LATELY, I have been reflecting on the choreography of space and how we are using our bodies to manage the Covid-19 pandemic. Not the kind performed onstage, but the choreography of space: How do we use our bodies to deal with both pandemics and other epidemics?
The loosening of the Movement Control Orders (MCO) had returned to us a valuable privilege (one that we had taken for granted) — the freedom to leave our homes. But we realise that life after Covid has not been the same. Social distancing is now very much part of how we utilise space and interact with people. The choreography of our movement can make a difference whether we stay healthy or fall ill; whether we live or die.
Whether we choose to admit it or not, the virus' shadow still manages to loom over the way we continue to live our lives.
Which is why Psychosynthesis seems particularly pertinent at the heels of a pandemic that upended life as we knew it. The production showcases the struggles of those impacted by the global pandemic, through a collaborative effort of Asia Ballet Academy, Asia Ballet Theatre and Kenny Shim Dance Collective.
Produced by Arthur Mak, with choreography by Kenny Shim and Ivy Chung as artistic director, the scintillating performance explores the repercussion of long periods of isolation on the human psyche.
The visual feast blends themes of physiology, metaphor and psychology in a fast-paced, impressionistic collage of movement and dance. This contemporary dance production features a unique merging of science and multimedia, where the audience got to experience the merging of art and technology in the groundbreaking performance.
CHALLENGING JOURNEY
The strangeness of lockdowns and the turmoil that came with it were forefront on Shim's mind. He said that his craving for physical contact and longing for human connection during the prolonged isolation gave birth to the idea of a dance that paid homage to the triumph of the human spirit in the midst of the protracted pandemic.
According to Shim, the title is a reflection of his own experience. "The word 'psycho' refers to the psyche. I found myself synthesising information on how it felt to be alone and how I longed to be connected with someone. Hence the title, Psychosynthesis."
The show, he continues, was a project that had been long in the making, undergoing three phases of production prior to its official premier early this month. Rehearsals had begun in April 2021 and were well underway until they were forced to stop for the second nationwide Movement Control Order.
Performances, programmes and plans had come to an abrupt halt — as they had for performing arts organisations across the globe. No one knew when or how theatres would open again. Many dancers didn't have adequate space to keep up the intense physical training needed to keep in shape for the performance.
"It's been a challenge," admits Chung. "Rehearsals kept stopping indefinitely. Financially we were stretched and conducting online rehearsals was very challenging. We weren't sure when we'd actually be performing on stage. This show bears testament to the fact that we never gave up."
The dancers returned to the studio last year, eager to perform at the newly-minted Petaling Jaya Performing Arts Centre (PJPAC) in November, where the show was finally set to debut. As fate would have it, the 15th General Election fell on that same weekend and once again, Psychosynthesis was inevitably postponed.
These multiple setbacks did not deter the organisers from finally bringing the production back to life at the PJPAC recently. "Third time's the charm!" quips Shim, chuckling.
DAZZLING PERFORMANCE
With a pounding beat in the background, the dancers moved through intricate formations, some waiting on the outskirts as solos and duets took the spotlight.
Psychosynthesis is insistent in its rhythms and grounded power. It's a classic work of modern dance, yet it doesn't feel like a relic from another time. It has quirks as it breathes and morphs, radiating a kind of undulating coolness as dancers transform seemingly still, two-dimensional silhouettes into full-blown motion.
Beneath the enormous (and might I say, ominous) light fixture suspended over the stage, the setting was blissfully raw; a space in which dancers — succinct and fearless whether steering through space on one leg or crashing to the floor — bravely explored their relationship to the virus.
The music reverberated through the darkened hall as the dancers danced passionately under the ever-present light of the "virus". I found myself struggling to understand the narrative as it went along. But I realise now that the abstractness of the dance isn't a hindrance to understanding it. On the contrary, it's actually an aid.
When there isn't a convoluted plot to follow, all one had to do — and this, at the invitation of the choreographer — is to simply "feel" the movement. One didn't have to ask "'What does it mean?" What one saw was what there was.
Of course, those who cared could look deeper and see that movement for movement's sake had its own complexities, that the structure of the dancing and the music's relationship to the dancing, if any, enriched the choreography and made it more than what it appeared.
Psychosynthesis is said to be the physical manifestation of the mind, exploring the repercussions that long periods of isolation have on the human psyche. The dance also highlights the human spirit in the midst of tumultuous times and pays tribute to the unwavering efforts of medical frontliners; showing that with empathy, compassion and grace, humanity can, and will, triumph.
The clever use of lights is abstract and evanescent enough to create a satisfying partnership with the dance and not distract from the performance. The huge lighting structure that looms over the dancers serves as a haunting reminder that we are still living under the shadow of the virus. Heaven knows, we'll be doing that for a long time.
But Psychosynthesis would also want you to know, there's always hope as long as there is life.
So how do we use our bodies to deal with epidemics, pandemics or, god forbid, other disasters?
By George, we dance!