Ancient ritual dance bewitches and baffles

FOR many, the initial draw of Sambaso at the Singapore International Festival of Arts was the fact that legendary photographer Hiroshi Sugimoto had designed the set and costumes, using images from his Lightning Fields series.

But as it turned out, Sugimoto's designs, while certainly beautiful, were the least interesting part of the performance.

Instead, it was the centuries-old dance and music that captivated the audience. It took them back to a bygone era when humans saw themselves as subject to the actions and whims of gods and had to appease them all they could.