Yesterday was the festival opening for Singapore Arts Festival 2007. The group La Fura Dels Baus from Spain did the opening act by performing its Dreams in Flight. I didn’t catch yesterday’s performance, but managed to watched the same show at Padang this evening.

At 7.45pm (15 minutes before the start of the display), the spectator area was already filled with crowds. I found myself a seat on the ground.

The show started off with this shadow play. There were 2 performers (1 male, 1 female)  in the cube, and they made use of the strong light from behind to produce different perspectives onto the screen for interesting effects. The shadow play was accompanied by music.

After the "appetizer", next up was the "wheel" display. This majestic wheel of red and golden light was suspended in air, and rotated and hovered above all spectators while the people in it performed electrifying stunts. Below are more pictures.

As the wheel spinned, the performers had to climb up and down to maintain their balance (much like a hamster exercising in its wheel). 

From afar. 

At the final moment of this display, the wheel hovered just metres away from me. I managed to capture a clearer shot of the performers. 

Finally descended! The group of entertainers leaped off the wheel and continued to woo the crowd by doing cartwheels and somersaults.

The next segment was the aerial display by more than 30 local volunteers trained by the Spanish group. Magically suspended in space is an amazing aerial net of human bodies moving in synchronicity.

Like the previous display, this group of performers hovered above the engrossed crowd while executing complex movements. At some point of time, they even threw down confetti and red ribbons, much to the delight of the little kids amongst the crowd.

All good shows had to come to an end. To finish off this spectacular display, the night sky was lighted up with brilliant showers of fireworks in a celebration of joyous optimism.

It was a refreshing put-up by La Fura Dels Baus. There is one more show at 8pm tomorrow. Do go down and catch it if you’re free!