Fitting in with the theme of the evening, one of Hong Kong’s favourite icons was punctured and left behind in the history archives where it belongs – we’re talking the Rubber Duck, an unwitting victim of a wonderfully bizarre theatre show just finished in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-based Zuni Icosahedron and Dance Forum Taipei worked collaboratively to create Dream Illusion Bubble Shadow – a multi-media music and dance experience with artists from Taiwan, Tokyo and Hong Kong working together. While packaged as a contemporary dance piece – merging elements of live guitar, movement and verse – it pulled inspiration from the ancient Buddhist text Diamond Sutra, which presents the premise that, “All conditioned phenomena are like dreams, illusions, bubbles, shadows.”
They were also influenced in style by Japanese Noh Theatre, which originated in the 14th Century. Noh embraces the use of time and negative space, intertwining music, drama, dance and poetry. All that being said, this collaborative effort was beautiful, insightful, inspiring and a bit confusing.
It began with the duck, with flutterings of movement before the house was closed. As the doors where shut, the company stepped forward and chose a card – cards that the audience received before entering the lobby. On each was a Buddhist Verse or Sanskrit. The cards were then read aloud and both the live guitarist and dancer responded to and reacted to this verse in an improvisational and synergetic fashion. The dancers presented some truly beautiful moments.
There were four parts to the overall piece. I didn’t really understand the second piece, as it also integrated spoken verse and ambient nature sounds. The concepts didn’t seem to resonate as much as the others.
The third piece was impactful. Backed by a large white wall that descended from the theatre flies, more and more zeroes and ones – 01001110011 – were slowly introduced, until the wall was covered with them. The artists depicted the monotony of our lives in a digitised world and how our only break from this uniformity of living as a number on a page is our relationships and interactions with people. Or at least, this was my take on it. To someone else, it could have meant something totally different, which is what is great about art.
The fourth piece seemed to explore the human need for what is tangible and palpable – our need and desire for contact on all levels. The final piece seemed to explore the core philosophy of the Logic of Negation. To my understanding, this is a Buddhist belief that to truly understand any and all things, we must let go of all things worldly. Both the music and dance ended in great joy. And, to a point, they challenged the audience to follow their example in letting go. I guess Elsa had it right.
Throughout the evening, there were a lot of multi-media visuals and the skilful influences of Ellen Joyce Loo on her guitar. Her collaboration and interaction with the artists was truly remarkable. As for the evening overall, the concepts were large and often heady and difficult to understand, but the dancers from these three parts of the world worked flawlessly together.
Audience members could just sit back and enjoy the dance performances, or you could allow yourself to be influenced by the performance and think a little. It is one of those pieces where you don’t walk away in awe, exuberance or tears, but one that will sit with you for a while as you contemplate its implications.
As a side note, they decided to use digital programs. I love this idea as it greatly reduces the destruction of our forests and leaves room for much-needed oxygen to our polluted city. However, since the Grand Cultural Centre’s internet block makes it impossible to use your device, the program is not accessible until after you leave. For a piece like this, a little direction, or a title of each section or at the bare minimum a suggestion as to what it’s about, would have been helpful. Might I suggest a single A5 page with the basic information along with a CRC code that allows you to access the full program later?
Overall, a truly enjoyable evening. It may not be for everyone, but if you enjoy music, dance and art with a voice, Dream Illusion Bubble Shadow probably gave you something to ponder.
A version of this article was previously published on HKELD, Hong Kong’s number one blog for all things theatrical. They tell you what’s on, where it playing, and what’s good on their mission to bring artists and audiences together.
Words: Matthew Gillespie
