West Kowloon Cultural District Authority x City Contemporary Dance Company x Cinemovement Creative Meeting Point on Screendance – Hong Kong x Singapore

After co-presenting the “New Works Forum: Screendance” in 2015, West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) and City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) team up again, inviting Singapore’s screendance organisation Cinemovement to co-produce “Creative Meeting Point on Screendance – Hong Kong x Singapore”. This is a milestone collaboration in connecting the world of international dance films.
 

Screendance or dance film is not about just capturing dance on the screen. It is a hybrid practice containing at least two disciplines: dance and screen-based, technologically mediated methods of rendering. This art form is becoming widespread around the world and its importance is growing due to a worldwide boom in the cultural creative industry. Screendance implies that the endpoint of the endeavour is a mediated image of dance on a screen – any dance on any screen. It can be shot on film or video, or manifested in a cameraless digital environment. It covers a wide range of moving image genres, including musical, music video, documentary, animation and martial arts. If a work presents body rhythms, body aesthetics, the feeling or atmosphere of a dance performance, it can be classified as screendance.
 

The “New Works Forum: Screendance” is a platform established by the West Kowloon Cultural District to nurture new creations in the art of screendance and provide an opportunity for artistic exchange. CCDC has presented the Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival annually since 2004. The Festival actively promotes Hong Kong’s production of dance film and encourages cultural exchange in screendance. Cinemovement commits to promote the dance film development in Singapore and encourage various artists to participate in creation.
 

The three organisations share a pioneering vision and grounded experience in encouraging and developing new works in Asia and work together on a five-year project to provide resources to cultivate a healthy pool of artistic talents to explore screendance making and to widen their artistic horizons in the area of screendance. The project officially commences in September 2017. Eight dance artists and filmmakers from Hong Kong and Singapore will co-produce four collaborative short dance films to foster international collaboration and new dance film creations in the two cities.
 

The first programme of this collaborative project, the ‘Idea Development Camp’, is held on 4 – 9 September, 2017 in Hong Kong. The eight artists from Hong Kong and Singapore are divided into four groups to develop ideas for a new work. The artist groupings are listed below (in no particular order):
 

1. Cheuk Cheung (Filmmaker, Hong Kong) x Elysa Wendi (Dance Artist, Singapore)
2. Lee Kin Wai, Max (Dance Artist, Hong Kong) x Russell Adam Morton (Artist and Filmmaker, Singapore)
3. Mui Cheuk Yin (Dance Artist, Hong Kong) x Liao Jie Kai (Filmmaker, Singapore)
4. Tsang Tsui Shan, Jessey (Filmmaker, Hong Kong) x Aaron Khek Ah Hock (Dance Artist, Singapore)
    

“Creative Meeting Point on Screendance – Hong Kong x Singapore” is the first international co-productions on screendance of West Kowloon, enabling Hong Kong and Singapore artists to push their practice to new level of creative and artistic experiment and new work creation. The coproduction can also promote dance film between international festivals and networks that could synergise the co-commission and co-producing opportunities for leveraging each other’s resources.” says Anna CY Chan, Head of Dance, Performing Arts, WKCDA.
 

All artists have already developed preliminary ideas and the final concept are expected to be confirmed at the end of 2017. Commissioning fees will be provided for filming. The films will premiere at Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival 2019, followed by screening in Singapore. The films will also be distributed internationally in 2020 and 2021, participating in different international film festivals around the world.
 

Please follow the official website of Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival to keep up to date on the films.
 

Participating artists
 

Cheuk Cheung (Hong Kong)
 

Cheuk was born in Hong Kong. He graduated from the School of Film and TV of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. After graduation, he worked for both Hong Kong and international productions in directing department, e.g. Lust, Caution (2007), etc. In 2009, Cheuk was selected to participate in the Golden Horse Film Academy and co-directed the short film Boyfriend of Xiaozhen (2009) which was produced by Hou Hsiao-Hsien. My Way (2012), Cheuk's first feature-length documentary was commissioned by CNEX Foundation. It was theatrically released in Hong Kong in 2012 and was selected by several festivals and screened in London, New York, Chicago, Bordeaux, Tokyo, Taipei and many more. It received the nomination of Best New Director at the 13th Chinese Film Media Awards. Cheuk was the winner of the Award for Young Artist (Film) in Hong Kong Arts Development Awards 2013. My Next Step (2015), his second documentary about young practitioners of Kunqu Opera was commissioned by Hong Kong Arts Development Council. It was premiered in Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2015 and screened at University of California, Los Angles. Beside filmmaking, Cheuk was the creative coordinator of Hong Kong experimental theatre company Zuni Icosahedron, involved in creation, research and project management.
 

Lee Kin Wai, Max (Hong Kong)
 

Max Lee graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (Musical Theatre Dance). While at the Academy, he received professional training in dance, choreography, singing and performance, and during the four years there, he was a recipient of the American Express Scholarship, the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation Scholarship and a Hong Kong Singer scholarship.
 

Lee played an active role in various fields of the performing arts upon graduating from the Academy, having participated in several musicals, drama productions, dance theatre, pop concerts etc. He was also keen to promote the arts through cultural projects and choreography. In 2005, he was awarded a scholarship from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Music and Dance Fund to receive further training in contemporary dance at the London Contemporary Dance School in the U.K.
 

On returning to Hong Kong from the U.K., Lee resumed his active involvement with the local arts scene. He appeared not only in local productions but also overseas shows, some of the notable works being the opening ceremony of the "Doha Asian Games" (2006) and Paper Tiger Theatre of Beijing’s "Cool" (2009). He also choreographed for the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Hong Kong Fringe Club, Unlock Dancing Plaza, Hong Kong Repertory Theatre, Class 7A Drama Group, Theatre Noir, Jumbo Kids Theatre, Theatre Ronin, MilkywayImage etc.
 

Max Lee is also a multimedia designer of stage video productions In addition to the choreographer and performer, Max Lee is also a multimedia designer of stage video productions. He has been involved in dance video training in the United Kingdom. After returning to Hong Kong, Max Lee involved in major arts organizations as City Contemporary Dance Company, Hong Kong Ballet Group, Make Friends With Puppet, Black Bird Theatre, Unlock Dancing Plaza, Theatre Ronin, etc.
 

Mui Cheuk Yin (Hong Kong)
 

Mui received training in Chinese classical and ethnic dance in Hong Kong. She joined the Hong Kong Dance Company from 1981 to 1990 as the principle dancer. In 1985, she won the Hong Kong Young Choreographer Competition and received a scholarship to study modern dance in New York. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she created works Awakenings in a Dream, Cursive Script and the Diary Series.
 

Mui became an independent choreographer / dancer / teacher in the 90s. Under the auspices of Asian Cultural Council, she took part in the International Choreographer's Programme at the American Dance Festival and performed at the East-West Center, University of Hawaii. Mui was often commissioned by CCDC, the Hong Kong Dance Company and The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to create new works. Her major works include Fragrant Garden, Water Music, E-motion, As Quick as Silver, Stories about Certain Women, Eulogy, la grace, Between Bow and String, Of Grandeur and Desolation, Kinetic Body Operatics, Pink Lily, October Red, Duet 3X, The Enigma of Desire – Dali vs Gala, Lot‧us, Shui in Feng‧Shui, Desperately Seeking Miss Blossom, Season N in Seasonal Syndromes, Love.Accidentally, and The Tale of Miles in Triptych.
 

Mui is an internationally renowned solo artist. She has been invited to many international arts festivals including Hong Kong Arts Festival (1994, 2001), Belgium International Arts Festival (1994), Lisbon Culturgest (1995), Re:Orient Dance Festival in London (1995), Hong Kong Festival at the Berlin Tacheles (1996), la Biennale du danse de Val-de-Marne (1997), Ein Fest in Wuppertal (1998), Venice Biennial Dance Festival (1999), Dancing-World Festival in Copenhagen (2000), the Lyon Biennale de la Danse (2000), Beijing Modern Dance Festival 2001, Dance Biennale Tokyo (2002) and the Images of Asia Festival in Copenhagen (2003). In 2000, Mui was invited by Pina Bausch and Folkwang Tanzstudio to choreograph Whispering Colour and to perform as a guest dancer in The Rite of Spring with Tanztheatre Wuppertal.
 

Mui was named the “Dance Ambassador” (2000) and received the Hong Kong Dance Awards in 2001. She was also named the “Outstanding Woman” by Wai Yin Association (2001). She was elected one of the Most Successful Women 2005 by magazine Jessica and received the Chief Executive's Commendation for Community Service in 2007.
 

Tsang Tsui Shan, Jessey (Hong Kong)
 

Jessey Tsang Tsui Shan, Best New Director of the 31st Hong Kong Film Award 2012. Starting with short film productions, works have been presented internationally. In 2008 her first directed feature film Lovers On the Road won the Best Drama Award of the 8th South Taiwan Film Festival. And her second feature Big Blue Lake was succeed internationally, it had won the Jury Special Award of the Golden Koala Chinese Film Festival 2013 and the Asian New Talent Jury Prix of the Shanghai International Film Festival 2012. TSANG finished her French/ Hong Kong co-production feature documentary Flowing Stories in 2014, and her latest Drama Scent also released in mid of August 2014.
 

Elysa Wendi (Singapore)
 

Preoccupied with the abstraction of memory from place, time and biographical traces, Elysa Wendi explores her works in film and performative-act / installation. In 2008, Wendi ended her chapter of choreographic journey with ARTS FISSION Singapore as Assistant Artistic Director with 4 full-length dance works and many collaborative dance projects with the company locally and internationally.
 

Wendi continues her choreographic considerations with cinematic presence since 2009. Her dance films were screened in Hong Kong, Macau, Guangzhou and Beijing under Jumping Frame Video Dance Festival, Singapore Short Film Festival, Romania Digital Art Festival and Pool-Dock-11Berlin, International Video Dance Festival of Burgundy and Turkey International Dance Film Festival. In 2013, Wendi received a mentorship grant from National Arts Council Singapore to study with Chinese filmmaker Ying Liang (2013-2015) and co-founded Cinemovement, a platform to promote dance film laboratory together with film producer Jeremy Chua in 2015. Elysa Wendi obtained her MFA, Dance from Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in 2014 and BA, Performing Arts under QUT (Australia) and LASALLE College of the Arts (Singapore) in 1999. She is now working between Singapore and Hong Kong.
 

Russell Adam Morton (Singapore)
 

Russell Adam Morton (b. 1982, Singapore) is an artist and filmmaker. He is a graduate from The Puttnam School of Film, Lasalle College of the Arts (2010) and obtained an MA in Fine Arts from Camberwell College of the Arts, UAL (2012). His films have been part of the Athens Video Art Festival 2012 and participated in several group shows in London. His film, The Silent Dialogue of All Artworks was screened at the National Museum of Singapore’s 10th Singapore Short Cuts, The Substation’s 4th Experimental Film Forum and the Thai Short Film & Video Festival 2014. The film later went on to win Best Experimental Film at the 5th Singapore Short Film Awards. His second film, Forest of Copper Columns, has won the Cinematic Achievement Award at the Thessaloniki Short Film Festival 2016 and has been selected at several festivals in 2016 including the Thai Short Film & Video Festival, Jogja Netpac Asian Film Festival and Cine Pobre Film Festival.
 

Liao Jiekai (Singapore)
 

Liao Jiekai is a filmmaker, artist and educator based in Singapore. In 2009, he co-founded film collective 13 Little Pictures with like-minded friends and made his debut feature film “Red Dragonflies” the following year, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Jeonju International Film Festival. In 2012, Jiekai was conferred the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council of Singapore. In 2013, his 16mm film installation “Brother’s Quarters” received the Credit Suisse Artist Commissioning Award at the President’s Young Talent Exhibition. In 2016, his short dance film “The Mist”, produced as part of the dance film collective Cinemovement, won the best director prize at the Singapore International Film Festival Silver Screen Awards.
 

Khek Ah Hock Aaron (Singapore)
 

Khek Ah Hock Aaron, choreographer, dancer, creative director. Ah Hock was a scholar from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (1997-2000), an Outreach Director with the Singapore Dance Theatre (2002-2004), commit a short stint with The Arts Fission Company (2000-2002) and the co-founder of AH HOCK and PENG YU (AHPY) with his long time partner Ix Wong. Ah Hock works with Singapore Repertory Theatre, The Action Theatre, W!LD RICE, The Necessary Stage and the Young Peoples Performing Arts Ensemble. He taught in both Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and Lasalle College of the Arts (2000-2009). AHPY under the helm of Ah Hock and Ix Wong presented many choreographic works commissioned by Singapore International Arts Festival, Esplanade Theatres by the Bay, The Arts House and most recently by M1 Fringe Festival 2017. In 2009, Ah Hock was appointed the Creative Director for The Night Festival by the National Museum (2009), The Heritage Festival (2009 and 2010). He was the Chief Choreographer for National Day Parade 2009 with Director Ivan Heng, and went on to create the Inaugural Youth Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies with the same creative team. Ah Hock was the recipient of the Singapore Young Artist Award (2005) and his entry of the Smiling Tiger under the platform of CINEMOVEMENT won the 2015 Jumping Frames (HK) Festival for the 1 min Dance Film Competition.
 

About West Kowloon Cultural District (WKCD)
 

Located on Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbour, the West Kowloon Cultural District is one of the largest cultural projects in the world. Its vision is to create a vibrant new cultural quarter for Hong Kong. With a complex of theatres, performance spaces, and M+, the West Kowloon Cultural District will produce and host world-class exhibitions, performances, and cultural events, as well as provide 23 hectares of public open space, including a two-kilometre waterfront promenade.
 

City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC)
 

For 37 years under the leadership of Founder and Artistic Director Willy Tsao, City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) has inspired and excited audiences with superb contemporary dance performances. Founded in 1979, CCDC has presented more than 200 original works to critical acclaim, including productions by Tsao, Helen Lai, Mui Cheuk-yin, Pun Siu-fai and Yuri Ng. CCDC has also organised innovative collaborations with outstanding artists from other media and with artists from around the world.
 

CCDC is renowned for reflecting the vigour and creativity of Hong Kong’s vibrant, multifaceted contemporary culture, sharing dance works to an audience of more than 50,000 people annually and receiving overseas invitations to perform on some of the world’s foremost dance stages and festivals. Through the China Dance Development Programme, CCDC provides administrative and technical support to emerging Hong Kong and Mainland Chinese artists. CCDC Dance Centre, provides dance facilities, educational programmes and dance courses, ensuring the ongoing development of dance as a vital artistic pursuit in Hong Kong.
 

Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival
 

Presented by City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) in 2004, Jumping Frames International Dance Video Festival is the only festival of its kind in Asia, featuring commissioned works, competition, and a selection of acclaimed international productions. It has served to promote dance video in China and in Asia, as well as to provide a platform for artists and audience alike to share the perspectives and explore the unlimited possibilities of the art form through talks and workshops. The Festival brings the excitement of dance video worldwide through screenings, and enhances cultural exchange through the invitation of renowned dance video artists to the Festival, made possible by the support of various national and international partners. The contribution of Jumping Frames was recognised by the receipt of the Hong Kong Arts Development Awards Arts Promotion Awards and Hong Kong Dance Alliance Dance Awards in 2014.
 

Cinemovement
Co-founded by Dance Artist Elysa Wendi and Film Producer Jeremy Chua, Cinemovement is initiated to be an artist-run platform for filmmakers and choreographers to explore the notion of contemporary dance film in a laboratory, residency and cultural exchange setting.
 

Co-producers