Extensions and ensemble

It's not yet time for the annual French-Thai collaboration known as La Fete but already the French Embassy is working with Chulalongkorn University’s Department of Dramatic Arts in presenting A.lter S.essio’s “EXTension(-)” as well as a five-day workshop titled “Ascensio”. 

If the troupe’s name sounds familiar, it’s because they were here as recently as last June as part of La Fete. On that occasion, Pichet Klunchun performed in their “Loss”, a duet with A.lter S.essio’s choreographer and performer Yum Keiko Takayama, in front of a capacity crowd at Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts. 

The troupe’s director, audio-visual artist Fabrice Planquette, reflects on that “very interesting” experience in our interview.

“Pichet is a wonderful person and a very good artist,” he enthuses. “The exercise was really difficult because we came with a piece already made – sound, video, stage design and dramaturgy. And he had to live his own experience in this environment. He did it very well and offered a new perspective on this performance.”

Before Bangkok, A.lter S.essio will stop in Singapore to perform the solo work “Loss-Layers”.

“When we were on our Asia tour in May and June, we received an invitation from the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival,” Planquette says.

“Also during that tour, we met some people in this area who gave us the will to go further with them. The ‘World Performances @ Drama Chula’ programme is also a great opportunity to live another experience with people.”

An audio-visual performance of contemporary dance, “Loss-Layers” is described as “a series of situations, actions and images about the fear of the loss of identity, about who you are and who you must become in order to live in this antagonistic world”.

Planquette is quick to point out the differences between “Loss” and “Loss-Layers”, which is being performed by Takayama in Singapore this coming weekend, 

“The two versions take really different approaches to the same piece. In the duo ‘Loss’, we can see in parallel two ways to manage a ‘borderline’ situation. In the solo version ‘Loss-Layers’, the relation may be more intimate and that’s also because the dramaturgy proposes progress through the individual. The confrontation begins with something from outside and continues with problematic states of mind – fear, regret, cynicism, for example.”

As for “EXTension (-)”, he says, “At the beginning we thought the EXTension(s) project would be a duet with two polarities. We imagined it as an alternative to a part of ‘ENDurance’ called ‘Falling’. Step by step, we understood that this polarity could be only for one person. It’s a diptych and a dilogy, a complement and a sequel. This project explores two different strategies of emancipation –detachment and confrontation, avoidance and acceptance. Particularly for ‘EXTension(-)’, we focused on the question of the sacred. It’s a kind of extraction, the reverse narrative of a body’s alienation, its burial. It’s also a process towards liberation within a redefinition of sacred time and space through which ambivalent female figures move, a shift from the vertical to the horizontal.

“Actually all of our performances are linked,” Planquette continues. “‘EXTension(-)’ and ‘EXTension(+)’, which is not yet ready, are the sequels to ‘Loss-Layers’ and ‘ENDurance’. It’s a progression in a human journey. The starting point of all is failure or lack.”

After a one-night-only performance of “EXTension(-)”, Planquette and Takayama will conduct the five-day “Ascensio” workshop as “an opening to both the work of the group but also to the world of each performer regardless of their level of practice”. 

“Due to the limited time during La Fete, we only had the opportunity to work with Pichet”, Planquette says, adding that he hopes the workshop will give the troupe time to “make our knowledge of contemporary performance in Thailand clearer”.

“Actually with this workshop, we are beginning a new process to evaluate the possibility of new collaborations,” he says.

Planquette adds that differences in styles and techniques are welcome and stresses that the workshop is open to the general public, amateur and professional dancers – non-dancers too.

“Choreographers, actors or performers, programmers, sound designers, visual artists, and others from various disciplines are also invited to participate in order to improve the object. ‘Ascensio’ involves all elements in performance we work with. 

“The protocol is very simple but it offers many possibilities,” Planquette says.

“It’s a laboratory that takes themes developed in other pieces, but that is mostly an excuse to meet new people, sharing and exchange.”

As for the future, “We’re always working on something. For now, it’s ‘EXTension(+)’ which we hope to present soon. And we’re beginning to think about the two next works, ‘Surface’ and ‘Ensemble’ – the former being a solo version of the latter and both relating to the theme of emancipation. We’ll explore this potential during the five-day workshop. For us it’s also an opportunity to evaluate the chance to go further in the ‘Ensemble’ project.”

 

Special thanks to French Embassy’s Benoit Etienne and Asma Sentira for all their assistance.

 

TWO SOLOS AND A WORKSHOP

- As part of the M1 Singapore Fringe Festival 2015, A.lter S.essio’s “Loss-Layers” is at Esplanade Theatre Studio on Friday and Saturday at 8pm. Tickets are SGD 22 (Bt 550), at www.Sistic.com.sg. For more, log on to www.SingaporeFringe.com

- “EXTension(-)” is on January 20 at 7.30pm at Chulalongkorn University’s Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts. Tickets are Bt600 (Bt300 for students; Bt400 for artists and under-27s) at www.ShowBooking.com. For details, call (02) 218 4802, (081) 559 7252 or check www.Facebook.com/dramaartschula

-The “Ascensio” workshop runs from January 21 to 25 from 1 to 6pm. Admission is free admission. To attend, e-mail [email protected].