What of Contemporary Art
The art of contemporary dance is finally getting the recognition it deserves in Fiji, but we’re not there yet, says director of VOU company, Sachiko Soro. Ms Soro said contemporary art was a new art form in Fiji, so some may find it strange and were not prepared to engage with an art that they find “weird or confronting.” However, VOU has gained popularity over the years and they have become a household name since their establishment in 2007. “We started VOU so we can establish dance as a career in Fiji and have commercially sustainable career paths for young Fijian artists.” Ms Soro said it was to be of creative freedom where anyone could make what they wanted to express themselves as young Pacific artists living in the urban hub of Suva. “It has been a challenge to establish dance as a profession here in Fiji.
“To train dancers that this is their job and approach it in the same way as any other job,” she said. Ms Soro said it was also hard to convince parents that this was a viable career, and to encourage and support their children in this direction. “The arts industry is thriving in other parts of the planet and there is no reason we can’t do that here in Fiji as well,” she said. What sets them apart from other dance groups is not only the movement of dance, but the philosophy of contemporary dance. “We are one of the only groups that focuses on contemporary and not traditional forms of dance, even though we draw our inspiration from traditional dance forms,” she said. VOU has performed at events and festivals in Australia, New Zealand, India, Malaysia, Singapore, China, USA, Canada and the Pacific among others. Currently, Ms Soro is in New York attending the International Society of the Performing Arts congress where the movers and shakers from the world’s performing arts industry meet. She was awarded the ISPA Global Fellowship to be part of the congress. “It’s coming together to network and discuss ways forward for the art forms in a changing global economic landscape.” The group is expected to launch some exciting projects this year.