{"id":250,"date":"2026-07-16T17:56:17","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T17:56:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/?p=250"},"modified":"2026-07-17T05:45:23","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T05:45:23","slug":"something-about-a-moment-just-for-me-%e3%80%8a%e7%89%87%e5%88%bb%e3%80%8b","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/2026\/07\/16\/something-about-a-moment-just-for-me-%e3%80%8a%e7%89%87%e5%88%bb%e3%80%8b\/","title":{"rendered":"Something about \u201cA Moment Just for Me\u201d \u300a\u7247\u523b\u300b"},"content":{"rendered":"

It is my\u00a0first time participating in\u00a0ArtsCross London 2026, and\u00a0it has truly been a\u00a0pleasure. These three weeks have been filled with both joy and\u00a0challenge. One of\u00a0the\u00a0main challenges both dancers and\u00a0choreographers faced was the\u00a0heat wave. However, I\u00a0am grateful for\u00a0it, as\u00a0it unexpectedly gave me an\u00a0extra day and\u00a0a\u00a0half to\u00a0pause, refine, and\u00a0further develop my\u00a0ideas. Nonetheless, I\u00a0appreciate the\u00a0rewarding process that was wrapped within a\u00a0few weeks as\u00a0the\u00a0outcome of\u00a0the\u00a0choreography blossomed from the\u00a0time spent working together.<\/p>\n

Originally, I\u00a0arrived with some initial concepts. However, once I\u00a0met my\u00a0dancers and\u00a0visited the\u00a0site, I\u00a0decided to\u00a0let go of\u00a0my\u00a0original plan. I\u00a0realised that here, in\u00a0London, the\u00a0site and\u00a0the\u00a0dancers themselves are not meant to\u00a0fit within the\u00a0mould I\u00a0had imagined but hold their own individual characteristics. This reveal of\u00a0individuality and\u00a0the\u00a0unique self became my\u00a0most significant inspiration.<\/p>\n

Eventually, the\u00a0mix of\u00a0this year\u2019s ArtsCross theme \u201cOut of\u00a0Place\u201d and\u00a0ideas strung a\u00a0final proposal. I\u00a0decided to\u00a0look upon the\u00a0lives of\u00a0humans and\u00a0how we are squashed by\u00a0the\u00a0expectations and\u00a0confinements of\u00a0society, like a\u00a0bird trapped in\u00a0a\u00a0cage unable to\u00a0fly freely. Many people long to\u00a0escape this environment, even if only briefly \u2014 to\u00a0find a\u00a0moment of\u00a0rest or\u00a0to\u00a0enter a\u00a0different mental or\u00a0physical space where they can breathe freely. Yet such moments are temporary; reality inevitably calls them back to\u00a0their daily lives.<\/p>\n

To\u00a0choose a\u00a0commercial district, I\u00a0looked for\u00a0the\u00a0surrounding rows of\u00a0office buildings as\u00a0the\u00a0setting for\u00a0my\u00a0work. Through this urban landscape, I\u00a0aim to\u00a0capture the\u00a0pace, atmosphere, and\u00a0emotional state of\u00a0people living and\u00a0working in\u00a0the\u00a0city. Modern urban life is often defined by\u00a0constant pressure and\u00a0demanding routines, creating a\u00a0sense of\u00a0tension and\u00a0confinement. To\u00a0enhance this meaning, I\u00a0introduced the\u00a0oil-paper<\/nobr> umbrellas as\u00a0a\u00a0prop. The\u00a0umbrella creates a\u00a0space beneath that becomes a\u00a0metaphorical refuge \u2014 a\u00a0temporary shelter where urban dwellers can momentarily step away from reality and\u00a0catch their breath. One of\u00a0the\u00a0reasons I\u00a0brought the\u00a0oil-paper<\/nobr> umbrella from Hong Kong to\u00a0London was in\u00a0response to\u00a0this year\u2019s ArtsCross theme, \u201cOut of\u00a0Place.\u201d To\u00a0me, the\u00a0umbrella carries a\u00a0subtle sense of\u00a0displacement within a\u00a0Western commercial district. By\u00a0situating an\u00a0object deeply rooted in\u00a0Eastern culture within this context, I\u00a0intentionally created a\u00a0feeling of\u00a0dislocation, echoing the\u00a0theme of\u00a0the\u00a0project. Through this work, I\u00a0deliberately established a\u00a0sense of\u00a0visual contrast to\u00a0explore the\u00a0tension between the\u00a0desire to\u00a0escape and\u00a0the\u00a0inevitability of\u00a0returning to\u00a0the\u00a0rhythms of\u00a0contemporary urban life.<\/p>\n

Bringing an\u00a0object from Eastern culture into a\u00a0Western context does not mean I\u00a0intend to\u00a0impose it on\u00a0a\u00a0Western stage or\u00a0insist on\u00a0its continued use. In\u00a0this work, it is simply a\u00a0stage prop. I\u00a0believe any prop can hold multiple possibilities. Here, it serves a\u00a0metaphorical purpose \u2014 nothing more, nothing less.<\/p>\n

In\u00a0the\u00a0article \u201cWeek 1: Appropriation or\u00a0Respect?\u201d, Adriana Garcia Pinilla reflects on\u00a0cultural exchange in\u00a0dance, exploring the\u00a0delicate balance between respect and\u00a0appropriation. She emphasises the\u00a0importance of\u00a0humility, curiosity, and\u00a0reflective learning when engaging with traditions beyond one\u2019s own culture. In\u00a0her observations of\u00a0my\u00a0rehearsal process, she noted that my\u00a0work with umbrellas appeared to\u00a0have \u201ca\u00a0heavy base in\u00a0Chinese traditional dance forms.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u00a0appreciate the\u00a0intention behind this reflection, as\u00a0questions of\u00a0cultural responsibility are both important and\u00a0necessary. However, I\u00a0would like to\u00a0clarify that my\u00a0choreography is not grounded in\u00a0traditional Chinese dance vocabulary. While certain movement qualities or\u00a0the\u00a0umbrella itself may evoke associations with Chinese culture, this was never the\u00a0structural foundation of\u00a0the\u00a0work. The\u00a0movement language emerges from a\u00a0contemporary practice shaped by\u00a0the\u00a0site, the\u00a0dancers, and\u00a0the\u00a0collaborative process in\u00a0London. Similarly, this judgement was rooted early, as\u00a0this was documented during the\u00a0first week without any conversation behind the\u00a0plan\u2019s thought-process<\/nobr>. Still, I\u00a0understand that since the\u00a0meaning of\u00a0the\u00a0choreography was not fully obvious on\u00a0what I\u00a0hoped to\u00a0share, as\u00a0it was still the\u00a0beginning and\u00a0unrefined.<\/p>\n

When we encounter something unfamiliar, it is natural to\u00a0form immediate impressions. We may assign it fixed meanings or\u00a0interpret it through our own perspectives, which are subjective. Perhaps the\u00a0value of\u00a0cultural exchange lies precisely in\u00a0this space of\u00a0ambiguity \u2014 where meanings remain open, and\u00a0dialogue allows us to\u00a0move beyond our first assumptions.<\/p>\n

Coming from the\u00a0East to\u00a0create work in\u00a0a\u00a0Western context inevitably raises questions for\u00a0me: Should I\u00a0adapt my\u00a0work to\u00a0fit a\u00a0local aesthetic? Should I\u00a0modify my\u00a0artistic language to\u00a0be more easily understood or\u00a0accepted? Or\u00a0should I\u00a0remain true to\u00a0my\u00a0own artistic voice while continuing to\u00a0explore and\u00a0challenge it through dialogue with different cultures? Perhaps I\u00a0am overthinking it. In\u00a0the\u00a0end, I\u00a0choose simply to\u00a0create the\u00a0work I\u00a0believe in.<\/p>\n

For\u00a0me, ArtsCross is not about representing or\u00a0reproducing a\u00a0culture in\u00a0its \u201cpure\u201d form. It is about creating a\u00a0space where different cultural perspectives can meet, influence one another, and\u00a0generate new artistic possibilities.<\/p>\n

I\u00a0believe art should be open and\u00a0inclusive. That, to\u00a0me, is exactly what ArtsCross embodies \u2014 cultural exchange. With four dance academies participating, three of\u00a0them from the\u00a0East, the\u00a0meeting of\u00a0Eastern and\u00a0Western cultures feels both natural and\u00a0inevitable.<\/p>\n

Perhaps we do not need to\u00a0resolve every question about culture and\u00a0identity so quickly. Perhaps it is enough to\u00a0remain attentive, respectful, and\u00a0open. Art does not always provide answers. Sometimes, it simply creates a\u00a0space to\u00a0pause \u2014 and\u00a0to\u00a0breathe.<\/p>\n

Written by\u00a0Pik Yim Yu<\/strong> \u2013 Choreographer from the\u00a0Hong Kong Academy for\u00a0Performing Arts<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It is my\u00a0first time participating in\u00a0ArtsCross London 2026, and\u00a0it has truly been a\u00a0pleasure. These three weeks have been filled with both joy and\u00a0challenge. One of\u00a0the\u00a0main challenges both dancers and\u00a0choreographers faced was the\u00a0heat wave. However, I\u00a0am grateful for\u00a0it, as\u00a0it unexpectedly gave… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-posts"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":528,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250\/revisions\/528"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rescen.net\/blog10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}