紐約時報 NY TIMES review of "BONES" Deadpan Expresssions but Lively Connections in Acrobatic Tableaus

Here is the full Chinese translation of review from "BONES" performance in NY joyce theatre in April, 2009.

Notebook Date: 4.15.2009
Project: costume design
Event: Bones 骨
Event Date: premiere 10.02.2009 at National Experimental Theatre 國家實驗劇場
Presented by: Horse Dance Theatre 驫舞劇場
Title: Bones 骨
Choreographer: Wu-Kang Chen 陳武康���Wei-Chia Su 蘇威嘉���Shu-Yi Chou 周書毅���Tsung-Lung Cheng 鄭宗龍���Yu-Min Yang 楊育鳴
Dancers: 陳武康���蘇威嘉���周書毅���鄭宗龍���楊育鳴

costume design 服裝設計���Jordan K 高端人

舞評���ROSLYN SULCAS

翻譯���王序平

今年是艾略特���費爾德第二度具名邀請驫舞劇場���<wbr>五位才華洋溢男性所組成的台灣舞團���<wbr>至喬伊斯劇院參與費爾德主辦的「Mandance Project」。(譯註1���

費爾德與驫舞劇場二者間淵源極深──<wbr>身兼驫舞劇場創辦人與舞者的陳武康���是費爾德舞團的資深舞者���<wbr>而他與另一位驫舞舞者蘇威嘉���也都曾在另一套節目中演出。

週三與週四晚間���驫舞劇場演出實驗性怪誕的《骨》���<wbr>該作並非是喬伊斯劇院觀眾的習慣口味���<wbr>費爾德比起溫和派的喬伊斯劇院���更敢於向觀眾挑戰。���譯註2���

《骨》是驫舞劇場舞者的集體創作���其實並非難以下嚥。Yanni<wbr>ck Dauby包含了多元樂曲與工業聲音的創新音樂���<wbr>迴盪在呈扇形延展至四方的高大白牆中���舞台後方有扇門���舞者���<wbr>陳武康、蘇威嘉、周書毅、鄭宗龍和楊育鳴���<wbr>身著時下現代舞常見的緊身短褲和寬鬆T恤���穿梭其中。

一開始他們刻意以特殊的方式舞動���怪異的角度和身形���<wbr>在舞台上構成凍結般的畫面���他們的身形僵固���<wbr>但動作結構上卻表現出人類的關係連結���例如���<wbr>舞者將手平放在他人的胸前���然後往後墜入另一人的懷中���<wbr>然後被拉下舞台。

在近一個小時的演出中���這樣的肢體語彙隨處可見���<wbr>包括小心地相互連結著雜技表演般的身體���<wbr>不明確又出人意表的轉折���傾斜的肩膀���<wbr>以奇妙方式轉動著的手和臂膀���以及往地板墜落的身體。

肢體動作展現的熱烈情感���<wbr>一個表演者繞著舞台滿場追逐著另一個表演者���還脫掉他的衣服������<wbr>和舞者冷漠的態度間所產生的反差���也許正是《骨》<wbr>有時候顯得迂迴又晦澀的原因。<wbr>整個作品也偏向以平整規律的步調進行���<wbr>直至最後舞者相互追逐卻不碰觸���周書毅跳躍、摔落、<wbr>顫抖的獨舞部分才略顯不同。

然而���《骨》的演出仍是讓人覺得新鮮有趣���<wbr>是一部喬伊斯觀眾不常見到的時下現代舞作品。

譯註1���Mandance Project可譯為「男人跳舞計劃」���由Ballet Tech. Foundation主辦���艾略特���費爾德���Eliot Feld���擔任藝術總監及編舞家���每年在喬伊斯劇院演出���<wbr>為期二週。

譯註2���喬伊斯劇院成立於1872年���位於紐約市���<wbr>是座僅供舞蹈演出的劇院���選擇作品以鼓勵、<wbr>維持與教育觀眾參與活動為前提。過去曾邀請MOMIX魔妙秀表演<wbr>團、PILOBOLUS、荷蘭芭蕾舞團2、艾文���艾利舞團2、<wbr>芝加哥賀伯街舞團等。

2009 "Bones" costume review in Thirteen by Susan Yung "骨“ 服裝設計評論

Notebook Date: 4.06.2009
Project: costume design
Event: Bones 骨
Event Date: premiere 10.02.2009 at National Experimental Theatre 國家實驗劇場
Presented by: Horse Dance Theatre 驫舞劇場
Title: Bones 骨
Choreographer: Wu-Kang Chen 陳武康���Wei-Chia Su 蘇威嘉���Shu-Yi Chou 周書毅���Tsung-Lung Cheng 鄭宗龍���Yu-Min Yang 楊育鳴
Dancers: 陳武康���蘇威嘉���周書毅���鄭宗龍���楊育鳴

costume design 服裝設計���Jordan K 高端人

Horseplay

by Susan Yung

Horse, the male troupe from Taiwan presented by Eliot Feld’s Mandance Project, performed two evenings at the Joyce Theater recently. Wedged among eleven shows of Feld repertory, the evenings have in common the dancers Wu-Kang Chen and Wei-Chia Su. The company performed the US premiere of Bones, an austere work that edges away from a reliance on visual jokes and puns—horseplay, if you will.

The setting and costumes beg comparison to a Calvin Klein ad—in a good way. The five men wear different colored briefs and tees (costumes by Jordan Koh). They’re set against clean white walls with jagged angled tops lining the stage; with one swinging door for entrances, plus downstage openings (set by Jih-Chun Huang). As the show progresses, clothing is added and subtracted.

The movement is appealing in part because it looks like experimentation that anyone could do, but taken to an extreme—as if one rule was set and then followed to exhaustion. This “naïve” style alternates with flashes of virtuosity, pushing the limits of the technique to satisfy purists. Shu-Yi Chou, in particular, has an elegant, vivid line. Frenetic phrases of whipping legs and arms, or two dancers leaning on one another, can yield to complex, knotty trio work, or a would-be animal herd.

Velocity, seen here in 2008, contained more slapstick humor and use of props. In Bones, one funny segment features a man who, despite being chased and disrobed piece by piece by another dancer, doesn’t break stride. In another part, one man sits atop another to form a giant.

Set to “music details” by Yannick Dauby, some of the sections blur together in the mind or run on a bit long, but there is a basic curiosity and sweetness that appeals. I just hope the company doesn’t completely lose the sense of humor that sets them apart.

Photo: Chiang Chih Chen 陳長志