Kristina Chan presents the second instalment in a trilogy of works, titled 'Mountain', at Campbelltown Arts Centre.
'Mountain' follows three performers as they move through gradual processes of change through the medium of dance. It follows Kristina's previous work, 'A Faint Existence'.
Here, Kristina answers some questions on what to expect.
This is the second instalment of a trilogy. What does the trilogy as a whole aim to communicate?
I’m making a series of works that are concerned with environmental change and our relationship to nature. By working with concepts of fragility, existential threat, impermanence and transformation, I’m aiming to make work that gives the audience a reflective embodied experience that speaks to our individual impact we have on our environment that is critical for our existence. The trilogy is an access point for me to enter into these concepts and continue to explore and process these things that are much larger forces than me as an individual but also dauntingly are held within us. With each work I am also refining my choreographic practice and deepening my relationships with the people that I collaborate with. I work with a small team of exceptional artists that have practices in dance, sound, light and visual design to develop these ideas into these performance works.
More specifically, what does 'Mountain' aim to communicate?
In 'Mountain' we are working with concepts of invisible or lost landscapes, existential threat, impermanence and transformation. It is a space that holds the presence of a mountain and life forces that exist or once existed in that place. We are working with timescales greater than we can physically comprehend – the timescale of a mountain – and imagining how we fit into that narrative. We have been exploring elemental forces that make up everything around us, within us and in between, which we have perhaps forgotten how to access.
Is there anything you took on board from the first show of this trilogy to integrate into this show?
It's very difficult not to connect one work to the next. I hadn’t finished making the last work 'A Faint Existence', when I had begun making 'Mountain' so already the ideas were overlapping. Plus working with two key collaborators on both works, Clare Britton (visual design) and James Brown (sound design) made it even more of a mash-up. We feel that this works to our advantage as we are building a language and a relationship to the concepts through making these works. The idea to make the trilogy actually stemmed from this moment of realising that there was a direct relationship to each work and that they can speak to each other. They are certainly not ‘sequels’ by any means but the place where they are being born from is common.
Image © Joshua Morris
You've worked closely with a team of people to ensure this performance comes to life. Why was it important for you to get this right?
Conceptually we are working with a relationship to nature and environment, so it's important to create an environment in the space we are working to respond to. When I dance I am almost always working in response to an imagined external and internal landscapes or some kind of force. I am interested in the sound adding layers to this physical exploration. James Brown, the composer I have been working with for 'Mountain' and my solo work 'A Faint Existence' among other works, creates the sound score over the time it takes to make the work. We delve into the concepts and his work and my work inform each other. He also is playing the electronic score live so that the timings are precise and responsive to the choreography and actions in the performance. This is also how I work with the Designer Clare Britton and also the Lighting Designer Matt Marshall. The visual design is really key to 'Mountain'. We spent a lot of time experimenting with different ideas. Often the thing that's initially in your head isn’t the thing thats right and when you bring light into the conversation this can have an a direct effect on the visual choices we make, again informing each of those elements and giving space for them to grow into a fully realised idea. We are working in a theatre space so already that space is radically different to being in nature. I am fascinated by creating a space that is like a memory of a landscape that is lost. We could choose to perform in nature but for me that is literally being in nature and I am interested in evoking a memory of it that might reflect a personal ‘internal’ space for the audience.
You're a dancer too. What do you love about being in the driver's seat and actually choreographing a performance as opposed to just being a part of one?
I worked as a dancer for many years in companies where I felt like a replaceable body just executing things that were asked of me and then started to work on projects where I was a dancer but also a key collaborator in the making of the work. This way of working was much more fulfilling and interesting for me. Now making my own work is another thing. I certainly feel a lot more pressure and there are always extra things to do and you never stop thinking about what the work is and questioning what it all means. But I love that I get to start a conversation with the people I collaborate with and that's really what it is – a long conversation in many forms of communication – but then its like I’m kind of directing which way it goes and what bits we share in the summary of it, which is the performance. Thats what it feels like anyway.
'Mountain' features just three performers. What have been some of the rewards when it comes to only having to choreograph a small number of dancers?
This work only requires three performers. It's the right number of people for the images I am interested in making, it's just enough for me to handle because I am one of those three performers, which has been super challenging to be ‘in and out’ of the work simultaneously. I think working with different numbers of performers creates different meanings too. Like with a solo performance the singular body has a particular impact compared to how multiple bodies in the space can be perceived.
Image © Joshua Morris
On the other side of that, have there been any challenges?
Well, like I mentioned the challenge of being in the work is a big one. Also thinking spatially in terms of where we are at certain times and what I want the audience to be looking at.
What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
There are so many rewarding things about my job. I get to work with amazing, interesting, passionate people, I get to work with movement and expression through the body, I get to listen to rad music being made before my ears, I get to practise being present and continue to learn from others. It feels like you are growing something that is bigger than you because it has developed through many contributors and we make it like a community.
What are you looking forward to about presenting this at Campbelltown Arts Centre?
CAC has a reputation for presenting and exhibiting cutting edge work. I feel honoured to be presenting 'Mountain' here. There has been much support from the staff at CAC and I am very lucky to have this opportunity.
