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Arts Talk | Lecture Sidenotes for May and June
May｜The "206" Body Lab
June｜The Dancing Force
Text by Stella TSAI
Us, Day-to-Day:
Crafting the Extraordinary through Dance
While dance is the term we use, it's more about a journey into body exploration. In May and June, "Arts Talk" welcomed the Artistic Director of Dance Forum Taipei, PING Heng, and HORSE's choreographer, SU Weichia. They discussed the intricate bond between daily life and the art of dance. PING delved into our 206 bones and their relation to our senses, revealing how humans embrace dance to unearth endless physical possibilities. SU, on the other hand, explored the rich emotional landscapes carved by life's experiences and argued for giving dance a chance, especially by those unfamiliar with it.
206 Bones, Day-to-Day:
In school, standing out often brews anxiety. Just as tall children may slouch, dancing can induce nerves. For PING, this apprehension is rooted in not truly understanding our bodies. Her recent show, 206 LAB, wove connections between body and consciousness, vividly portraying the spine, sphenoid, coccyx, and the role of body fluids. It all began with an exploration of the human body's 206 bones.
Choreographer CHENG Yiwen delved deep into "The Alexander Technique," a seminal work guiding many dancers towards a profound understanding of their physique. This knowledge illuminates the origins of pain and chronic dance-related injuries. Choreography blossoms from this nearly clinical understanding of muscular structure. Daily observations and sensations become a canvas for reimagining our bodies; from the pivotal sphenoid bone in our heads, ensuring balance, to the coccyx anchoring our spine. PING's discovery was that the sphenoid bone, governing the spine and coccyx, dictates movement, energy, and posture. When choreographing, ensuring dancers representing the sphenoid and coccyx move in harmony is crucial. This conceptualization gave birth to 206 LAB, a contemplative dance creation.
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"Dance forms connections, tying audiences to their memories and dreams," PING mused, emphasizing dance's limitless potentials. A choreography, born from experimentation and uniquely presented through the dancer, transforms in the eyes of its beholders, resonating with their personal life stories. "Everyone can draw connections from dance to their daily lives," PING said. While choreographic notions might be abstract, dance is life in motion. Be it walking, holding hands, or engaging in social interaction, life dances. PING urges all to embrace and celebrate the mundane.
The Joy of Dance:
Childhood memories for SU Weichia are colored with being nudged into dance by his mother, something he initially resisted. While she reveled in dance halls, he dreaded dancing, fearing ridicule. Childhood memories are also marked by the taunts of being "effeminate." His ballet mentor changed his trajectory, cementing his decision to join the National Taiwan University of Arts, where he met CHEN Wukang, his future collaborator in HORSE.
For SU, dance is a life-enhancing art. It's therapeutic during heartbreaks, and choreographing, though challenging, brings immense joy. He treasures the freedom dance grants him. "Art's allure lies in its mutable nature," he reflected. An artwork can be interpreted myriad ways, making him, as an artist, a multilingual communicator. SU's choreographies are rooted in organic processes. With "Free Step," conceived over a decade and acclaimed in France, he drew from the very essence of the body. His 2017 residency at the National Theater & Concert Hall saw him split his creative endeavors between traditional dance and its promotion among the elderly. This led to the formation of an elderly amateur dance troupe in 2019, choreographing "Free Step – As I Dance." In 2022, he extended this concept, partnering with amateur elderly dancers in Kaohsiung for "Free Step – Swinging Years." To this day, his commitment to promoting dance for the elderly remains unyielding.
In terms of appreciating dance, SU bemoans the misplaced notion that dance must be understood through narrative or logic. Understanding can manifest through knowledge, emotions, or creativity. Embracing dance in a personalized manner is liberating. A lack of understanding should not deter anyone from dance; appreciation has its timing. But, as SU emphasizes, "True appreciation blossoms only with willingness, a sentiment spanning all performing arts."
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