a festival is about the programming, the artists, the dancers on a stage and I would even like to do things in public spaces,” said Laurent. “I like to see how artists interact with different types of spaces and I will hang around in different parts of the city to start imagining.”
As we wait for Dance Reflections’ return to our sunny shores, Laurent has already teased upcoming festivals around the world, starting with London and Seoul in March and October 2025 respectively before heading to New York in March 2026. What can we expect from these editions? Laurent looks to tackle his biggest challenge yet—education and connection.
“As a curator, education is essential. I am thinking of the development of the artists but what I really want is to connect them to the general public,” said Laurent. “I see art as a way to put us together despite the difficulties and dance is very interesting because it is a universal language.”