My work sprouts from a social concern, a place of intellectual curiosity, or simply an emotional response to everyday observations. Because I work with the body, it makes sense to me to start with people, their stories, movement preferences, personalities, desires and needs. Sometimes it is useful to think of choreography as objectified tasks such as simply articulating a joint, defining moving elements, or devising a vocabulary that replicates and evolves. I am curious about the combination of both perspectives: about the emotions that are inherent in twists and rotations brought with articulating the range of motion in our joints, about an arabesque that bears meaning in the context of balance and conflict, about exchanges of body weights that reflect power hierarchy, and about chaos that is supported by a hidden logic.
Coming from a Theater background prior to Dance, movements alone is never sufficient to fully realize my artistic vision. I start with the body, but its relationship to text and objects almost always slips in during the process, whether or not they make it on stage with dancers in the end. Some of these relationships are evident in every day life, some of them only unveil in the creative space that an empty studio offers. Like fresh paint on a white canvas, there is immense possibility as to what these discoveries could reference or create in modern consciousness. The performance space is obliged to share these discoveries, or at least to reanimate stasis caused by habits and assumptions.
As a choreographer, my goal is therefore not to present and reinforce ideal bodies and movements in such space. Rather, I am curious about movements that are outside of common dance movement repertory. Often, they turn out to be inappropriate and ugly in the context of existing mannerism and aesthetics. In my work, bodies are entangled among forces of push and pull, momentum of opposing directions, and gravity of weight and lightness. Social movements are re-defined in new contexts or their form changed in yet recognizable nuance.
I do so by improvising or inventing scores with specific intentions in mind, some of them are human concerns, some are simply structural prompts or movement interests. Depending on whom and what subject I am working with, my work looks different, yet retaining an underlying voice that seems to speak a different language with each manifestation. Choreographing in this approach allows me to learn about people, myself, and our relationship to larger systems and patterns. That is why I create and continue to create.
What we do with that knowledge is up to individuals, I have chosen to keep making dances and work towards becoming an architect as ways of giving back to people, who remain the muse of my creativity, understanding, and passion.
portfolioweb.pdf
www.bigapedance.com
UPCOMING SHOWS...
Nothing as of now! Writing grants and applications... stay tuned!
dance CV FALL11.pdf
Please refer to CV for a full record of my past performances and creative activities.
Your feedbacks are important to me. If you have seen my work, and feel moved to say a sentence or two (or more), please feel free to do so! I appreciate your thoughts and continuous support. You can contact me to be put on the mailing list for future performances as well!
yinang_me.com
Rates are negotiable depending on nature of work and hours involved.
