everyday marion forces us to take the non-choreographer's oath...

kertas mahjong - movement from everyday life

kertas mahjong - quality of movement dan lain-lain

kertas mahjong - corak lantai

kertas mahjong - boxspots!

kertas mahjong - basic prinsip-prinsip choreography

Unrequited

Skindive's "No More Good Guys" is the song that I will be using for our final project. I heard this song on the final episode of Season One in "Queer as Folk", just after a tragic bashing of one of the main characters.

I liked the sound of the song, which I felt was dead accurate, and went looking for the lyrics. Even within the pain of the song, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope and a searching for strength.

Soon I found the MP3 online, and after repeated listening, the song seemed to say that even from pain and suffering, if you looked deeper inside you'd find a reason to be hopeful.

It made me think of the line in Gubra, "It's like being in love with someone who won't love you back." And the pain that comes out of that.

I hope to use this song in a manner that tells all Malaysians that if we would take action, perhaps "the pain inside will stop".

Here are the lyrics:

I died today,
but I'm still breathing,
bleeding,
for now,
I'm broken.

You left me here,
Capsized and sinking,
thinking, right now,
there's no more good guys.

You left me standing here,
alone and colder,
I hope that some day soon,
the pain inside will stop.

You died today,
but you're still breathing,
in my mind,
that is,
there's no more good guys.

You left me standing here,
alone and colder,
I hope that some day soon,
the pain inside will stop
I hoped you'd see me,
I hoped you'd understand,
Or crucify me for my failings,
my cruel ambition,
hardly justified,
and the pain inside will ... stop.

Choreography with Text

A short exercise to develop work from text.

My text:

I fear for flickering images of me atrophying in someone's mailbox, and then to be re-cast like a bad pirate VCD on someone's memory. Like a photograph that no longer flatters its subjects. Or like magazines out of time in the doctor's waiting room.

Strategy:

Each sentence, phrase or fragment - dissected into tableaus. I suggested we join the tableaus with individual improvisation. A free for all. Moments in time when all performers synched, and when they didn't. The 'didn't' would make the 'did' do more.



Methodology:

The tableaus came out of
1. flickering images
2. re-cast
3. photographs
4. doctor's waiting room

I asked team members to interpret the above phrases, and selected from among what was done. Every choreo-phrase started and ended with the selected frieze. Within it - a free-for-all moment.

Choreography for Non-Choreographers participants

Adrian Kisai works at the Five Arts Centre.

Gabrielle Low has worked in non-profit organisations and theatre.

Hari Azizan is an awkward-moving writer who wants the world to move as awkwardly.

James Lee is a fulltime filmmaker, part-time theatre practitioner, sometime photographer, and is rarely romantic.

June Tan is a biologist from Imperial College London who manages toxic waste for the oil and gas industry.

Kiew Suet Kim works as an assistant producer in a theatre company, and is an award-winning theatre director and an actor for theatre and film.

Mac Chan is a fulltime / part-time lighting designer.

Mark Teh, not Mark The. Akshen, not Action.

Myra Mahyudin wants to take more pictures.

Pang Khee Teik is editor of Kakiseni.com. He takes himself too seriously. Someone has to.

Vernon Adrian Emuang is in chronic denial of how old he is.

Wyn Hee doesn’t have a proper job & hopes to become famous.

old school contemporary! Einstein on the Beach (1982)

Marion D'Cruz and Dancers photo history - Playground (1999)

Marion D'Cruz and Dancers photo history - Dance Tonpu II (1996)

Marion D'Cruz and Dancers photo history - Let Me Speak (1994)

Marion D'Cruz and Dancers photo history - Alter Art (1991)

Marion D'Cruz and Dancers photo history - Urn Piece (through the years)

Marion D'Cruz CV

Marion D’Cruz is a founder member, executive producer and resident choreographer of Five Arts Centre which was formed in 1984. Five Arts Centre is a performing and visual arts collective of artists and producers dedicated to generating alternative art forms and images in the Malaysian creative environment.

Contemporary social and cultural issues impinging on Malaysian life are precipitated by the Centre by way of exhibitions, performances, and creative and research workshops. The Centre's activities include drama, dance, music, young people's theatre (including Teater Muda and Theatre-in-Education) and the visual arts.

Marion is also artistic director of Marion D’Cruz and Dancers which was formed in 1983.


ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS

BA (Hons) Performing Arts, University Science Malaysia, Penang - 1977

MA Dance, University Science Malaysia, Penang - 1979. Thesis entitled “Joget Gamelan - A Study of its Contemporary Practice”.

DANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY STUDIES

Classical Ballet. With Celia Lustig, Johore Ballet School.

Malay Classical and Folk Dance

• Terinai. With Dr. Chandrabanu, University Science Malaysia.
• Terinai. With the late Pak Meh of Perlis, University Science Malaysia.
• Joget Gamelan. With Ahmad Omar, National Culture Complex.
• Joget Gamelan. With the late Mak Adnan of Trengganu.
• Silat and other forms. With Dr. Mohamad Ghouse Nasaruddin, University Science Malaysia.
• Silat and other forms. With National Culture Complex.

Indian Classical Dance (Bharata Natyam). With Dr. Chandrabanu, University Science Malaysia and Mr. Bhaskar, Singapore.

Javanese Court Dance. With Dr. Sudarsono, Dance Academy Indonesia, Jogjakarta.

Balinese Dance. With Anak Agung Anom Putera, Bali and Pak Wayan Dia, Jakarta.

Contemporary Dance.

• The Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, New York.
• The Merce Cunningham School, New York.
• The Ruth Curier School, New York.

Choreography, Labanotation, Movement Studies.

• The Laban Institute, London.
• The Laban Institute of Movement Studies, New York.

PERFORMANCE AND CHOREOGRAPHY

Major Works

War on Iraq. 2003. Piece choreographed for the MyDance Festival 2003. Kuala Lumpur.

Curfew. 2002. Worked with choreographer Judimar Monfils. Contemporary dance concert. Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia Boleh! 2001. Piece choreographed by Marion D’Cruz for the MyDance Festival 2001, Kuala Lumpur.

Lear. 1999. Japan Foundation Asia Center production directed by Ong Keng Sen. Berlin and Copenhagen.(performance)

Playground. 1999. Five Arts Centre production choreographed by Marion D’Cruz and Aida Redza.

Swan Song. 1998, 1996, 1993, 1992, 1988. Marion D’Cruz and Dancers. Ipoh, Penang, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Vienna, Hong Kong. (choreography and performance)

The Reluctant Saint. 1997. The Redemptorist Order production directed by Anne James. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. (choreography)

Dance Tonpu II. 1996. Collaboration with Keiko Takeya Contemporary Dance Co. Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur. (choreography and performance)

Savages. 1995. The Actors Studio Theatre production directed by Joe Hasham. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography)

Suara Rimba. 1994. Five Arts Centre production directed by Janet Pillai. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography)

Let Me Speak. 1994. Marion D’Cruz and Dancers. Five Arts Centre production. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography and performance)

Nagraland. 1992. A Dick Lee Musical directed by Krishen Jit. Singapore, Tokyo, Fukuoka, Osaka, Sendai, Nagoya, Hong Kong. (choreography)

Alter Art. 1991. Five Arts Centre. Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. (choreography and performance)

New Directions ‘88. 1988. Marion D’Cruz and Dancers. Five Arts Centre production. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography and performance)

Solo ’86. 1986. Marion D’Cruz and Dancers. Five Arts Centre production. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography and performance)

1984 Here and Now. 1985. Five Arts Centre production directed by Krishen Jit. Kuala Lumpur. (choreography)

The Cord. 1984. Five Arts Centre production directed by Krishen Jit. Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Singapore. (choreography)

Sintesis ’84. 1984. Marion D’Cruz and Dancers. Five Arts Centre production. Kuala Lumpur, Penang. (choreography and performance)

Solo Marion D’Cruz. 1982. Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Seremban, Johor Baru, Ipoh, Penang, Singapore, London. (choreography and performance)

Ramayana. 1981. Collaboration with Asian Artists. New York, Boston. (choreography and performance)

Wrong Guys. 1981. Mabou Mines production directed by Ruth Malecheck. The Public Theatre, New York. (choreography)

The Tempest. 1981. Shakespeare in the Park directed by Lee Bruer. The Public Theatre, New York. (choreography)

Tirai. 1981. Collaboration with Asian Artists. La Mama, New York. (choreography and performance)

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

The One Academy - School of Communication Design. Survey of Malaysian Culture. 1995-present. Art and Culture in South East Asia. 1999-present.

National Arts Academy. History of Dance, Movement for Actors, Improvisation, Dance Ethnology, Dance Aesthetics and Appreciation. 1997-present.

Prime College. A-Level Programme. General Paper. 1989-1993.

Kolej Damansara Utama. American Degree Programme. English Composition. 1988-1989.

Fairview International School. English Language and Literature. 1983-1986.

National Culture Complex. Choreography. 1981-1983

University Science Malaysia. Performing Arts Tutor. 1977-1979.

AWARDS

American Field Service (AFS) Student Exchange Programme, California. 1971.

Asian Cultural Council grant to study at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, New York. 1981.

United States Information Service (USIS) award to attend the American Dance Festival, Durham, North Carolina. 1986.

The British Council grant to attend the Dance Umbrella Festival, London. 1998.

Australian High Commission Cultural Award Scheme to attend the Adelaide Performing Arts Market, Adelaide. 2000.

The Krishen Jit Experimental Workshop Series 2006

The Choreography for Non-Choreographers project is part of the Krishen Jit Experimental Workshop Series.

Huh?

The Krishen Jit Experimental Workshop Series is Five Arts Centre's tribute to the work of Malaysian theatre legend Krishen Jit (1939-2005). While his art is lauded for its unflinching search for emotive expression through experimentalism, Krishen's greater legacy remains with those he has left behind - the practitioners of performing arts today.

Five Arts Centre believes that it is best to honour and pay tribute to one man's dedication by demonstrating that his vision is very much alive and endures in the lives of those he has touched and inspired.

The project consists of a series of six workshop performances to be staged throughout 2006, focusing on experimental approaches and the exploration of ideas, perpetuating the energy and inspiration Krishen brought to exploring art forms in Malaysia.

Each workshop will be an attempt to generate original, experimental work through an approach guided by the zeal and commitment exemplified by Krishen during his career. The workshops must produce original work. They will not be a rehash of Krishen's past productions nor are they confined to attempts at applying Krishen's 'style' or 'method'. Rather, each workshop performance within the series will provide its creator with an avenue for exploration. Since its aim is to allow individuals to explore, the series will avoid conventional genre labels such as visual arts, music, theatre, dance, etc. While each workshop performance should be experimental, the definition of the term is left to the individual initiating the workshop performance.

Apart from Choreography for Non-Choreographers, the other projects in the Krishen Jit Experimental Workshop Series include:

• Baling (membaling), led by Mark Teh.
• In 1969, led by Chee Sek Thim.
• Ensemble Performance Project, led by Akshen.
• Adjudicating Sita, led by Anne James.
• Wayang Kulit, led by Fahmi Fadzil.

More details can be found at www.fiveartscentre.org.