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《盤》Pán (2020/2021)

Artistic Direction & Concept: Kuik Swee Boon
Pán – SeungMu: Choreography, Music Composition & Arrangement: Kim Jae Duk
Pán – The Notion of Transculturation: Choreography: Kuik Swee Boon in collaboration with the performers; Music: Wang Yu-Jun
Pán – Epilogue: Collaboration between Kuik Swee Boon, Kim Jae Duk, Wang Yu-Jun and performers
Lighting & Spatial Design: Adrian Tan
Costume Design: Loo An Ni 
Performers: Brandon Khoo, Fiona Thng, Klievert Jon Mendoza, Nah Jieying, Ng Zu You and Haruka Leilani Chan
Original Cast in 2020’s Creation Process: Anthea Seah
Masters of Ceremony & Performers: Tung Ka Wai and Wheelsmith (Danial Bawthan)

Alluding to both choreographers’ cultural roots, ‘盤’ is a word commonly used by Mandarin-speaking cultures around the world, that also exists in the native vocabularies of the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese. Represented in its traditional form, the Mandarin title《盤》draws upon the allegorical Chinese creation myth ‘Pangu’, a fabled being whose colossal body fragments to transform into all elements of nature. The tale of ‘Pangu’ serves as a starting point to investigate the notion of transculturation – as both a concept and present-day reality. Gathering the voices of different collaborators,《盤》Pán sets out to uncover if a shared positionality can be fashioned for our current times.

The playful imagery found in the Chinese character’s homophonic variants – ‘pán’ being the pin-yin romanisation of ‘盤’ and doubling up as its English title: a serving bowl, a large boulder, the crouched intensity of a giant feline, a coiling dragon.

These evocative meanings intertwine with Kuik’s explorative research, beginning in 2018, of the twin ideas of transculturation and positionality. Through《盤》Pán, Kuik urges the viewer to contemplate the deeper implications of the concept coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz in 1940:

Loosely defined, transculturation is the process of a continual merging and converging of cultures, where either side may stand to lose or gain its resident properties, or where both sides become enriched by a broad absorption of new and innovative elements. Consequent outcomes include neo-culturation (cultural renewal or regeneration) or de-culturation (cultural shrinkage).

The most striking feature of transculturation is the absence of any preconception regarding the evolutionary course that cultural transmogrification should take. The notion of positionality occupies this grey zone.

Moving from the abstract to the familiar, it is here where《盤》Pán hopes to advance new possibilities for the inclusion of diverse audiences and artists with disabilities.

VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS


Year in Review (2022)

premiere date NA


Infinitely Closer (2022)

premiere date 13–16 Oct 2022 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Hey Man! (2022)

premiere date 2–4 Dec 2022 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon & Kim Jae Duk


Helix (2022)

premiere date 2–4 Dec 2022 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon & Kim Jae Duk


Behind the Scenes of Infinitely Closer Pt 3

premiere date 13–16 Oct 2022 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Behind the Scenes of Infinitely Closer Pt 2

premiere date 13–16 Oct 2022 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Behind the Scenes of Infinitely Closer Pt 1

premiere date 13–16 Oct 2022 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Infinitely Closer (2022)

premiere date 13–16 Oct 2022 | Singtel Waterfront Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


T.H.E @ Tanzmesse (2022)

premiere date NA


Public Studio Classes (2022)

premiere date NA


Windward Side of the Mountain (2022)

premiere date 9–12 Jun 2022 | Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre | SAtheCollective, Nine Years Theatre & T.H.E Dance Company


Together We Rise (2022)

premiere date NA


Arts x Tech Lab (2021–2022)

premiere date Feb 2022 | National Museum of Singapore


PheNoumenon 360° Documentary (2020)

premiere date The Making of PheNoumenon: A 360° Immersive VR Experience《现·象 360°虚拟實境》with English Subtitles


Company Trailer

premiere date NA


What does T.H.E mean?

premiere date NA


Us (2021)

premiere date 3–5 Dec 2021 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Anthea Seah & Albert Tiong


An Impression (2021)

premiere date 3–5 Dec 2021 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Anthea Seah & Albert Tiong


liTHE (2021)

premiere date 16–18 Sep 2021 | Goodman Arts Centre Black Box | Nah Jieying, Klievert Jon Mendoza, Goh Jia Yin & Maybelle Lek


InterBeing (2021)

premiere date 25–26 Jun 2021 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Dimo Kirilov Milev & Jos Baker


《盤》Pán (2020/2021)

premiere date 22–23 May 2021 | Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre | Kuik Swee Boon & Kim Jae Duk


PheNoumenon (2019)

premiere date 12–14 Dec 2019 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon


Mr. Sign (2019)

premiere date 16–19 Jul 2019 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Un-form (2019)

premiere date 6 Apr 2019 | Supercell Festival | Kuik Swee Boon


Learning (2019)

premiere date 16–17 & 23–24 Mar 2019 | National Gallery Singapore | LPD'i & T.H.E Dance Company


Invisible Habitudes (2018)

premiere date 11–12 Oct 2018 | Esplanade Outdoor Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Filled with sadness, the old body attacks (2018)

premiere date 15–16 Jun 2018 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Impulse (2018)

premiere date 28 Mar–6 Apr 2018 | Esplanade | Kim Jae Duk


Cut Kafka! (2018)

premiere date 1–4 Mar 2018 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | T.H.E Dance Company and Nine Years Theatre


Mark 1 – Dialogue and Dance (2017)

premiere date 7–9 Dec 2017 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Water Bloom (2017)

premiere date 7–9 Dec 2017 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon


Perhaps Someone… (2017)

premiere date 7–9 Nov 2017 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Dimo Kirilov Milev


Borderline (2017)

premiere date 22–24 Jun 2017 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | T.H.E Dance Company and Muscle Mouth


Interview With Kim Jae Duk (2017)

premiere date NA


Pure (2016)

premiere date 1–2 Dec 2016 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon


As It Fades (2016)

premiere date 7–10 Sep 2016 | Daegu International Dance Festival | Kuik Swee Boon


Helix, in Progress (2016)

premiere date 20–21 May 2016 | SOTA Drama Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Silences We are Familiar With (2015)

premiere date 28–30 May 2015 | SOTA Drama Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Organised Chaos (2014)

premiere date 4–6 Dec 2014 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Rehearsal of As It Fades (2014)

premiere date 8–10 May 2014 | SOTA Drama Theatre | Kuik Swee Boon


Mr. Sign (2013)

premiere date 29 & 30 Nov 2013 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Mr Sign (2013)

premiere date 29 & 30 Nov 2013 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


Hey Man! (2012)

premiere date 7–9 Dec 2012 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kim Jae Duk


As Is (2012)

premiere date 7–9 Dec 2012 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Xing Liang


Remains Remain (2012)

premiere date 16 & 17 Mar 2012 | University Cultural Centre Theatre | Jeffrey Tan


RE:OK…BUT! (2011)

premiere date 3 & 4 Dec 2011 | Esplanade Theatre Studio | Kuik Swee Boon & Kim Jae Duk