The Kwang Tung Dance Company’s show will feature contemporary styles of its own performers, writes Subhadra Devan
SIX dance choreographers will present their thoughts on life in the Kwang Tung Dance Company’s show The Unicorn’s Travelogue.
The only dance production of the year, the show will feature the contemporary styles of Kwang Tung’s own performers — Lee Choy Wan, Mak Foong Ming, Tan Bee Hung, Anges Leong, Japheth Lim and Fione Chia.
On choosing the unicorn for the showcase, artistic director Amy Len says: “It’s an imaginary animal. During the process of choreography, an artiste often begins with an abstract thought, balancing between virtual imagination and reality, to find an inspiration.
“I feel choreographers become somewhat like a ‘unicorn’ while choreographing, treading between the imaginary and the real, invoking curiosity and mystery about them.” The dance company was formed in 2010 from the Kwang Tung Dance Troupe, established in 1980.
The company’s initial focus gravitated towards folk and traditional Chinese dance but in recent years, its directions have changed to focus on modern and contemporary dance.
The showcase is under the ninth installation of Kwang Tung’s well-followed Kua Bu (meaning progress or advancement in Mandarin) edition.
The works from Kua Bu have received rave reviews since its debut in 1999.
At the Boh Cameronian Arts Awards in 2012, a dance piece called Forward won the Best Group Performance, while Heartbeat won Best Choreographer in a Mixed Bill, among others.
In keeping with tradition, Kwang Tung will again host its Dance Tea Time at Damansara Performing Arts Centre tomorrow at 3pm.
Invited guests will be able to enjoy the performance free and there will be a question-and-answer session with the choreographers and dancers at the end.
The Dance Tea Time has been carried out for the past seven years.
“The response has been overwhelming,” says Len, herself a dancer and choreographer.
“This initiative aims to cultivate an appreciation for contemporary dance, to encourage interaction between dancers and the larger community, as well as to expose Malaysians to the local performing arts scene.
“We specially invite people from companies and organisations who would usually never step into a blackbox to come for our show and join us for a sharing /exchange /Q&A, and we hope their curiosity and interest in performing arts will grow from this initial contact.
“This is our way of giving back to the community.
Without their support, we would not be able to pursue our passion in dance.” Performing before an audience offers the dancers the chance to improve their art.
“Most importantly, through dance, we have matured in terms of thinking, values, and so on.
We have a clearer understanding of ourselves, which has helped us face life’s challenges,” explains Len.