Dua Space Dance Theatre’s main focus is tackling environmental issues, writes Loong Wai Ting
LET’S face it: We are our own biggest threat to Earth’s biodiversity. Unless changes are made, things are going to end badly for all of us. Despite the numerous call to action to save the planet, including using theatre to spread words about the environment, many remain apathetic.
Plays or performances about the environment may sound preachy and dull for those who are used to action and romance-themed productions, but Dua Space Dance Theatre is about to change all that.
The Puchong-based theatre company is re-staging its widely-received dance production, Black And White @ Variation for the third time.
First staged in 2010 and then the following year, the work combines contemporary dance and moving messages about the reckless damage to Mother Nature. In the face of calamities, the dance company wants to send a silent appeal to the audience: Stop being selfish and start saving the environment before it’s too late.
Anthony Meh, the creative force behind the production, says: “The environmental issue is a global problem. We want to share what we see and feel around us. It may have started as a creative storytelling effort but now, there’s a sense of urgency in its theme and messages. What’s in store for us if we are constantly plagued by calamities brought upon by our own greed and ignorance?”
“As part of this planet’s inhabitants, it’s the least we can do to plant a seed of consciousness and spread awareness among ourselves. So far, the audience both at home and abroad love our idea,” says Meh, whose recent works such as The Lotus Sutra, Spring Dream Of Cheongsam, Anak Malaysia and The Story Of Lin Lian Geok, have all been well-received.
Besides Malaysia, Black And White @ Variation was staged at the Guangzhou Dance Festival in 2011 and at the Beijing International Dance Festival the following year.
However, an unforgettable incident in Beijing made Meh even more adamant in bringing back the production. In 2012, Beijing recorded an unusual heavy rainfall, the heaviest in 60 years. It was quickly submerged under water. The floods displaced thousands of residents, killed 37 and left thousands more stranded at the airport, including Meh and his team. There was a public outcry blaming the lack of warning and the inadequacy of the drainage system.
“Due to the floods, our plane could not land at the Beijing International airport. We ended up circling the airspace for an hour before making a slow descent. By then, everyone was so exhausted and scared. I was already thinking of the worst case scenario. We have brought troubles on ourselves because of our ignorance towards Mother Nature.”
The 75-minute performance is divided into five chapters. In Black And White Apple, the performance is inspired by the story of Adam and Eve. It is about humanity leaving the beautiful world and walking into a mournful life. It is a life of neither white nor black. In the second chapter, Black Snake In The White, the black snake is used as a metaphor for destruction of all things beautiful, including nature.
Next, in Black And White Path In The Invisible City, human’s selfishness, greed and self-interest are explored through dance and lighting effects. Betrayal is the main theme in Family Indifferent Of Black And White, where people including family members turn their backs on one another. Rewind From Black And White sees the dancers returning to their original pure and innocent form. It is here that they finally understand that human greed is the cause of environmental and moral destruction.
Told in the form of poetry and prose, these performances have become an imaginative, interesting and engaging pieces in addressing environmental-change issue, without sounding overly preachy.
“I believe in co-existence among the living things in this world. Whatever we do is inter-related. For example, our action will affect the environment and vice versa,” says Meh.
Leading the group of dancers and making sure that their technical abilities are perfect to a T is Aman Yap, one of Dua Space Dance Theatre’s co-founders. In the beginning of the show, Yap plays an angel with a pair of black and white wings sprouting from his back.
“I incorporate a lot of different dance movements in our routine. There’s also some tribal-inspired dance where our body sway with the music,” says Yap, demonstrating some moves while seated. Besides that, he also uses black and white balloons to represent the living things in the world.
“We have divided the dancers in two groups, one will have white balloons (a symbol of innocence) strapped all over their bodies while the other group will carry black balloons. Naturally, the one with black balloons, the obvious villain, will try to destroy the group with the white balloons,” he says.
There were times when the balloons exploded or came loose during mid-performance. “It has happened before but it’s not something you get to see every time. We always tell ourselves that the balloons are not a prop but a part of us like a layer of skin,” says Yap.
As for the narration, Meh leaves room for his audience to draw their own conclusion. “We try to keep the surprise element going by stating less about storyline. But it’s not complicated or hard to grasp because what you see is what you get. Some of the audience prefer to come just for the experience,” he says.
Black And White @ Variation
WHEN Nov 17 and 18 (8.30pm), and Nov 20 (3pm)
WHERE Pentas 1, KLPaC
TICKET PRICE RM30 to RM100
Call 03-8070 0890 or 018-2071005
Email dance@duaspace.com.my or check out www.facebook.com/duaspace