Pointe to Point, as one of the Asia-Europe Foundation’s (ASEF) Young Artist Exchange initiatives, aims to empower aspiring young artists from Asia and Europe to reflect upon their views of contemporary society through their individual artistic expressions. It is committed to providing young people with a process-oriented platform for artistic exchange and dialogue through the arts.
The thinking behind the programme Pointe to Point of the Asia-Europe Dance Forum, is to emphasize the significance of dance as a an art form as well as a medium of communication that considers the constantly changing society. Thus, in the process, raising andarticulating issues which encourage cultural dialogue and exchange.
The aim of this year’s Pointe to Point project is to provide an avenue for new inspirations, discoveries and to instigate questions. The project will inquire into the relationships between tradition and contemporary, between dance in urban and rural contexts and also between dance and music. Although primarily a project for dance the intention is to allow dance and music to be treated on an equal basis, working from the beginning from a kind of mutual “ground zero”.
Twelve choreographer-dancers and six composer-improvisers from Asia and Europe are expected to work together in the making of a new work. This year’s edition of Pointe to Point takes place in China. Departing from the busy capital of China Beijing, the group will travel to the remote rural areas of the province of Guizhou where the Miao Minority lives and has preserved their ancient traditions of dance and music.
The observations and impressions gathered in Guizhou will serve as food for thought to explore new ways of expression employing dance and music and each artist’s relationship to the questions raised. These questions will be shared and then discussed with the audience after the public presentation at the end of five days of intensive collaborations between the artists in Beijing.
How can contemporary dance/music be enriched through traditional dance/music?
How can new forms of contemporary dance/music be influenced through direct observation of traditional dance and music?
What is contemporary dance, what is traditional dance?
What is old, what is new? What is different, what is same?
What has been lost, what can be found?
What is essential for making new dances from old dances, new music from old music?
