SINGAPORE – A new production of Ballet Revolucion will be twirling its way to Singapore in May after it was last staged here in 2012.

The show, which is presented by Base Entertainment Asia and blends ballet, hip-hop, salsa and contemporary dance, is performed by a company of exclusively Cuban dancers known as Ballet Revolucion.

In an e-mail interview, Australian producer Mark Brady says the performance gets adapted and updated every three years, and Singapore will be seeing the latest version.

The idea for a show featuring only Cuban dancers first came to him in 2009. And after three years of development, it was launched in Perth, Australia.

Brady is also known for producing the hit musical The Merchants Of Bollywood, which premiered in Britain in 2006 with an entirely Indian cast.

For Ballet Revolucion, he went to Cuba to tap the talents of Cuban choreographer Roclan Gonzalez Chavez, who says in a separate e-mail interview: “I have been involved in Ballet Revolucion since its creation. I have put into the show everything I learnt at art school, all the influences of contemporary and Afro-Cuban dance, and the movement quality of the Cuban dancer.”

The art school he is referring to is Havana’s Escuela Nacional de Arte, which teaches classical ballet, modern and folkloric dance.

“The dance culture in Cuba is very diverse. We have one of the best-prepared teaching systems in the world with great teachers such as Alicia Alonso, Luis Trapaga and Ramiro Guerra Suarez.”

Audiences will notice elements of street culture in Ballet Revolucion as well.

“The geographical position of Cuba has contributed to bringing together different musical rhythms and a number of dance styles, making it one of the most culturally rich countries,” says Chavez.

Expect a mix of music too – from Latin to Western pop, including hits by singers Dua Lipa and Justin Bieber.

Aaron Cash, the Australian co-choreographer of Ballet Revolucion, describes it as “a commercial dance show with a Cuban perspective”.

He says: “The different styles are a reflection of the incredibly diverse and talented group of dancers we have. Some are stronger in classical, some, contemporary. We try to create a lot of different flavours, so there’s something on offer for everyone.”

Cash helped select the original cast members in Cuba. Of the 19 dancers in this show, four have been with Ballet Revolucion since it premiered in Australia in 2012. “They are our company leaders, our elder statesmen of dance. They’re the glue that makes this company of dancers a family,” he says in an e-mail interview.

As for the remaining 15 performers, he adds: “These young dancers’ creative gifts are different from all the other dancers we’ve had through the years, so with the combination of new choreography, it’s like a new show.”

Ballet Revolucion

Where: Sands Theatre, Marina Bay Sands, 10 Bayfront Avenue
When: May 5, 8pm, and May 6, 2 and 8pm
Admission: Tickets from $58 to $168 from str.sg/io5F and str.sg/io5t