Let there be light

By Jules Quartly (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-08-28 09:32

"Of the three acts, Lidberg's choreography is the most challenging," says dancer Wu Shanshan. "He is extremely precise in his directing and subtle in his expression. His simple lines and lyricism look simple but are actually very difficult to master."

She says the three choreographers introduced new techniques and their various approaches gave her a fresh appreciation of the value of different styles.

Midjord's offering, Map of Me (and You), is more emotional in scope. It is autobiographical in conception and describes the break-up of her relationship and the beginning of another.

This is clear from the action, which is powerful, passionate and slightly troubled at times. The dancers appear in underwear, further accentuating the idea of an intensely private experience.

The former dancer and now choreographer with the Royal Danish Ballet says she was inspired by a French book published in 1654, Map of Tenderness, that describes a place that doesn't exist. "It's like a map of human emotions to help us navigate these confusions. I had just finished a long relationship and made a map of what I understood about it."

Of the working process, Midjord says that initially it was difficult to get the dancers to bare their emotions but they were hungry to learn. "In the beginning it was different because of the culture perhaps, but when the barriers came down it was interesting and created an energy."

Thouin, another prize-winning choreographer, whose ties with Wang Yuanyuan go back 10 years, emphasizes the "freedom of pure dance" and "giving people a voice".

Her piece, White, has an engaging original score from Michel Drapeau that allows the corps to express itself with a wide range of lively and unusual movements.

"Lies and hypocrisy have never been so present. Rights and liberties are not conceded," is how she introduces the piece on her website. "This spectacular masquerade leads us slowly through an irreversible chasm of ignorance and slavery."

It's a brave piece that underlines the spirit of opening-up that Wang Yuanyuan's BCDT is fostering.

"Artistically speaking, I did not play an instrumental role in this particular production. I gave my three choreographers complete space and the freedom to express themselves without limitations," she says.

Previous 1 2 Next Page