Redefining Movement

Balancing_KV1_Banner_Desktop

224/25 Season
Balancing - The movement of consciousness

Consciousness is never fixed: our instinctive perceptions and conscious responsiveness always evolve, each one building on the chances and choices we encounter in our lives. Starting from points of confusion and uncertainty, our consciousness can pivot towards innovations of form and function or shift the weight of our personal focus without needing pre-determined processes, defined outputs, or even the need for an ‘end’ goal. By following its integrity and freedom, the movement of our individual and collective consciousness can balance the demands of resilience and promises of refinement.

In reconstructing movement in this new world order, the dialectical inquiry of our body-mind with its instincts and reflections has much to offer. Even if art may not result in tangible “real-world” changes, its potential to influence human consciousness can lead to unexpected adjustments and modifications thereafter. By exploring different approaches to the art of balance and balancing, we can pioneer new models of body-mind awareness without the need to rush towards productivity. But rather than arrive at a method of achieving equilibrium, it is the distributed activity of acting and counteracting, of calibrating momentums, and of (re)directing motions that can inspire an enhanced consciousness to engage with present and emerging challenges ahead.

International expands our unique repertoire of works to a global audience.

30th March to 5th April 2024
Hong Kong – RawGround: Breathing
(HK/SG edition)

Stutter (Japan Tour)

“How has your internal ‘tempo’ changed over the past two years?”

Covid has forced us to adapt to new and unexpected circumstances, resulting in the disruption of pacing within and between people. Consciously or unconsciously, we have had to adjust our inner timings and rhythms to fit this uncertainty. As parts of the world stop and start, open up and lock down, the effects continue.

The artists conducted sessions exploring how participants’ pacing has changed between three periods of time: pre-Covid, the heaviest lockdowns and now. Through a series of sessions involving discussion alongside movement, sound and visual experiments, each participant compiled their own collection of pacing graphs. We combined the graphs with those of other participants to find patterns that led to the creation of immersive performances by the RAW Moves dancers.

Creator/Conceptualiser
Murasaki Penguin (Australia/Japan)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Part of YPAM Fringe 2023

 

公募型舞台芸術フェスティバル「YPAMフリンジ2023」参加登録受付開始 | 公益財団法人 横浜市芸術文化振興財団のプレスリリース

Date / Time

15 – 17 December 2023

Venue

Murasaki Penguin Project Totsuka Theatre, Yokohama

Run Another Way (RUN) is a movement clinic that functions as an unconventional work in an unusual theatre setting. It serves to create opportunities for the public to engage, participate and interact in the dance-making.

26th to 28th September 2024
Conceptualiser: Andy Lee (Hong Kong)

The Weight of...

Using wooden bricks as both metaphor and physical medium, Andy embarks on a captivating exploration of the body. He feels their weight, texture, and shape, allowing them to guide his movements and ignite his imagination. These bricks shift from constraints to supports, constantly evolving in their imagery. They create a space for the audience to observe, breathe, and contemplate together, as Andy’s dance unfolds.

Conceptualiser
Andy Lee (Hong Kong)

Date / Time

24 January 2024

Venue

NAFA, Campus 3

International expands our unique repertoire of works to a global audience.

October 2024
Taiwan – RawGround: Breathing
(TW/SG edition)

Glitch

Synopsis

We live in a time of unprecedented technological development. From ancient stone tools all the way to the computers that we use to work and live, we have always possessed the innate desire to progress and advance. We’ve come far enough that we’ve begun to trust in our computers in ways that we wouldn’t trust another human being.

As we further develop these systems, could we one day ask the machine to interpret our dreams? Can we see ourselves in the machines we use? Can we ground ourselves in the ‘now’ to catch a glimpse of possible futures?

Glitch examines & meditates on man’s relationship with the machines we live with.

Creator/Conceptualiser
Wu Jun Han (Singapore)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Movement Collaborator
Ricky Sim

Performers
Matthew Goh
Natasha Fawzi
Kang Minchae (Intern)

Understudy
Alden Wong (Intern)

Date / Time

1 to 3 September 2022, 8pm

Venue

Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-purpose Studio 1 & 2

IN/OUT

Synopsis

In adolescence, arguably a huge aspect of growing up concerns the establishment of one’s identity. As both an individual and social phenomenon, adolescents navigate this process of identity formation by experimenting with possible self- identities, seeking significance in their relationships with others and their place in the world.

But what happens when this process is disrupted and interrupted by the isolating experience of living and schooling in a pandemic? How does both the distancing of oneself from others, and the increasingly enclosed space of home, affect the direction and outcome of their identity development?

Bringing together young movers from diverse abilities and backgrounds, In/Out provides a creative and experimental outlet for A Little RAW (ALR) Company where youths develop and pursue their personal reflections with each other’s assistance. We invite you to witness this evolving and interactive space that promotes expression and connection over shared questions of identity, in a time of disruption and distance.

Co-Directors
Wong Wai Yee and Ricky Sim

Conceptuliser/Performers
Annika Mei Das, Choo Qian Ning, Ellyssa Yeo, Estelle Yeo, Eunice Loh, Gabrielle Chia, Lee En Jie

Facilitators
Matthew Goh, Natasha Fawzi

Date / Time

6 Aug 2022, 7pm | 7 Aug 2022, 1pm & 5pm

Venue

Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-purpose Studio 1 & 2

Stutter (Japan Tour)

“How has your internal ‘tempo’ changed over the past two years?”

Covid has forced us to adapt to new and unexpected circumstances, resulting in the disruption of pacing within and between people. Consciously or unconsciously, we have had to adjust our inner timings and rhythms to fit this uncertainty. As parts of the world stop and start, open up and lock down, the effects continue.

The artists conducted sessions exploring how participants’ pacing has changed between three periods of time: pre-Covid, the heaviest lockdowns and now. Through a series of sessions involving discussion alongside movement, sound and visual experiments, each participant compiled their own collection of pacing graphs. We combined the graphs with those of other participants to find patterns that led to the creation of immersive performances by the RAW Moves dancers.

Creator/Conceptualiser
Murasaki Penguin (Australia/Japan)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Part of YPAM Fringe 2023

 

公募型舞台芸術フェスティバル「YPAMフリンジ2023」参加登録受付開始 | 公益財団法人 横浜市芸術文化振興財団のプレスリリース

Date / Time

15 – 17 December 2023

Venue

Murasaki Penguin Project Totsuka Theatre, Yokohama

A little RAW logo

Our programme for children/teens with different abilities, encourages young dancers to discover more about themselves, moving beyond the boundaries of conventional methodology in dance learning through the practice of creative movement.

30th November to 3rd December 2024
Performers: A Little RAW Company

Curious Steps

Curious Steps showcases how performers with different abilities can be engaged in dance to express themselves and work collaboratively to present their creative ideas through movement.

Inspired by Australian writer Rebecca Ray’s text, Curious Steps, an interdisciplinary performance by A Little RAW (ALR) Company explores the play between movement and text as a metaphor for uncertainty and a way to approach unfamiliar spaces with curiosity. The cast of dancers with diverse abilities will explore distinct perspectives and creative processes in deriving movement from text. 

Through this immersive 45-minute performance, we hope to uncover the uncertainties in our everyday lives and learn to embrace it. It’s an embodied experience that inspires mindful play and the dynamic interpretation of sound, text and actions from diverse perspectives. The spontaneous interactions between audience and performers further add an element of unpredictability.

Using everyday objects, the audience will be invited to join the performers in discovering ways of feeling the space around them.

Date / Time

19 January 2024, 7pm
20 January 2024, 3pm & 7pm
21 January 2024, 3pm

Venue

Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-purpose Studio 1 & 2

RawGround (RG) promulgates a curated mini-showcase that nurtures dialogue through the trajectory of widening our perception of daily life. The short films are conducted by artists and practitioners of diverse disciplines, each reinstating the scope of aesthetics of the everyday.

14th to 16th February 2025 (Physical)
17th to 23rd February 2025 (Digital)

RawGround: Balancing

RawGround: Breathing

Artists
Andy Lee (Hong Kong)
Junhong McIntosh-Lee (Canada)
RJ Thomson & Dudendance (Singapore/U.K.)
Paul Gong (Taiwan)
Matthew Goh (Singapore)
Jenni Large (Australia)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Programme Partner

International Supporters

national culture and arts foundation
canada council for the arts
lane 216
Shih Chien University
national culture and arts foundation
canada council for the arts
lane 216
Shih Chien University

Physical Experience (Tickets)

Join us for a captivating 3-Day art-filled event, where this year’s artists will debut their films and share insight into their creative processes and artistic practice.

Date

26 Jan (Fri) – 28 Jan (Sun) 2024

Venue

*SCAPE – Gallery Level 5 / RAW Moves Studio

Digital Experience (Register)

Can’t attend in-person? Then join us in the digital iteration of
RawGround 2024. Our website will feature all of this year’s films and
also past editions of RawGround.

Date

29 Jan (Mon) – 4 Feb (Sun) 2024

Research & Development (R&D) promotes creative investigation in a curated practice, with an emphasis on unveiling the creative process and methodologies through archiving and performance.

A Sense of Air

How often do you think about breathing?

A Sense of Air navigates the relationship between our state of mind and the ways air moves through us. RAW Moves, together with conceptualiser Andy Pang, follows a research process involving dance and puppetry that reflects the different layers of self-awareness, empathy, and environmental consciousness in relation to one’s breathing. In this journey of introspection, we invite you to discover how your breath can connect with the self, society, and the environment.

Creator/Conceptualiser
Andy Pang (Singapore)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Date / Time

4 August 2023, 8pm
5 August 2023, 3pm & 8pm

Venue

Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-purpose Studio 1 & 2

RAW Project (RP) features commissions and reprised works with the intent to infuse diverse movement aesthetics into the local arts industry.

Symbiosis

Experience a captivating exploration of the intersections between the wisdom of elders and the vibrance of youth. “Symbiosis” invites you to witness the dynamic between generations, revealing the enduring value of elder wisdom through the lens of contemporary challenges.

Music by SAtheCollective
Natalie Tse (Guzheng & Electronics)
Brian O’Reilly (Cello and electronics)
Christoven (Viola and abstract objects)

Movement collaborators – RAW Moves
Audrey Desmond
Matthew Goh
Wong Wai Yee
Ricky Sim

Digital multimedia
Keith Chia

Date/Time

1 March 2024: 7:30pm – 8:30pm

Venue

RAW Moves Studio

Rawground: Pacing

Wendy Mack (Singapore)
Lim Ci Xuan (Singapore)
Ashley Ho (Singapore/Netherland)
Rachelle Lee (Singapore)
Ke Yu-Fang (Taiwan)
Teoh Jie Yu (Singapore)
Matthew Goh (Singapore)
Natasha Fawzi (Singapore)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Physical Event (10 to 12 February 2023)

10 February 2023
Premiere of 12 films and Artist Sharing
Duration: 7:00 to 10:00pm (3 hours)

11 February 2023
Workshop 1: Wendy Mack (Singapore)
Art form: Craft + Discussion
Duration: 3:00 to 5:00pm (2 hours)
Description: Botanical Soap-Crafting

Workshop 2: Ashley Ho (Singapore/Netherlands)
Art form: Movement + Discussion
Duration: 7:00 to 9pm (2 hours)
Description: How do we begin to dance?

12 February 2023
Workshop 3: Matthew Goh (Singapore)
Art form: Movement + Text
Duration: 10:00 to 12pm (2 hours)
Description: Moving memories

Workshop 4: Ke Yu-Fang (Taiwan)
Art form: Movement + Film
Duration: 1:00 to 3:00pm (2 hours)
Description: Body Mapping

Workshop 5: Lim Ci Xuan & Teoh Jie Yu (Singapore)
Art form: Applied Drama + Discussion
Duration: 4:00 to 6:00pm (2 hours)
Description: Trauma and its invisibility

Digital Event (13 to 19 February 2023)

Run Another Way (RUN) is a movement clinic that functions as an unconventional work in an unusual theatre setting. It serves to create opportunities for the public to engage, participate and interact in the dance-making.

Stutter

Synopsis

“How has your internal ‘tempo’ changed over the past two years?”

Stutter examines how the pandemic has forced us to adapt to new and unexpected circumstances, resulting in the disruption of pacing within and between people. Consciously and unconsciously we have had to adjust our inner timings and rhythms to fit this uncertainty. As parts of the world stop and start, open up and lock down, the effects continue.

Creator/Conceptualiser
Murasaki Penguin

Choreographer
Anna Kuroda (Japan)

Sound/multimedia
David Kirkpatrick (Australia)

Dramaturg
Dr Nidya Shanthini Manokara

Performers
Matthew Goh
Audrey Desmond

Date / Time

1 to 3 December 2022, 8pm

Venue

Goodman Arts Centre, Block O, Multi-purpose Studio 1 & 2