[Dance/Performing Arts Review] ArtsCross London (跨藝 倫敦) 2013 - Leaving Home: Being Elsewhere (離鄉. 在別處)
**photo credit goes to Andrew Lang**
I was one of the temporary Project Assistants for ResCen Research Centre's ArtsCross London (跨藝 倫敦) 2013 project. Leaving Home: Being Elsewhere / 離鄉. 在別處 was the theme for this project and you can interpret many things from the name. The project's aim was to express this theme through cross-cultural performances. Choreographers from UK, Taiwan and Beijing all work together with one another's dancers and come up with various routines.
It's been a while since ArtsCross finished and I'll try to recall how I felt about the performances when I watched them on 10 August 2013. Take note that I'm not a dancer or a choreographer...or a super dance nerd (I do like So You Think You Can Dance though).
* Tung I Fen's Sound Of Numbers:- I didn't get it at first and the simultaneous number calling and physical jerks was off-putting. However when the dancers started moving backwards and forwards to the music it pushed the performance forward and I sat up from my seat more attentively. I do like the idea of how the choreographer used numbers to break language barriers. Fair enough right?
* Zeng Huanxing's Walk:- The two Chinese folk songs that went with this performance suited the atmosphere. My Mandarin obviously fails so much but I could feel the emotions in the singer's voice. Not only did this make me emotional, even the dancers with their red sand bags moving slowly impacted my viewing and the Tai Chi techniques gave me that 'I miss home' or 'I feel far away from home' effect. I think the biggest surprise from this performance was Kenny Leung Kim Fung's solo to Ave Maria. My first highlight from the evening for sure.
* Riccardo Buscarini's No Lander:- An all male dance group. I felt the Chinese/Taiwanese/UK guys all connected. They worked well together and it was easily enjoyed for me. Even when blinding one another with their hands they still moved in sync. It was like they were breathing at the same pace. Possibly the only performance from the night I felt there was no inequality and difference with masculinity level between Far East and Western men.
* Guo Lei's Mask:- I was wary when I first saw rehearsal footage with the masks. I wondered if I'd cringe from the deep typical Chinese culture that would make me hide in embarrassment and be prone to stereotyping. Surprisingly this wasn't the case and I'm glad this turned out to be a great routine. I was impressed with the movements the dancers demonstrated when they put the masks on. It was only fitting it was to a Tan Dun song. Sadly the non-Caucasian/non-Asian diva gentleman sitting in the row below me found the odd movements hilarious and nobody paid attention to his laughter. I was tempted to punch him or at least smack his head for his inappropriate laughter. Would it surprise you he left before the second half of the night commenced? It's this kind of ignorance I find quite detestable. Oh well.
* Su Wei-Chia's Free Steps:- All girl dance group here. The girls constantly moved in slow steps and you may not always notice how they happened to be moving across the stage at the same time. Clever technique there. So while the music wasn't exactly memorable or ear-catchy material the technique the female dancers showed really made Su Wei Chia's piece require the audience to focus and not lose track.
* Ho Hsiao Mei's My Dear No 8:- Raincoats were made to be stylish in this piece. The music used here was quite intimate and somehow reminded me of a Tango dance. It was a dance of passion and intense emotion in some places. I really felt the Chinese dancers weren't given an opportunity to shine in the passion department. I did like this performance overall though.
* Vera Tussing's Moving Relations: Research:- No background music was used in this performance. A lot of dialogue from the dancers in their native language along with translation from the interpreter who was sitting in the audience. It certainly made a lot of us laugh.
* Dam Van Huynh's Gloves:- Interestingly enough the dancers took off some of their clothes and swapped it with another person's. Even an armpit smelling symbolised intimacy or a start of a relationship which brought a chuckle to many people watching. As I said for My Dear No 8, the Chinese and Taiwanese male dancers weren't given the chance to be a so-called romantic interest. I realise it's not their fault or the choreographer's fault because they've got to make use of the dancers available on this project. I could understand why Petros Treklis was used as a so-called leading man because he was muscular, had great technique and that masculine strength. But still...surely it wouldn't hurt to break a subtle stereotype here. Personal highlight for me from this piece was Huang Yu Teng swinging one of the girls around with his neck. Since he's over 6ft he could use his height to his advantage.
* Zhao Liang's Infinite Connections:- At the beginning of the performance you see various emotions from the dancers e.g. Hian Ruth Voon laughing uncontrollably. Li Yi Chi doing a sassy catwalk and blowing a kiss to the crowd along with a brief shirt lift. Later on it gets interesting. You get ribbons flying around or being pulled out of the dancers. People got tied up or wrapped around one another. It was a fascinating web. You see the connections.
Overall: ArtsCross was my first time seeing contemporary/ballet/Chinese classical dance with my own eyes. Having already been accustomed to the likes of contemporary from dance reality tv shows I was delighted to see graceful Asian boys dance this kind of style. It certainly confirmed my belief that choreographers from China and Taiwan are very creative in their own cultural style. Of course if I did study dance or performing arts, I'd have much more to contribute in this review but I can only offer small thoughts as an observer.
ResCen's blog can be found here