Pointe to Point China 2007

After graduating from the University of Minnesota Susan Buirge attended Juilliard School of Music and then danced with the Alwin Nikolais Company (1963-1967). Since 1970, she has resided in France, established a company and toured extensively. Particularly interested in the relationship between tradition and contemporary, Susan Buirge has been invited to choreograph and teach in Europe, Africa and Asia. She has been director of the Center for Choreographic Research and Composition of the Royaumont Foundation in France since 2000.

Wen Hui was born in 1960 in the Chinese province of Yunnan. She began her dance training with traditional dance techniques at the Art Academy of Yunnan (1974 to 1980). From 1985 to 1989 she studied at the Choreography Department of the Beijing Dance Academy. In 1997 she was awarded a grant from the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) and traveled to New York to research and study dance. She trained in New York at the Limón Institute and at the Erik Hawkins School of Dance and the Trisha Brown Compan. Drawing on this wealth of artistic experience, Wen Hui choreographed for the “Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble of China”, before founding the Living Dance Studio , a group of independent artists from both dance and theatre, together with Wu Wenguang in 1994. Wen Hui has choreographed and directed all performances for the company. She has also featured in them as a performer.

Fabrizio Cassol is a Belgian saxophonist and the first to perform on the aulochrome (double soprano saxophone). He studied at the Liege conservatory and obtained first prize for saxophone while majoring in chamber music. In 1992 he traveled through Central Africa with colleagues Stephane Galland and Michel Hatzigeorgiou to encounter the Aka pygmies. On their return they formed their band Aka Moon. Fabrizio Cassol has composed music for dance theatre and has worked with choreographers like Alain Platel and Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. He is currently artist in residence in the De Munt Opera, Brussels.

Composer and conductor, Koh’s output covers a range of works for acoustic and electro acoustic formations. Her works have been performed by major ensembles and orchestras at international festivals and concert series, and have been broadcast on BBC Radio 3, Radio France Culture, Deutsche Rundfunk, Singapore Arts Radio Station, Netherlands Broadcasting Corporation.Koh received B.Mus and M.Mus from King’s College London and was awarded a Ph D degree in Music Composition from University of York, UK. She was selected for cursus in music computing and composition (1997-8) at IRCAM in Paris. Koh was a Composer-in-residence at the Ecole Nationale de Musique de Montbéliard, France 2006, at the Herrenhaus Edenkoben in Germany 2004, and at Theatre Works Singapore 2001.