This November, the Guangdong Dance Festival (GDDF) celebrates its 10th anniversary. Stemming from humble roots, over the space of a decade it has become one of the most important dance events in China, evolving from a sideline of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company to a government-funded and supported endeavor. Where once it was more of an in-the-know platform for artists to communicate with one another, in recent years the annual gala has made great strides towards involving the Guangzhou population at large, while simultaneously raising its profile by inviting exciting international troupes and supporting rising local talents.
Taking even greater strides into the community, this year sees the GDDF stage two dance carnivals on November 10 and 16, jam-packed with performances that are completely open to all. “Modern dance can be performed not just in theaters, but also in public area,” explains Director of GDDF Karen Cheung. “More than 25 shows will be staged on exotic Shamian Island, all for free.”
As well as these public performances, Grandview Plaza, the Garden Hotel and TaiKoo Hui are also holding gratis shows. Forums and classes are taking place in tandem for the duration of the festival, which runs November 9 to 16.
// The program is subject to change. For the most updated information and a full schedule, visit www.gdfestival.cn
Outdoor highlights on Shamian
In Search of the Grand View Garden
City Contemporary Dance Company
Founder and director of Hong Kong’s CCDC, Willy Tsao re-imagines Dream of the Red Chamber in a modern-day urban setting. Fourteen travelers discover an untouched garden and begin to envisage themselves as the colorful characters from one of China’s greatest literary classics.
Lucy’s Local Playlist; Fire and Air
Bowen McCauley Dance Company
Two pieces from this Virginia-based troupe are on display: Lucy’s Local Playlist, a collection of 11 pieces that pays homage to the indie music of Washington, D.C., and Fire and Air, a reworking of Shakespeare’s romantic tragedy, Antony and Cleopatra.
Ambivalence
Yuriko Suzuki
This Japanese dancer frequently explores the nature of a specific feeling through the body. Here, the emotion under the microscope is ambivalence, performed to the tune of ‘Il Dolce Suono,’ a famed aria that oscillates between haunting calm and occasional bursts of mania.
Ja Ja der Jodok
POGOensemble
Employing inflatable dolls and spontaneous movement, this work explores the idea of self-constructed friends. Based on a children’s story by Swiss author Peter Bichsel, it is one of the foremost pieces by all-female German trio POGOensemble.
Urban Distortion
t.r.a.n.s.i.t.s.c.a.p.e.
From within transparent bub
bles, dancers explore three widely differing cities: Hong Kong, Brussels and Mtwapa. Designed by artist Pierre Larauza and choreographer Emmanuelle Vincent, this mixed-media experience contrasts interacting cultures and forms of expression.
Dialogue with Lucinda
NBprojects
Two of choreographer Lucinda Childs’ minimalist silent pieces get a reworking. NBprojects’ artistic director, Nicole Beutler, takes the postmodern Radial Courses and Interior Drama and puts her own spin on them, emphasizing the ritual of repetition.
You Said You Loved Me
Kelvin Polack and Ning Xi
Polack (Netherlands) and Ning Xi (China) collaborate to produce a 20-minute dance inspired by Leonard Cohen’s music and centering on the meaning of love.
Label No Labels
Er Gao Productions
Guangzhou-based Er Gao is one of the foremost choreographers on the local dance scene. He’s performing several times throughout the duration of the festival, in particular Label No Labels, a work that employs movement, sound and props to define beauty.
In theaters
Micro-visionary
Guangdong Modern Dance Company
Chinese mainland’s oldest modern dance company performs for the opening evening’s entertainment. This work zooms in on the intimate emotional landscapes of life, laying them bare. // Nov 9, 7.30pm, RMB120-680. Friendship Theater, 696 Renmin Bei Lu, Yuexiu District 越秀区人民北路696号 (8666 8991)
Layer Code
BeijingDance/LDTX
The virtual world and the real world collide, in a dance that questions whether we relive the same life over and over again, like a computer rebooting and starting over. // Nov 12, 8pm, RMB120-350. No. 13 Theater, 13 Shaheding Xin Er Jie, Tianhe District 天河区沙河顶新二街13号 (8725 8626)
Dialogue with Lucinda
NBprojects
If you can’t make it to the November 16 free performance on Shamian Island, Dialogue with Lucinda is also being performed a few days earlier in the evening. // Nov 13, 8pm, RMB120-350. No. 13 Theater, 13 Shaheding Xin Er Jie, Tianhe District 天河区沙河顶新二街13号 (8725 8626)
Devorer le Ciel
Le Carré des Lombes
Mankind’s desire to reach for the sky is given physical interpretation here, as through several scenes people are shown trying to succeed in life. // Nov 14, 8pm, RMB120-350. No. 13 Theater, 13 Shaheding Xin Er Jie, Tianhe District 天河区沙河顶新二街13号 (8725 8626)
The Best Men Show
International male solo gala
Several male dancers take turns to show off their brawn and skill, fueled by testosterone and adrenaline to give a scintillating display of masculinity. // Nov 15, 8pm, RMB120-350. No. 13 Theater, 13 Shaheding Xin Er Jie, Tianhe District 天河区沙河顶新二街13号 (8725 8626)
// The program is subject to change. For the most updated information and a full schedule, visit www.gdfestival.cn
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