By Thomas Cytrynowicz Dance can take many forms. From traditional ballet to contemporary to experimental, and many others. Taipei possesses a vibrant dance scene. Here is an account of what the Anarchy Dance Theatre unfolds for its public. Distancing himself from mainstream choreography styles, Artistic Director Hsieh Chieh-hua created a performance that works as a dialogue between the dancers, the audience, and himself.
If you have ever wondered what is in the mind of a dancer on stage, In Freedom might be a valuable learning experience. Indeed, a real spoken conversation unfolds between the dancers and the choreographer, the audience itself becoming part of it. This is not the first time Chieh-hua has broken the conventions of contemporary dance. Previous works like Seventh Sense included technology such as movement sensors and projectors to create a visual atmosphere of the performance according to the movements of the dancers. “Not just the dancers were moving, the whole space was.” As experimenting is a big part of his work, Chieh-hua confesses it is also tiring. “Taiwanese people are open-minded, therefore will not be reluctant to more experimental dance. This is not the problem. The challenge that comes with experimental dance is the fact that it breaks the common body of knowledge acquired by dancers and other performing arts professionals during their training. It then requires a whole new working methodology that needs to be taught, which is very time-consuming.” The idea behind In Freedom started with a very personal feeling about dance in general. “When I watch rehearsals, the choreographer has always a lot to say to the dancers; they will in turn respond to him or her in a certain way, probably different from what the choreographer has in mind. In my opinion, these ‘secret’ conversations are very interesting and reveal things an audience usually doesn’t know.” For Chieh-hua, dancers are unique people, capable of feeling and responding to their environment with extreme accuracy. They have an acute awareness of their surroundings, be it the light, the music, or the other dancers. This particular strength is what really makes a dancer, and he believes spectators are interested in knowing “what it feels like to be a dancer.” “I wish to bring this discussion to the stage.” Like taking people on a dive into the universe of contemporary dance to reveal what it means to be a dancer or a choreographer. In his opinion, “most dance companies create aesthetically beautiful choreographies. The audience comes to those performances to enjoy the visual aspect of it.” However, Chieh-hua is more interested in being inspired than being entertained. When watching a show, he wishes to know if a work can give him new ways of thinking about dance. “This is therefore the purpose of my work; creating not just something enjoyable to watch, but that gives people a deeper understanding about certain things, the beginning of a reflection.” Chieh-hua’s goal has an influence on his way of creating choreography. “Because I want to create an ‘on-stage discussion’ between dancers, the audience, and myself, I have shifted from scripting the entire choreography to giving more freedom to the dancers.” Interestingly, he believes dance can work like urban design. After all, Chieh-hua has a background in architecture, and the two fields are not necessarily mutually exclusive. “Urban designers will always dictate some rules to be respected in planning new constructions. While providing the structure, it is the responsibility of others to work on the details. I see my work as a choreographer in this way. I want to create a system, some rules, or ways of training perhaps, to which dancers can respond according to their own feelings and body situations. This is why parts of the performance are largely improvised, while still emerging from that system.” If you are interested in discovering something new, stay tuned with Anarchy’s schedule. You might have missed the recent ‘In Freedom’ performance, but another one will follow. a
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Authors
The Taida Student Journal has been active since 1995 with an ever-changing roster of student journalists at NTU. Click the above link to read about the authors Archives
May 2024
|