Liu Yan/Anne Tiara/Jojo Yu/00/Da Zhen/Yu Yan/nunu kong
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Contemporary Dance Theater: The Insects Must Be Insane
A new contemporary dance theater production by brand nu Dance Shanghai
With the coming of spring a new brood has hatched, emerging with unique adaptations and mutations...the changes that bring the changes.
Left behind the dark intimate space of last time's Downstream Garage performance to explore the Rockbund's spacious gallery. This time with the audience surrounding the performance on three sides- a curious fresh situation with many improvements and new experiments as the insects move into new territory, reacting and adjusting to their altered environment.
All in the name of progress? So much to do......
Choreographer and Direction: nunu kong
Music & Video Production: TL Pettersen
Light Design: Wu Zhe, Zang Ning Bei, nunu kong
Costume Concept: nunu kong & all performers
Performance Still: Mao Dou, Guoguo
Performers: Liu Yan, Anne Tiara, Jojo Yu, Ling Ling, Yu Yan, Wang Fang, Da Zhen, nunu kong
Dramaturgical Support: Zhao Chuan, Shaw
Rehearsal Director: Liu Yanan
Production: brand nu Dance & BM(Body/Music)Space
The Insects Must Be Insane is a new physical/dance theater piece rooted in a process of observation of ourselves in this physical world in an attempt to understand it better. Can we appreciate and value the insects’ importance of existence or just casually dismiss their significance?
It is at once an investigation into relationships of human subjectivity that subjugate the broader objectivity of the multiplex of physical relationships in our world, beginning an exploration of how a basic understanding or repositioning of objectivity can catalyze an empathy for the keener singular experience of something as small as a leaf bug.
Background
The initial inspiration for this piece came as choreographer nunu kong was searching the artistic cornucopia of a website called whenshe came across the very colorful naturalistic watercolors by Cornelia Hesse-Honneger of morphologically disturbed leaf bugs she has collected nearnuclear installations in Europe and the USA over the last 20 years.
What initially struck nunu most was the disrupted form of the insects, Misunderstanding at first that nature had created their abnormalities yet preserved their overall stunning beauty through a unique asymmetry. Inspired by the artist’s detailed journey into this micro-world she wanted to dig deeper intothe artist’s work to understand the significance of her research. She discovered that these mutations were indeed “man-made” and that the evidence Ms.Hesse-Honneger uncovered in their existence is also suppressed by the industries which have caused them.
One has to wonder: Is the fact that this is happening very slowly and surely, acceptable or even wise for us as a people. At this point she began to imagine what kind of sounds these animals might be speaking as a reaction to their condition.
In the Summer of 2011, nunu began a series of movement workshops in BM Space to engage Chinese young working professionals to try and tap a naturalinstinct that many trained dancers have over-learned, as a means to try to uncover new modes of expression using the body and body-inherent sounds.She started to experiment in the 2nd series of workshops with the questions of whether and how these disturbed insects might express themselves, imagining herself physically and emotionally among these disturbed insects to embody their experience giving them voice and presence.
Concept
In this new dance / theater piece the performers travel between many layers of reality from personal interpretatio to interactive experience, from micro-world to "our" world, switching between their stage characters and their true selves, revealing perhaps a greater space or reality to the audience using their body movement to speak their experiences.
They are placed in situation between theriomorphism (attributing animal characteristics to humans) and the art of rationalization inherent in human behavior, humans being the only known animal on the planet that will rationalize and even justify whatever behavior they wish to pursue. The performers actions are in part supported/juxtaposed with visual projections, and original music and sound design by TL Pettersen.
About Performers
Nannan Liu, Independent dancer/ choreographer and co-founder of BM Space,
Graduated from Graduated from Fudan University, majoring Sociology, Since 2007 with brand nu Dance Shanghai.
Anne Tiara, Architect, Graduated from CAUP of Tongji University, Shanghai
Yu Yan, Culture Marketing and Management, Graduated from the College for Youth Administrators
Xu Lingling, Art History, Graduated from East China Normal University, Currently unemployed.
Da Zhen, High School Art Teacher, Graduated from Shanghai Normal University
Yu Yu Jiao, Art and Design digital professional, graduated from Shanghai University Institute of Fine Arts, Now is working as Event Planner for multimedia Shanghai presentations.
Brand nu Dance is a Shanghai-based open project and international contact point created by choreographer nunu kong in 2007 dedicated to the support and growth of independent contemporary physical performance and dance from China, producing new choreographies, productions and presentations of Chinese artists beyond the underground. (http://brandnudance.we23.org)
BM(Body/Music)Space is a performing art platform in Shanghai, established by sound artist Yin Yi and choreographer / dancer Liu Yanan in 2011.Artists canshare their works / concepts / experience here with audience through performances / lectures / workshops. It links performing artists in dance, physical theatre and experimental music. It builds a bridge for independent artists / groups between China and the world. (www.bmspace.org).
刘亚囡、丹妮、零零、娇娇、大铮，余燕，nunu kong
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导演& 编舞: nunu kong
影像及音乐制作: TL Pettersen
灯光设计: 臧宁贝，吴喆，nunu kong
服装设计: nunu kong 及全体表演者
作品剧照: 毛豆，郭郭
彩排总监: 刘亚囡
表演者: 刘亚囡、丹妮、零零、娇娇、余燕、王芳、大铮, nunukong
剧作支持: 赵川，Shaw
项目制作: brand nu Dance & BM(Body/Music)Space
春之到来破卵孵出，随即闻见的是一种独特的转变甚至是突变…因变之变。
《虫子》于下河迷仓那亲密而幽暗的小剧场首演经历已被翻页，接下来要进入二期创作和演出的是于上海外滩美术馆三层的大展厅里，没有过去层层累高的观众区域，我们将设定观众已三面围观式席地就座，正如这帮“虫子们”移到了新的实验领地，必定要与当下的环境做大量的反应和调整，这将会是一场夹杂着新鲜而未知的大行动。
一切的变化都来自于过程的磨练的积累，先忙起来，动起来吧！好多活要干啊！！！……
创作灵感
编舞家nunukong对本作品的灵感最初来自于科学插画家Cornelia Hesse-Honneger，她为过去二十年间在欧洲和美国核电站附近收集的变异昆虫创作的自然主义水彩画。nunu在网站< butdoesitfloat.com >的艺术长廊中偶然看到了这些奇形怪状的昆虫插画很是惊讶。起初她误解为是大自然的力量造就了这些畸形的生物, 同时赋予了它们不对称而令人惊艳的美丽。
Cornelia女士对微观世界的生动描绘吸引了nunu继续深入地了解其创作初衷。最终她得知这些昆虫畸形的美丽并非大自然造成，而是“人为因素” 导致的变异。更甚，Cornelia女士想要揭示的问题严重性依然被受到不断掩盖! “我不禁思考, 难道人类已经慢慢开始接受和允许这些生物的变异发生，甚至肯定了工业科技负面的代价是不可避免的?” nunu忍不住想象眼前这一只只一枚枚叶虫会发出什么样的声音来告知它们所受到的不幸伤害 。
2011年夏，nunu于BM Space开设了一系列不同主题的舞蹈工作坊,挖掘和启发那些没有舞蹈专业背景参与者自发的本能。她觉得这些参与者身上有些多数专业舞者身上没有的神经触点，且这种自然又新鲜的内在涵量极为珍贵。他们通过对丰富的肢体语言和“形／声”的激发找到了新的表达方式。在第二轮系列工作坊中，她开始琢磨，把自己想象成这些昆虫中的一员，全身心地投入体验，绘声绘色地演绎这些变异的昆虫如何表达它们自己。
为什么“虫子们都疯了”?!
“虫子们都疯了”背后当然隐含着潜台词，也许这个舞蹈剧的创作和展演能够成为一个观察和反思自己的过程，也帮助我们更好地理解置身于此的现实世界。试问我们究竟有多珍惜昆虫的生命？抑或对它们的存在毫不在意？舞蹈剧既审视了人类的主观世界－它对纷杂的客观世界有着决定性作用，也昭示着人类对自身的重新定位能够促使我们正视主、客观世界的依存关系－Cornelia画笔下这些昆虫的悲剧遭遇何尝不昭示了我们对此种关系的轻视甚至埋没？编导构思该舞蹈剧试图让舞者在“动物性”（在人的身上表现动物的特征）和人类本身的理性状态之间互相转换，因为人是地球上唯一一种具有理性、可以合理掌控情感的生物。舞者在多重情境中穿梭，时而浸入角色演绎，时而回归生活中的本色和观众互动。这样的编排试图让观众领略到表演现场以外更广阔的空间和现实。视觉投影部分为舞台的节奏带来了心理转换和跳跃，作品原创背景音乐和音效来自于音乐人TL Pettersen。
编导介绍
nunu kong， 独立编舞家、演员，舞蹈策划人
13岁于北京舞蹈学院接受五年民间民族舞专业教育，2004年毕业于北京舞蹈学院编导专业，之后nunu定居上海与数位独立艺术家成立艺术家联盟“组合嬲”，联合创作《舌头对家园的记忆》获2006年苏黎世剧场艺术节“ZKB”金奖。
2007年起nunu kong 建立了自己的独立编舞项目brand nu Dance-“不乱扭” 独立制作，首个代表作品《问题“mama”》至今已在国际多个艺术节表演。 在之后的5年里nunu创作了包括《诗舞蹈-被遮蔽的荫》、《1晚5星级宾馆》、《一点点就够了》,《母象》和《第二十三页》等多部当代舞蹈作品，使她顽皮而鲜活的想象力和独特的肢体语言风格获得充分的发挥。
目前她专注于舞蹈的教育和拓展，持续开设系列工作坊，以挖掘和启发更多非专业背景的舞蹈爱好者对自身的表达和对舞蹈的认知。
演员介绍
囡囡，毕业于复旦大学社会学系，独立舞者/编舞，BM Space创建人之一，2007年开始与“不乱扭独立制作”合作紧密。
田丹妮，建筑学专业, 毕业于上海同济大学，从事职业建筑师。
余燕，文化市场管理，毕业于上海青年管理干部学院 现在工作于政府部门/内勤。
许00，美术史论，华东师范大学，自由职业
张韫峥(大峥) 油画专业，毕业于上海师范大学，现工作为中专美术老师
余育娇， 艺术设计数码专业， 毕业于上海大学美术学院，现从事多媒体展示策划。
brand nu Dance 不乱扭独立制作 (http://brandnudance.we23.org)
由nunukong于2007年创建，是一个基于上海并向世界开放的舞蹈组织，也是一支以独立编舞家及剧场表演者为主体的不固定创作团队，专注并探索中国当代舞的创作与发展，协助组织和策划独立艺术家新作品展演及介绍，极力支持和鼓励原创。
BM(身体·音乐)空间 (www.bmspace.org)
由声音艺术家殷漪和舞蹈编导刘亚囡于2011年在上海创建的表演艺术平台。艺术家们可以通过演出／工作坊/讲座等形式与大众分享其作品／观念／经验。它为舞蹈、肢体剧场及实验音乐领域的艺术家们提供了交流的可能性，同时也为国内外的独立艺术家／团体架起了一座桥梁。