da:ns LAB 2024

da:ns LAB 2024 is a coaching programme organised as part of a collaborative partnership network with Unlock Dancing Plaza (Hong Kong) and Thinker’s Studio (Taipei). 4 creations-in-progress by independent artists in Asia are brought together in a working group for peer-to-peer exchange, facilitated by dramaturge Lim How Ngean.

In this studio presentation, the four participating artists of da:ns LAB 2024 will share about their respective projects and their development process, as well as their vision for how the works may take shape in the future. There will be a Q&A session after each presentation for audience members to ask questions or share their feedback with the artists.

About da:ns LAB

da:ns LAB is presented by the Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay, produced by Dance Nucleus and curated by Daniel Kok annually. It is a platform that began in 2015 to interrogate choreographic practice and to feature progressive ideas in the performing arts. The objective is to establish a platform for discourse and exchange that can enable independent performance creations in Asia.

The 2024 iteration of da:ns LAB is structured as a mentorship programme, as part of a partnership network with Unlock Dancing Plaza (Hong Kong) and Thinker’s Studio (Taipei). Four creations-in-progress by independent artists in Asia are brought together in a working group for peer-to-peer exchange, facilitated by dramaturge Lim How Ngean (Australia/Malaysia).

About the projects

FAP: Flirtatiousness and Politeness by Norhaizad Adam (Singapore)

FAP: Flirtatiousness and Politeness delves into the intricacies of Malay dance, exploring the nuanced expressions of flirtatiousness and politeness inherent within its traditional choreography. This study scrutinises how the choreographic elements of Malay dance reflect the idea of seduction.

Deviant Octopus by Jasmine Yadav (India)

In Deviant Octopus, the dancer devotes herself to desire and appetite, and transforms into a creature that is part human, part monster. This creature is at times spread out, crooked, bent, or curled in, but is always a shape-shifting body. What does it mean to devote oneself to this constant becoming and unbecoming? The work explores not just prescribed languages of desire but also invents new vocabularies that allow for playfulness, queerness and absurdity.

You Are Loved by Chan Wai Lok (Hong Kong)

Do you believe in cosmic energy? Do you believe that we can gather good fortune from our surroundings? In this work, the artist gathers and circulates good energy for participants of his ritual. Together, the artist facilitates a synthesis of ritualistic practices from our daily lives, and attempt to decode the algorithms that underpin the universe. Join in, sense it and feel the embrace of the metaphysical world.

Embarking On A Drift To The Unknown by Li Yun (Taiwan)

Sixty years ago, out of survival and the pursuit of new opportunities, she boarded a ship and drifted off into the unknown. When she arrived at her destination, she was immediately taken to a pre-arranged wedding and married to a man she had never met. Sitting on a chair, she now tells her story with distorted memories and lost words. She did not want to forget, and yet she did. She did not want to stay, but found herself left behind. This solo performance is crafted through soundscapes and documentation, incorporating themes of history, decolonisation, and multiculturalism. The interpretation of real stories evolves from the travel history of one woman into that of a family, and the history of immigration and colonialism in Taiwan.