Pointe to Point China 2007

I was born in Jakarta but grew up in West Sumatra where I studied and performed with Minangkabau choreographer, Gusmiati Suid in the Gumarang Sakti Dance Company. My training has included the Indonesian martial art form of Pencak Silat, as well as the study of both traditional and contemporary dance forms from West Sumatra. I continued my study of choreography at the Jakarta Art Institute, where I was introduced to a variety of dance forms from other parts of Indonesia, as well as ballet and modern dance. I am inspired by the space dance offers to freely express myself, but also by the traditional dance from Indonesia with its rich forms and diverse backgrounds. I take it as my responsibility as a dance artist to work with the materials of traditional dance so a “new work” (a contemporary expression) can come into being and find its way to the present time (in a global context). My work, “membaca meja”, was performed at the Gedung Kesenian Jakarta; in 2004, my other work “Ritus Diri” was performed at the Indonesian Art Summit.

As a young boy I was drawn into theatre as an actor, and have been performing ever since I was 4. This continued until my high school year and my parents were  supportive of this career path. I was already 17 years old when I started my dance training in ballet, modern and jazz. While I was studying dance history, I was invited to join Airdance and to compete for the National Contemporary Dance Competition. Joining  Airdance was my introduction to the world of contemporary dance. Being in the company gave me the opportunity to perform most of their repertoire and travel in and out of the Philippines to perform at festivals. In my second year in Airdance I received the DanceWEB European Scholarship for Contemporary Dance in Vienna. It was a great experience and was a turning point in my life as an artist because I felt a responsibility to share my knowledge and explore my ideas,  not just as a dancer but also a choreographer/creator and a teacher. I am currently a resident teacher, dancer and choreographer for Airdance and am on the dance faculty at De La Salle- College of St. Benilde.

As a choreographer born in Malaysia to Chinese parents, contemporary dance has allowed me to break free of traditional dance movement and to look at my culture through movement defined by modern dance studies. I feel that contemporary dance/music allows artists to have their own vocabulary, their own vision and voice. With exposure to so many cultures in Asia, New York City and my dance experiences in other parts of the world, I feel free to work with my rich cultural background in the medium of modern dance to find work that expresses my many-faceted identity and varied artistic interests in multi-media and use of music, sets, costumes and props. I founded my own project called the “Laurel Project” to inspire children and their adoptive American families to have a life-long appreciation and working relationship with their Chinese cultural heritage and language. I founded MEI-BE WHATever in 2002 as a collective for the interaction of artists from diverse fields.

I graduated from the Department of Choreography at the Beijing Dance Academy in 2003, and obtained a Masters degree in 2006. From 2005 to 2006, I received a two-year scholarship from the French Cultural Centre in Beijing where I had an opportunity to participate in a choreographic workshop that was organised by Susan Buirge. During my study, I participated in local theatrical performances, ballets, operas, drama, concerts and other art forms in different attempts at innovation. What is most important to me as a choreographer is to be engaged in traditional dance while creating a new language of dance. My main focus is understanding the contemporary person’s emotional expression and their need to create new forms of expression. This is the motivation behind my commitment to contemporary dance. I am currently employed at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games opening ceremony of the 29th session of directors group, and will participate in the opening ceremony’s performances of creative work.

I have been recognized as one of the most talented dancers and have completed many compositions since my debut with The Movement of the Moon, in the debut contest sponsored by Korea Modern Dance Association in 1997. I have been described as a dancer who has “consistently shown a strong individuality and sense of purpose.” In 2002, I participated in the Munich International Dance Festival and in 2004, I performed in Hungary International Contact Improvisation Dance Festival. From 2005 to 2006, I was trained by Susan Buirge, Foundation Royaumont of France, who helped me achieve international standard. In 2005, I was awarded the best choreographer’s prize at 8th dance critic’s reference young artist festival in 2005. I am attracted to contemporary dance because it allows one to ask and answer questions in a unique way. I have been described as a choreographer of innovative and impulsive experimentation.

I started to learn traditional Chinese dance when I was eight. After several years working in national dance organization, I had an opportunity to study in Beijing Dance Academy. I graduated in modern dance from the Department of Choreography, where my passion in contemporary dance was found. I have participated in many performances such as dance dramas, Chinese theatres, concerts and music theatres. To me, contemporary dance is a way to release one’s emotions and soul through the body movement. Be sincere to myself and the audience are the most important for my dance career.