FUSE#2

Element# 2
BAHASA KOREOGRAFI
Body Archive
Body archive was the main subject in my exploration of the
meaning and identity behind the dance forms of tari piring (saucer
dance originating from the Minangkabau people) and zapin (a
Malay dance form with Arab influences). I linked these two forms
with the movements of silat (a martial arts form). Fundamentally,
the main basis for these two dances is silat. My main objective in
this exploration is to find the ‘blurred’ space between these three
forms and to breathe new life into those movements. The
‘movements’ referred to include movement vocabulary,
articulation of form, idea, space and image as well as the totality
of the performance.
The starting point of my exploration was one of my works called
‘stalemate’ which was a traditional dance piece that was given a
contemporary treatment. In creating this work, I interpreted tari
piring using a more unconventional approach by paying close
attention to its visual aspects. Specifically in terms of the
costumes, props, movement articulation and also lighting design.
But the crux of why I chose to base my dance on tari piring is
because I grew up and was trained in that particular form.
by Fauzi Amiridin
At the same time, I tried to connect tari piring with zapin because they had
structures that could be elaborated and creatively reinterpreted. This is because
the core movements in zapin and tari piring are also the basic movements in silat.
What I am trying to discover are the points and lines which are vague and ‘blurred’.
And how these can create forms that are more relevant and contemporary.
As part of the process of discussion, we began with the topic of
what it meant to be practise-based and also the lineage attached
to a performer/choreographer. These topics were explored during
our sharing sessions. During the process I reflected a lot on the
issue of memory. These memories are related to the process by
which I first become involved in the arts. And then it evolved into
discussions on muscle memory, in which I recalled the various
forms of dance that I have studied. In the process of finding my
identity through my work, I thought about how my search for
movements forms took the form of improvisations, composition
and choreography. Personally, I don’t over-think about what
movements to show when I move, but am guided more by my
imagination and also the memories in my body. What I realised
was that my research process began with memory (the starting
date of my encounter with the dance) and then on to muscle
memories and then narrowed down to the main objective of my
search, which is the exploration of a ‘body archive’.
In our subsequent discussions, various questions were raised,
like how far we were into our respective explorations into the
concepts and ideologies informing our works. What were the
reference materials that we had used for our research? I was
especially drawn to the notion of the performer’s memories. This
is specifically with reference to my own self and how my own
body (as an archive) has recorded, and stored for retrieval, every
dance form that I have learnt. This has made me more aware of
each movement that I produce. These movements are based on
those which I remember but which I choose to reproduce in a
‘blurred’ space, between the space of tradition and the space of
the contemporary. At the same time, I tried to think of my own
identity as a choreographer. What is my role in finding the
meaning and purpose in that ‘blurred’ gap?
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