Arts buffs and culture vultures are in for a treat at the Singapore River Festival 2009. By Zaki Jufri

The Singapore River turns into a veritable stage once again for the second Singapore River Festival. Last year, the inaugural event was launched as part of the buzz of activities for the first Singapore Formula One night race. But from this year, it will be held in June to reach out to more Singaporeans. Expect a host of free arts and culture events this year which is definitely a treat for arts lovers and visitors alike. Here are some event highlights.

A River Romance: Bumboat Parade and Dance Musical
Get a blast from the past and catch vibrant scenes of river life from days of yore with A River Romance. For those of you who remembered your history lessons, the Singapore River was once (and still is) a commercial hub and a thriving trading port back in the days. Recreated on Singapore’s last remaining traditional bumboats (of the diesel-powered kind) drifting down the river, the scene will set to entertain revellers and diners as it makes its way down from Boat Quay, Clarke Quay to Robertson Quay. The colourful Bumboat Parade (Jun 19-27, from 7:30pm) will feature specially themed boats that will bring back memories of scenes from Singapore River’s past and pay homage to the people of the river like kampong boys, traders, coolies, samsui women, rickshaw pullers and vanishing trades. Sure beats any history class.
    The nostalgia continues at the UOB Promenade as (A River Romance) goes on an artsy tip and brings you a dance musical (Jun 19-21, 26-27, from 8:30pm). Set in the 1900s when Singapore River was a flourishing major free trading port and the center of commerce, the three-act dance musical brings you a heart-warming love story between a coolie, Gan Seng, played by Andrew Lua and a Nonya maiden, Tan Poh Neo, starring Celine Rosa Tan, with veteran theatre actor Tony Quek as Bibik Tan, the matriarch, and her grandmother Amah Cheh, played by veteran TV and stage actress Peggy Ferroa. With dance segments choreographed by the renowned Gani Karim and fight scenes directed by Picasso Tan, this spectacular show piece is staged jointly by acclaimed homegrown award-winning talents and performing groups from Jitterbugs Swingapore, Oriental Arts Troupe and Kuen Wushu Academy.

CampFire
Contemporary and modern dance fans are also in for a treat. Homegrown alternative contemporary dance outfit ECNAD and The Arts House presents CampFire (Jun 19-20), a dance festival aimed at the masses. Expect a myriad of dance-related activities ranging from an outdoor dance performance, dance workshop to a dance marathon. The festivities kick off on Jun 19, 7:15pm with an awe-inspiring outdoor dance performance by ECNAD. This visual feast, created especially for the festival, features dance vignettes that are light-hearted and breathtaking at every turn. The performance climaxes with a fire dance—a magnificent display of strength and agility that are sure crowd-pleasers.
    Shutterbugs—budding and the pros—will definitely not want to miss joining the Snap the Dancers (Jun 20, 1-3pm) photography competition. The first 150 shutterbugs to show up gains exclusive access into The Arts House to capture the behind-the-scenes shots of the dancers within the various rooms, while those who didn’t make the front runners can still snap the dancers outdoors. The best pictures will stand to win attractive prizes and be exhibited at The Arts House Gallery from Jun 26-Jul 5.
    So you think you can dance? Indulge the closet dancer in you and join in the four-hour All Can Dance (Jun 20, 7-11:30pm) marathon. Open to all dance enthusiasts, this dance extravaganza invites you to show off your moves or your own short choreographed piece of any style or genre. So round up some friends and do your best Michael Flatley impersonation. Riverdance, anyone?

Read Bridge Spectacular
Connecting Clarke Quay and Merchant Road is Read Bridge, a favourite haunt of coolies who used to head down to the riverside to listen to consummate storytellers spin tales of fantasies and folk legends. The bridge becomes a stage once again with Read Bridge Spectacular (Jun 19-20, 8:30pm, 11pm; Jun 21-27, 8:30pm, 10pm) boasting high theatrics and visual spectacles of dramatic proportions. Be treated to a “water ballet” of sorts as dancers in inflatable balls glide along the water to an emotive soundtrack; aerial artistes will defy gravity and perform aerial stunts suspended more than 10 meters in the air; while award-winning theater group The Finger Players will present a series of four skits called Puppet! Puppets! Puppets! featuring contemporary and traditional puppets.

The Impossible Record
Last year, they did the impossible and teleported three people across the Singapore River in 2.5 seconds. This year, Singapore illusionist duo JC Sum and “Magic Babe” Ning will have a shot at the impossible yet again with The Impossible Record (Jun 27, 9:30pm). The duo will attempt to set a world record by performing the “most number of grand illusions in five minutes.” Set to a countdown timer, JC and Ning will have a crack at successfully executing grand illusions such as making themselves appear, vanish, teleport and exchange places, dissecting their bodies, passing through solid objects, and making a motorcycle appear under 15 minutes. Sounds exciting already.