i-Dance Festival (HK) 2017 was presented and produced by Y-Space. The theme of last year’s Festival was Research, Development and Archives since Victor Choi-wo MA, the Artistic Director was concerned about the lack of research in dance and dance archives in Hong Kong. The Festival aimed at stimulating the public to rethink the future of arts development with a series of relevant performances and activities.
The Festival opened on 16 September and closed on 29 October last year. In September, Y-Space’s signature performance Not A Double Room (Excerpt) was restaged in the programme Old Dance New Dance. The classic was once again seen in Hong Kong after touring in Munich, Taipei, Guangzhou and Beijing. The programme also highlighted CAGE by Katie DUCK, the Dutch dance improvisation artist and TEST DUO by Xiao Ke and ZHOU Zihan, the avant-garde artists from Shanghai. The British master of contact improvisation Kirstie SIMSON and the Korean dance artist Mihee GANG joined us in October with their solos ARIE Solo for my Mother and The Encounter.
Dance, Multi-media and Improvisation Research Week has been our regular programme. Artists in Focus Katie DUCK, Xiao Ke, ZHOU Zihan, Kirstie SIMSON and Mihee GANG participated in the Research Weeks and interacted with a bunch of local artists and young dancers. Their results were shown in Improvisation Land 68 and Improvisation Land 69.
If you were not a professional dancer, you could dance with the artists too by joining Exploring Dance and Movement Workshops, Open Improvisation and Open Jam. Or you could attend Artist Face 2 Face to listen to the artists’ stories and interesting perspectives.
Recall of Classics was a video installation specially designed for the theme Research, Development and Archives. Visitors could watch the classics of Hong Kong dance scene in Y-Space’s studio, for example, Kwaidan/ Emaki by Sunny PANG, Kidult Ophelia by Abby CHAN from Mcmuimui Dansemble and Playboy by Daniel YEUNG. Kevin WONG, Director of CCDC Dance Centre, Bernice CHAN, General Manager of International Association of Theatre Critics (Hong Kong) and Susanna CHUNG, Head of Learning & Participation and Programmes Manager of Asia Art Archive were also invited to the Conference, sharing their work on arts archives.
Closing the Festival, Y-Space organized Dance Under the Sky with Mapopo Community Farm and To Yau. Participants were led into the paths of the villages and learnt about the unique Hong Kong stories. The event concluded with Improvisation Land 70 in the Freedom Island and wonderful dinner.
i-Dance Festival (HK) 2017’s creative and production team are very thankful for all your support. Please stay tuned for the upcoming programmes in late 2018!
Performers:
Crystal CHUNG Katie DUCK Mihee GANG Garlic Jam
Hakgwai Wing LAI Vanessa LEE Edmund LEUNG
Mimi LO Christy MA Victor Choi-wo MA MA Wai Him
yuenjie MARU Tamae MIKI Cybil POON Kirstie SIMSON
Wilson TSANG Snyke WANG Jasmin WONG WONG Yankwai
Terry WU Xiao Ke Mandy Ming-yinYIM Paul YIP
ZHENG Lingmin ZHOU Zihan
Production Team:
Joe CHENG Luminous Design Studio Noelle Li
Victor Choi-wo MA Tammy TANG Eric YIM
Mandy Ming-yin YIM Dingdong KWONG
Photography:
CHENG Lok Cheung Max CHEUNG Chi Wai CHEUNG Wai Lok
LAU Tsz Hong Vanessa LEE Jason MA MAK Cheong Wai
Acknowledgement:
Abby CHAN City Contemporary Dance Company Daniel YEUNG
Helen LAI Hong Kong Ballet Hong Kong Dance Company
Miranda Chin Dance Company MUI Cheuk Yin Passoverdance
Sunny PANG Unlock Dancing Plaza
Volunteers:
Laurent CHAN Matha CHENG Sean TSOI Dora LAI