Symmetry in motion
Despite a limited budget, the International Dance Festival is a global showcase
The Bangkok Art and Culture’s fourth annual Performative Art Festival is on a roll. The Bangkok Theatre Network’s 13th Bangkok Theatre Festival, “New View, New Eyes”, wrapped last night and the 15th edition of FriendsoftheArts Foundation’s International Dance Festival takes over on Thursday.
Festival director Vararom “Khru Tip” Pachimsawat says that despite the “We are Asean” theme, the dance festival is more of a reflection of the foundation’s own directions.
“ If you look at IDF’s lineup, we’ve been presenting works from three Asean Economic Community members – Singapore, Malaysia and of course Thailand,” says Khru Tip. “We haven’t found other interesting works from other AEC countries. And notwithstanding the reduced financial support, we’ve managed to pull this off for another year.”
The highlight performances from 10 countries have been either selected by the committee of FriendsoftheArts Foundation or recommended and supported by foreign embassies.
The opener on Thursday is a triple bill from Turkey’s Antalya State Opera and Ballet.
“The skills and techniques of these dancers are brilliant and this should be a good example if not an inspiration for our Thai dancers,” Khru Tip says.
There are also three works by two Italian companies. Oplas Theatre returns to IDF with “Itali” this Saturday, and then E.sperimenti GDO will present “Convergenze” on November 27 and another triple bill the following evening.
“This is like a second company of Oplas, based in a countryside town, and their works developed from workshops with Oplas’ director, so we’d like to see their performances as well,” Khru Tip explains.
IDF has been working with the Israeli embassy for many years and following last year’s highly acclaimed “Two Room Apartment” by Niv Sheinfeld and Oren Laor, audiences will this year get to watch Ronit Ziv’s double bill “In the Footsteps of Cassandra” and “Punch Line” on December 1 and 2.
“Thanks to all the information and YouTube links the embassy has been sending me, I’ve personally picked these two works, which fortunately also fit into their support budget,” Khru Tip says.
This year the festival welcomes for the first time Portugal’s Contemporary Dance Company Evora who will perform “Eros and Psyche” next Tuesday.
“I’ve been in contact with this company for many years and their works, with lots of movements, fit my personal taste of dance. It’s a visually striking work but then our space is not actually a theatre so we’re working on technical logistics to ensure it is the best we can provide.”
Another nottomiss show is “Physical Poetry # Meeting” by Germany’s Ulrich Gottlieb and Austria’s Mira Krotochwill.
In addition to May Yimsai and the Company of the Performing Artists (CPA) Thailand’s “Nothing Else Matters…But Dance”, budding Thai choreographers get to show their talents in “Young Choreographer Showcase”.
“This programme keeps developing over the years and we’ve been keeping track of local dancers and choreographers and giving them support. This year’s lineup includes, among others, a work by a student of International School Bangkok (ISB) and another by Nitipat “Ong” Pholchai’s Spine Party Movement.”
Get a move on
- The International Dance Festival runs from Thursday to December 6 in the fourth floor studio of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
- Highlight performances start at 7.30 nightly, except on Sundays, which have 2.30 matinees.
- Tickets are Bt600 to Bt1,800 at ThaiTicketMajor.
- There are also workshops and masterclasses. For details, check www.DanceFestival.info.
