Arts

Raffles Street Dance Showcase 2026: Timeless: A Journey through the Eras of Dance

Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Lee Yi Ning Megan (27A01B) and Tran My Linh (27A01B)

All photos courtesy of Raffles Art and Photographic Society

From nostalgic 2000s hits to energetic Bollywood numbers, Raffles Street Dance’s (RSD) latest showcase, Timeless: A Journey Through the Eras of Dance, proved that dance transcends generations.

Held on 6 May at the Performing Arts Centre (PAC), the showcase brought audiences through different musical and dance eras from the 1980s to the present day, blending genres, styles and cultures into one cohesive performance. Inspired partly by the concept of different “eras” popularised by Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the idea for the showcase emerged spontaneously during a practice break.

What began as a casual conversation gradually evolved into a full-fledged exploration of how dance styles and music have transformed over time. For the RSD Exco, the theme Timeless also reflected a broader cultural nostalgia.

“A lot of old songs are coming back,” Riddhi Pradhan (26S06C), Secretary of RSD explained. “People are yearning for the 2010s and the 2000s, and I think our CCA shares that same feeling. We enjoy both old music and new music, and we wanted a theme that could cohesively bring all these songs and styles together.”

Rather than restricting themselves to a single genre or aesthetic, the dancers embraced the diversity of street dance across decades. Each item was carefully crafted to embody the identity of a particular era while ensuring it still flowed naturally into the overall programme.

The ending pose of “The OGs”, a throwback piece to bands such as MC Hammer and Backstreet Boys.
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Friends — Raffles Players’ College Production 2026 

Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Georgia Ong (26S03O)

All images from Raffles Players unless otherwise stated.

“If you trace strangers back far enough, 
you’ll find they were once brothers.” 

Friends, Kōbō Abe

On 20 May 2026, Raffles Players presented their annual college production, Friends

Written by Japanese playwright Kōbō Abe and later translated to English, Friends is an absurdist social commentary on loneliness and the extreme measures people take to eradicate it. 

The play centres around the Man getting his apartment infiltrated by a family of 8. Throughout the play, the audience witnessed how the family gradually worked away the Man’s mental fortitude, turning the world against him, till he was reduced to the point of utter desolation, physically and mentally. 

A scene from Act 2. The Man has been caged by the family, trapped.
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Rock Out ‘26: Barbie World

Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Aidan Tan (27A01D) and Teo Kai Xu (27A01B) 

Images courtesy of Tay Kai Xin (26A01C, Raffles Art and Photographic Society), unless otherwise stated.

The bass hit first. That deep, booming sound rattled through the floor and took control of your body. Your legs felt fatigued from all the jumping, but you couldn’t help yourself.

“Come on, Barbie, let’s go party – Ah, ah, ah, yeah”

As the guys and girls hollered towards each other in a call-and-response, strobe lights swept across an audience 400 strong. It was barely past 7.30, yet the Esplanade Annexe studio had already come alive. 

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Chamber Ensemble Concert 2026: Reminisce 

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Joshua Gerrard Tan (27A01A) and Tran My Linh (27A01B)

All images courtesy of Raffles Art and Photographic Society

To reminisce is an act most of us are all too familiar with: walking down memory lane, reflecting on our past experiences, past friends and past troubles, and the life that has shaped us into who we are today. It is this feeling, a mix of joy, melancholy and love, that Raffles Institution Chamber Ensemble (RICE) sought to evoke in their audience for their 2026 Annual Concert, Concert Reminisce. 

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Vocal Delights 2025: When You Wish Upon a Star

Reading Time: < 1 minute

By Lerraine Neo (26A01A) and Christian Adriel Tan (26S07B)

At Vocal Delights 2025, Raffles Chorale delivered a spellbinding performance – from Disney classics to slow, riveting ballads that held the PAC in silence. Relive the night and find out what it was like to bring this concert to life in this video documentary!

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