If you had one hour left to live, how would you spend it? A Taiwan–Singapore dance collaboration confronts that question through movement at Esplanade.

59:59 comes to the Esplanade Theatre Studio on 11 and 12 September 2026, presenting a contemporary dance work about mortality, impermanence and the quiet value of being alive.

The production was developed during a five-week cross-cultural residency spanning Taiwan and Singapore. It is collaboratively choreographed by Hsu Chen Wei of Taiwan’s Hsu Chen Wei Dance Company and Rachel Lum of Singapore’s Decadance Co.

Drawing from personal reflections and research into predominantly Asian perspectives on death and the afterlife, the dancers move through resistance and fear towards acceptance, presence and appreciation.

The approximately 50-minute performance unfolds without an intermission. It is rated General and suitable for audiences aged five and above, although its contemplative themes may resonate most strongly with older children and adults.

Highlights of 59:59

Consider one final hour: The production begins with a simple but urgent question about how we would choose to spend the final hour of our lives.

Experience a Singapore–Taiwan collaboration: Dancers and choreographers from both countries bring different cultural and personal understandings of mortality into one shared work.

Explore Asian perspectives on mortality: The production draws from research and personal reflections on death, impermanence and the afterlife, with particular attention to predominantly Asian viewpoints.

Follow an emotional transition: The choreography moves from fear, resistance and uncertainty towards acceptance, presence and an appreciation of life’s fleeting moments.

Watch an uninterrupted performance: The approximately 50-minute work unfolds continuously without an intermission, allowing its emotional journey to develop without interruption.

Our Take

59:59 begins with an unsettling hypothetical question, but its purpose appears less concerned with morbidity than with how awareness of an ending can sharpen our understanding of the present.

Its central premise is immediately accessible even to audiences unfamiliar with contemporary dance. Everyone understands the pressure of limited time, although the production leaves its performers to express their responses physically rather than prescribing a single answer.

The collaboration also gives Singapore audiences an opportunity to see how artists from two countries translate culturally influenced ideas about mortality into a shared movement language.

Viewers should arrive punctually because the performance begins promptly and late admission is permitted only during a suitable pause.

Service Information

  • Event: 59:59
  • Dates: 11 and 12 September 2026
  • Time: 8pm
  • Duration: Approximately 50 minutes without intermission
  • Venue: Esplanade Theatre Studio
  • Address: 1 Esplanade Drive, Singapore 038981
  • Standard ticket: S$42, excluding booking fee
  • Concession ticket: S$32, excluding booking fee and subject to eligibility checks
  • Age rating: General, for audiences aged five and above
  • Photography: Non-flash photography is permitted
  • Late admission: Permitted only during a suitable pause

More Information