One of Indonesian artist Melati Suryodarmo’s most iconic works is her dance work Exergie: Butter Dance (2000), in which she dances atop a pile of fast melting butter. It is a strange work to witness, as she increasingly loses her balance on the slippery, oily floor, meant to have her exploring the specific bodily sensation experienced in the single “delicate moment” where the body loses … Continue reading da:ns focus 2023: An Interview with Melati Suryodarmo on performance art, the body, and ‘Lapse’

When we watched Thai contemporary dancer Pichet Kluchun’s No.60 at last year’s edition of the Esplanade’s da:ns Festival, we were left mesmerised by the way he brought the traditional khon dance into the modern day, reimagining it for a new generation that brought together spirituality, technology and skill. Performing alongside him was fellow Thai dancer Kornkarn Rungsawang, a full-time artist in Pichet Klunchun Dance Company … Continue reading da:ns focus 2023: An Interview with Kornkarn Rungsawang on communing with the gods in a modern world, in ‘Mali Bucha: Dance Offering’