Moving With Artisans
In 2020, our production received funding from CENDANA to produce a project continuing from the development of the work from YMOI titled, “Moving with artisans(MoA)”.
Finding new ways to move in the pandemic, the dancers began rehearsal sessions virtually with the choreographer from late 2020 onwards. Transiting from Stage 1 to Stage 2, MoA began a process of introducing interdisciplinary practices to dancers in a 3-week online residency throughout the month of July 2021. The online residency & work-in-progress sharing shifted from physical events to a series of online events and activities too.
During the residency, the dancers were given the parameters of translating the archival movements into individual short dance films as the outcome of this residency mainly facilitated by visual artist, Lim Paik Yin together with choreographer, Lau Beh Chin.
The Typist x Chinese Folk Dance, Hua Gu Deng
Hua Gu Deng , a Chinese folk dance was paired with the petition writer as mean to show "when traditional meets traditional".
It all comes back to the person who does the typing. He developed a relationship with the machine when he helped others to express with the seamless cooperation between himself and the typewriter. In other words, more romantically, he converted people’s feeling and unspoken statements into expressible words.
There is connection between the petition writers, the petition writer and the client, the document and the client, and also the typewriter with the completed letter.
Wong Chi Ying
The Traditional Coffee Barista x K-pop
Lee Bee Hui
The objective of pairing Lee Bee Hui, a K-pop dance lover, with the artisan was to find the connection, the balance, and the bridge to a better understanding from both ends. The movements and choreography were explored with K-pop dance cultures as the means of conversation between the mature and the younger generations.
The Coconut Carver x Ballet
Winnie Xuan
Pairing classical ballet with this handicraft is almost a communication between east and west.
The Tau Sah Piah Baker
WUXU Dance Troupe
The group of talented dancers who came to observe, learn, and understand the Tau Sar Piah Baker in “Your Memories Our Identity” come from a dance company, known as WUXU Dance Troupe.
The Rattan Maker
Pin Hwa Dance Society
Students from the Dance Society of Pin Hwa High School, namely Xiao Xuen, Shanyce, Sarah and Anna were the youngest among all the dancers involved in the project of Moving with Artisans. The objective of pairing them with Mr. Chong was to promote a better understanding of traditional crafts and skills in the younger generation.
