Journey of Discovery

Following the inspiration from Le Petit Prince, this dance production is another creation by Clavier Academy of Ballet. I was thrilled to collaborate with them again on the animated visual arts aspect, enhancing the performance and enriching the storytelling.

Thumbnails sketches for different scenes for the client to get a feel of it, and for us to work out transitions and sequences.

Although I am not well-versed in the story, we have dedicated time to discuss the metaphors used by the author and how they relate to themes like self-discovery, relationships, human nature, traits, and love.

The narrator's plane crashes in the dessert. Hopelessness & loneliness creep in.

Asteroid B-612 embodies the simplicity of innocence of the Little Prince's tiny planet.

Asteroid B-612 showcases a diverse range of animated elements, all these were created within Procreate Dreams. I am grateful for this, as my previous work for Clavier in 2022 required assembling different animation sequences in another app, due to Procreate's limited animated functions. With Dreams, the process is much smoother and easier!

A shot taken during the full dressed rehearsal

Asteroid 325 is the first asteroid the Little Prince visits on his adventure away from his home. On this planet lives a king who has nobody to reign over. Upon the Little Prince arriving there, he gives him irrational orders.

There are 6 other asteroids in the Le Petit Prince, but due to the time limit of the performance, Clavier decided to only feature 4 asteroids other than B-612 in this show.

Asteroid 326 was the second asteroid encountered by the Little Prince. On it lived a vain woman (original story features a man) who described the Little Prince as "an admirer."

The little prince arrives at the third planet Asteroid 327, where he meets the third individual—the Drunkard. In this performance there were Drunkards!

I had the idea of never-ending wine pouring out from the bottle for this scene, also to represents the repetitive action of the protagonist.

The tippler turns out to be as silly as most grown-ups and explains with convoluted logic that he drinks to forget his shame, and that he is ashamed because he drinks. In this vicious cycle, he's never able to get anywhere.

On the fourth Asteroid 328, Little Prince encountered a businessman who claimed to own the stars. When the little prince asked what the man did with the stars, he said he counted them and put them in the bank.

Designing these scenes is truly enjoyable! While the actual characters appeared on stage, my primary objective for the background visuals was to highlight the distinctive qualities of each character on their respective asteroids.

The Virulent Snake encapsulated a pivotal moment in the Little Prince's earthly encounters, uncovers profound themes of life, death, and the enigma of existence. The snake hints at a fatal power, offering a cryptic promise of returning to the stars, which leave the Little Prince contemplative and pensive.

On earth, the Little Prince saw countless roses, which they look no difference from his one and only precious rose on B-612.... The enchanting journey continues as Little Prince encounters a wise a mysterious fox.

The encounter with the wise fox.

In the final scene, the 4 main characters - The Narrator, Little Prince, the Rose, and the Fox - performed a captivating dance number. The dance conveyed the message of valuing and treasuring all the loved ones in our lives and the shared moments.

As the dance concluded, the Narrator gazed at the starlit sky, reminiscing about the precious moments shared with the Little Prince.

I'm so glad to be involved in another heartwarming and meaningful production with Clavier Academy of Ballet. Every opportunity like this motivates me to go beyond my limit and challenges my boundaries in creating animated digital content.

A big shout out to all dancers, teachers, and parents who volunteered as crew in this production. It is amazing to see how everyone came together to make this happen.

The Journey of Discovery was presented by Clavier Academy of Ballet, performed at the Damansara Performing Arts Centre (DPAC), 17 - 18 August 20204.

Photo credit: Clavier Academy of Ballet