Last weekend Kun-Yang Lin and Dancers brought us into their studio at Chi Movement Art Center in preparation for their event at the Annenberg Center, April 12-13, 2019. This year has been heavily compared to previous seasons for KYL/D, with added performances at the Performance Garage and at the Esperanza Art Center just two weeks ago. Usually there is one event every year that builds immensely into a multi-textural performance.
They jumped right into the rehearsal of SPRING 101, and a lesson in Chi technique that . The program for next month’s performance is made into a retrospective of Kun-Yangs early work in the first half and in the second half exhibits his most recent work as well as Lin’s 101st piece- SPRING 101, a world premiere.The capability of these dancers is diverse in their personal dance styles.Through movement and emotion, drama and improv articulates the story about dance and the commonality between religions, backgrounds, ethnicities, and sexual/ gender roles. This company thrives in the nonrepresentational and makes it less abstract for dancers and non dancers.
Through the exploration of our breathe in the study of Chi movement Kyl/D instructed excerpts from the upcoming event at the Annenberg. The LAND(2000), MOON(1992), and CHI(2002) were moments in Lin’s growth after moving to the United States from London and exploring themes about his identity. The dancers picked up on visceral images of the body with certain forms which assembled together or in solo performances among the company utilize contact inwardly and outwardly. For example, one of the dancers is lifted into the air, and a loftiness as she floats across the stage will be a scene to look out for. The arms and legs of the dancers redirect our perspective on the stage to interest us in the transformation of traveling to a new place.
Another irreplaceable moment during the open rehearsal was the meditative state that flooded in a green transient light over the company. The bodies of the dancers in a way to find ‘one’ with God, joy, or a divine being in the universe relate to a difficulty that we find in THE LAND. CHI is the essence of life, finding joy in life, and meaning for ourselves.The interesting part to the rehearsal was the connection of our life and nature, memory of place, and certitude in ourselves.
The last part of the rehearsal discussed the artistic process of dancing without music. Flower duets, the interaction with baroque music , and the emphasis of starting and finishing carried over a unique identity to the work of Kun-Yang Lin and Dancers. The meaning of movement in the core of the dancers and the intrinsic feeling of acquiring a new understanding to our daily life accumulate into a prolific rendering of light, music, and drama.