Reuniting for Ambiguity: CHAPTER: 9.28 – A Dance Representation of the Umbrella Movement
Text: Harriet Yeung
MA Cultural Management, CUHK
Dancing as a form of performing arts, the rhythmically body motion sets the mood, expresses the emotions, and tells a story through dance choreography. The Umbrella Movement happened in Hong Kong in 28 September 2014 was a heart-touching event for many Hong Kong citizens, and became an inspiration to local young artists of Hong Kong as a way of expressing their own thoughts. Looking back at the three occupation areas of the Umbrella Movement, the occupied streets were a collective showcase of artworks, installations, drawings and handcrafts. Walking along the row of guitarists playing their own compositions, melodic musicality combines with feet tapping beats create dance, gradually transforming into a performance representation of the Umbrella Movement.
CHAPTER: 9.28 is a dance production to interpret the emotions and humanity being influenced by the Umbrella Movement. Organized by Harriet Yeung and Sheila Cheung, two students graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the objective of CHAPTER: 9.28 is to create a dance platform for Hong Kong dancers to address their different perspectives in the Umbrella Movement through dancing and expressions, as well as to encourage younger dancers to experiment in conceptual choreography. Collaborating with a video artist and thirteen dance crews of different background from high school students to professional dancers, and showing dance choreographies from contemporary to hip-hop, the production encloses a sensation of unity and passions which resonates with the high energy created at the Umbrella Movement. In addition with the dancers’ initiation of giving selfless contributions and commitments into the performance, the production brings the community together for a mutual goal.
CHAPTER: 9.28 is scheduled to showcase on 23, 24 and 29 May as one of the programmes in the Umbrella Festival happening in 17 – 31 May at Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre. Organized by the MA programmes in the Culture Studies Division of the Department of Cultural and Religious Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Umbrella Festival provides the participating students hands-on experiences in curating and managing an arts festival, curatorialship and exhibition design. The Umbrella Festival is also to commemorate the original purposes of beginning a social movement, thus reflecting the circumstances of current social-political stances in Hong Kong through viewing arts and culture.
CHAPTER: 9.28 Performance:
2015.5.23 (Sat) 8pm; 2015.5.24(Sun) 2pm & 8pm and 2015.5.29 (Fri) 8pm
Venue: Centre for Community Cultural Development, L205-208 Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, 30 Pak Tin Street, Shek Kip Mei, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Official Facebook page: www.facebook.com/chapter9.28
Fringebacker profile page: https://www.fringebacker.com/zh-tw/projects/chapter-9-28/
Tickets on sale: http://www.ticketflap.com/zh/events/517/
More information on the Umbrella Festival:
Official Facebook page: facebook.com/umbrellafest
Official Instagram page: instagram.com/umbrellafest
Official Website: www.umbrellafest.com