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Recording: 2021-08-14 , Tanz im August | HAU1 Hebbel am Ufer (Video © Walter Bickmann)

Choy Ka Fai

Postcolonial Spirits

Tanz im August | HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU1)

Production Details / Press Releases

As part of his ongoing project “CosmicWander”, Berlin­based Singaporean artist Choy Ka Fai offers a new perspective on the Indonesian folk dance – Dolalak. Originating from the island of Java, Dolalak has continuously adapted to pop culture and evolved with social media. It stems from traditional Javanese dance mixed with imitations of colonial Dutch soldiers at cosplay parties in the 1930s. The trance ritual is accompanied by songs of local myths, political banter and Islamic poems.

Inspired by the multi­dimensional heritage of Dolalak, “Postcolonial Spirits” presents a telepresence experience with the performers from Java, who are connected via livestream and the performer Vincent Riebeek, who is present live in Berlin. In perceiving established cultural and historical rituals through the lens of contemporary technology, Choy opens up a liminal space in which dance transcends colonial resistance, power and fantasy.

Choy Ka Fai is a Berlin-based Singaporean artist. His multidisciplinary art practice is situated at the intersection of dance, anthropology, media art and performance. With his research expeditions and documentary performances, he appropriates technologies and narratives to imagine new futures for the human body. Ka Fai’s projects have been presented at major institutions and festivals worldwide, including Sadler’s Wells (Lon- don), ImPulsTanz Festival (Vienna) and Singapore Art Museum. He graduated with an MA in Design Interaction from the Royal College of Art, London and was a resident artist at Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin and tanzhaus nrw, Düsseldorf. Tanz im August welcomes him back after showing his work “SoftMachine” in 2015.
www.ka5.info

[Source: play bill]

TFB Nr. 1552

Cast & Credits

Concept, Documentary, Narration, Direction: Choy Ka Fai
Supernatural presence: Raden Mas Sosro
Dramaturgy: Tang Fukuen
Choreography & Performance: Vincent Riebeek, Andri Kurniawan
Assistant director: Darlane Litaay
Music & Sound Composer: Yennu Ariendra
Live Music Performer: J. Mo’ong Santosa Pribadi
Vocalists: Nova Ruth, Andri Kurniawan
3D Visual design & Technology: Brandon Tay
Visual artist: Sven Gareis / telematique
Light design, Installation, Technical direction: Ray Tseng
Set design: Dan Lancea
Props design: Soy Division
Costume (Berlin): Justyna Gmitrzuk
Costume tailoring (Indonesia): Mr.Harjito
Heritage consultation: Dolalak Budi Santoso Group
Research Assistant: Sanne van Aalderen
Project manager: Mara Nedelcu
Production manager, Research & Translation (Indonesia): Sekar Handayani
Creative producer (Indonesia): Jala Adolphus
Administration: Franziska Hauser

roduction: Choy Ka Fai in cooperation with Tanz im August / HAU Hebbel am Ufer Berlin. Supported by: The Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe, Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The research process is supported by: The National Arts Council, Singapore, the VERTIGO project as part of the STARTS program of the European Commission, based on technological elements from Moving Digits.

Tanz im August 2021
Artistic Director: Virve Sutinen
Executive Producer Festival: Stefan Nagel
Curator & Producer: Andrea Niederbuchner
Producer & Assistant to Artistic Director: Alina Scheyrer-Lauer
Producer & Logistics: René Dombrowski
Production: Monica Ferrari, Florian Greß, Johanna Herrschmann, Mmakgosi Kgabi, Ben Mohai, Charlotte Werner
Technical Director Festival: Ingo Ruggenthaler
Tanz im August is a festival by HAU Hebbel am Ufer, funded by the Capital Cultural Fund.

HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU1)

Stresemannstr. 29
10963 Berlin

hebbel-am-ufer.de
Map

Tickets: +49 (0)30 259 004 27
tickets@hebbel-am-ufer.de

Video Documentation

The video documentation is produced on behalf of the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. The purpose of this contract is to document productions in the field of contemporary dance in Berlin. The master recordings are archived by the University Library of the Berlin University of Arts. Copies of the recordings on DVD are available for viewing exclusively in the reference collections of the following archives (at media desks in these institutions):

University Library of the Berlin University of Arts
Mediathek für Tanz und Theater des Internationalen Theaterinstituts / Mime Centrum Berlin
Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin (HZT)

Choy Ka Fai / Trailers and Video Documentations

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