Reflections from the past

THERE is a sense of excitement for Five Arts Centre’s director Mark Teh as he prepares to lead renowned dancer-choreographer Marion D’cruz who takes her solo lecture performance, Gostan Forward, to KOBE-ASIA Contemporary Dance Festival #2. The show will be held tomorrow and Saturday in Kobe, Japan.

Teh says there is nothing more fulfilling than to get acknowledgement that homegrown works can overcome cultural and language barriers. The talented young director added that it is always enriching to encounter different reactions and observe how local productions “breathe” in a different country.

“It is always nice to be invited to present your work at a festival. Although the Japanese audience will miss much of the details that are specific to a Malaysian audience, I think what they may get of the performance may be more related to the artist’s journey – D’cruz’s artistic and personal choices and struggle to create her vocabulary or signature,” says Teh, 31, in an e-mail interview.

Gostan Forward finds Marion D’cruz, 57, in a performance lecture that will see her performing excerpts from her most acclaimed works over her 37-year career. It features six dances – Bacchanale, Swan Song, Urn Piece, Sook Ching, Bunga Manggar Bunga Raya and Terinai.

The performance lecture finds her in multiple roles as a student, dancer, choreographer and educator over the span of her dance career in Malaysia.

Teh explains these dance pieces hold special meaning for D’cruz as they were made in reaction to deeply personal moments or at particular national crossroads.

“The choices were made around a variety of considerations – the rich and humorous stories, anecdotes and reactions to these works; some of which are her most iconic or well-known pieces.”

For D’cruz, the most crucial part is performing solo for 90 minutes.

“In Gostan Forward, I talk a lot and do bits and pieces of many pieces. They are all significant in different ways. Hopefully, through this performance, I can make the audience think critically.

“Hopefully, I will be able to bring out their greatest potential as artists and more importantly, as human beings.” – Sheela Chandran

n For details, visit fiveartscentre.org.