If you’ve ever wondered how ballet might interpret Joy Division music, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Syndrome Ian is the show for you. Dance meets fine jewellery as the Singapore Festival of Arts (SIFA) joins with Van Cleef & Arpels to present Christian Rizzo’s Le Syndrome Ian in Singapore from August 24-26. One of our favourite jewellery and watchmaking maisons, Van Cleef & Arpels is renowned for its ballerina motifs, starting from clips in the 1940s all the way to dazzling timepieces today. No doubt SIFA sought out Van Cleef & Arpels for this very reason as few other jewellery and watchmaking maisons have such a strong connection to the world of dance.

An official part of the SIFA 2017 programme, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Le Syndrome Ian is Rizzo’s spin on the spontaneous choreography of nightclub dance. Seemingly the antithesis of ballet, Rizzo stages the entire performance by channelling Joy Division (the ‘Ian’ of the title is a reference to Ian Curtis). The performance was so successful last year that it was awarded the Fedora – Van Cleef & Arpels prize for Ballet 2016. This award honours new creations in ballet that keep the art in touch with contemporary mores, and encourages innovative thinking in the field of dance.

Van Cleef & Arpels’ legacy in this regard rests on then-house scion Louis Arpels aforementioned ballerina clips. This has put the jewellery and watchmaking maison on a path that frequently intersects with dance, giving it a dash of youthful vigour.

It is no accident that Rizzo picked Joy Division for this exploration of nightclub culture, although today’s audiences might have preferred Diplo, Avicii or Steve Aoki. Apparently, the performance is powered by Rizzo’s own formative dance experiences, lending a personal flavour to Le Syndrome Ian.

Rizzo’s Le Syndrome Ian will be staged at the SOTA Drama Theatre in Singapore on August 24, 25 and 26, at 8pm. It is a one-hour performance so there is no intermission. Tickets are available via Sistic and are priced at $45, $60 and $75. There is a 25% SIFA Friend discount while NSFs, students and seniors all enjoy %20 discount.