Dam Van Huynh choreographic work about overcoming
Van Huynh Company present, Re:birth, a dance work which retraces choreographer Dam Van Huynh’s personal experience of rediscovery to explore universal themes of displacement. The work stirs emotions through a collage of visual impressions, sensations, long forgotten stories, memories, and dreams. As it moves from a state of disorientation into a state of consciousness, Re:birth presents a hopeful transformation for displaced people to find community and be reborn.
Re:birth is a heightened sensory experience that intends to invoke feelings experienced by displaced people and to give the audience space to reflect on broader societal issues. The movement responds to a field of light by Patricia Roldán Polo and a sound environment composition by Martyna Poznanska to create a psychedelic and hypnotising environment. Van Huynh’s long term collaborator British Afro-Caribbean vocalist, movement artist and composer Elaine Mitchener MBE performs alongside the dancers in the work. ‘I am interested in the impact of movement on the voice and how it changes and manipulates the sound. I was very struck by the choreographic language Dam was exploring - the rhythm and sound of movement’ says Mitchener about their collaboration.
Re:birth exemplifies a constant theme within Van Huynh’s work which deals with challenging stereotypes and empowering the voices of those who are not able to speak for themselves. Although not overtly about immigration, it looks to reframe the concept of a refugee as a brutalised victim asking us instead to acknowledge the richness of experience and find a universal humanity.
Re:birth: Tuesday 14 November 2023: The Place, London, WC1H 9PY
Further Information: Re:birth | The Place