SARAH'S SUNDAY SCOOP FROM SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2016

By: Sarah Trested

PICS OF REHEARSAL

Kun-Yang’s work entitled HOME/S. 9th St. (a.k.a Home) carries the audience through an abstract adventure exploring the immigrant experience. I have personally never left the United States and I can’t imagine what it would be like to move to another country. Many people everyday decide to make the move from one country to another in search of a better life. The idea of freedom and opportunity is enough to drive people to move to a place that is unknown.

Home has several sections that unfold the process of migrating: the transportation from one place to another, arrival in a new land, the interrogation that is faced, and other experiences of alienation and assimilation. While watching the piece it made me question why people have such a difficult time respecting and understanding other cultures. The melting pot that is the United States is made up of so many languages and cultures; it is what makes the United States such a unique place to live and grow. To confront the topic more directly towards the viewers, the dancers often break the 4th wall by talking straight to the audience which significantly increased my engagement and made the experience feel more personal.

One question that intrigued me during this rehearsal:

Question/Problem: How is the space around us moving? What is our relationship to space?

Answer/Solution: We must take notice of not only our relationship to the room we are in but also the relationship to other people and objects in the room. Find ways to include the space around you in your dancing and use it to help you succeed, rather than just ignoring it. Let the space around you and how it moves inspire your own movement. The space you are in is immensely useful for drawing inspiration and it dictates the way you move, whether or not you initially notice it.

Kun-Yang inspires his dancers to draw connections with the space around them in their dancing by talking to them while they perform solo and group sections and by giving visual imagery to stimulate their imagination. Whether it be the physical room; audience; lighting; each other; props, etc. nothing should go unnoticed or unused.

*HOME/S. 9th St. premiered at FringeArts in 2015, and since then has changed the majority of its cast. Home is being performed again at the Kaatsbaan International Dancer Center on November 12, 2016. Click here to learn more!

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