T.T.C. Dance (張婷婷獨立製作), founded by choreographer Chang Ting-ting (張婷婷), is rooting through cabinet drawers in search of memories this weekend at the Experimental Theater in Taipei.
Chang said her latest creation, Body Platform: Persistence of Memory (肢‧色系列2：時空抽屜) takes up where her company’s inaugural production, Body Platform: Cabinet Anthropomorphique (肢‧色:系列-抽屜人) left off.
In that production, which premiered at the end of December 2012, was nominated for a Taishin Arts Award and was chosen by the Ministry of Culture to be part of the Taiwanese contingent to the 2013 Festival Off d’Avignon in France, Chang’s dancers moved around, up, over and in a collection of 11 white cabinet drawers, with some melting clocks and other imagery inspired by the works of surrealist Salvador Dali.
Photo courtesy of Chen Chang-chih
She described it as a conversation of time and space. The use of drawers was inspired — and not only because they made for great props. Who among us doesn’t think of memories, both good and bad, boxed up and stored away in the far reaches of the mind?
For Persistence of Memory, which is set on six dancers, Chang took an interdisciplinary approach, teaming up with with musician/arranger Lee Shih-yang (李世揚) for the score, stage design artist Chen Wei-kuang (陳威光), multimedia artist Lin Jin-yao (林經堯) and lighting designer Boon Ann Goh (吳文安). Once again, she drew inspiration again from some of Dali’s imagery and gender-related themes.
Chang, who is an assistant professor of dance at National Taiwan University of Arts (國立臺灣藝術大學), said she spent the past six months working on the project, which explores the point of interaction between movement, feelings and imagination.
Photo courtesy of Chen Chang-chih
She has said she wants to return to the basics of dance by reimaging the use of body parts to express emotion, while fusing Eastern and Western aesthetics and dance theater. The quiver of a toe or outstretched finger, the subtle slide of one body part against that of another — Chang’s minimalist techniques demonstrate that quiet voices can still speak volumes.
To help heighten the surrealism of Persistence of Memory, Chang and her technical crew use 3D technology for the projections and so audience members will wear 3D glasses during the performance.
Although Chang is the first to use 3D in the Experimental Theater, her company’s performances will not be the first time that dance has been combined with 3D in Taipei.
Austrian digital artist/choreographer Klaus Obermaier’s Le Sacre du Printemps — Interactive 3D Media Dance, which was performed by Austrian dancer Julia Mach and the National Symphony Orchestra in the National Concert Hall on March 28, 2009, was mindblowing. An incredibly powerful combination of movement, music, imagery and technology. Obermaier, although not a traditionally trained choreographer, set a high bar for other 3D dance performances.
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