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Photo by Ok Sang Hoon
cont·act Contemporary Dance Festival returns with a riveting 13th edition that draws us back to the essence of dance: the body as instrument, and movement as language. What worlds, horizons, and perspectives could the medium of dance possibly illuminate? In our present flux, we let our bodies speak. Reflecting upon the chaos and conundrums of our times, join our Festival artists in boldly defying labels, redefining ourselves, and reimagining our world through the kaleidoscopic lens of movement.
Artists
Ashley (she/they) is a Singaporean artist who works from an embodied perspective. A leaking body, her work plays across performance, -making, writing, graphic design, sound-tinkering, filmmaking, and scenography. Presently preoccupied with time, access, responsibility, and how we live together, alongside a persistent curiosity for composition, she sees performance as an intimate socio-political practice of transforming and being transformed.
Her performing experience includes processes with Ingrid Berger Myhre, Ula Sickle, Zarah Bracht, and more. As a maker, she operates frequently through ashleyho+domeniknaue. Her works have been presented and supported by a multitude of platforms and production houses. Ashley’s first poetry collection, Without Sound Now, was published in 2019 by Math Paper Press; she has also been published in artistic research journals such as Leonorana Revista and FUSE by Dance Nucleus. In 2022, Ashley completed her dancer/maker studies at ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem, the Netherlands, with the support of the Singapore National Arts Council Scholarship.
Domenik (he/him) is a transmedial artist with a background in gymnastics, dance and theatre. He grew up in Weimar, Germany, surrounded by many cultural institutions, which stimulated his interest in creating and experiencing art. His work(-ing) combines physical movement, music composition, graphic design, and videography, and has been presented through numerous platforms. Since 2019, he has been creating performance works and conducting artistic research in collaboration with Ashley Ho. Domenik has worked as a performer with artists such as Nicole Beutler, Dunja Jocic, Keren Rosenberg, Dario Tortorelli, Corneliu Ganea, Julio Cesar Iglesias Ungo and Kazue Ikeda. He graduated from the dancer/maker Bachelor programme at ArtEZ University of the Arts in 2022.
Photo by Rune Leysen
Dapheny Chen is an independent dance artist who negotiates between the roles of a choreographer, performer, educator and manager. She is concerned about the provocations, connections and criticality that arise from making and viewing dance. Breaking away from her conventional dance training, she examines socio-political ideologies to navigate the possibilities of contemporary dance, while seeking to create alternative nodes of experience and entry points as conversations for change and knowledge. Her practice embraces the multiple facets of choreography and dance that change with time and state. While acknowledging the agile and transient nature of processes involved in creation, she breaks down previous definitions of the form to reform new experiences.
Dapheny graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts. She has since danced with Ah Hock and Peng Yu (2004), L.A. Dance Connection (2003-2008), Frontier Danceland (2010-2011) and Re:Dance Theatre (2012-2015).
Photo by Jootz See
Beryl is a professional contemporary dancer and an aspiring choreographer based in Singapore. A former company dancer of TRDOco, Singapore, and Transitions Dance Company, London, she has performed in works that toured both locally and internationally to Malaysia, Indonesia, United Kingdom and Italy. Beryl graduated from Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (2021) with a Masters of Arts in Dance Performance and was awarded ‘Trinity Laban Dance Award’. She has participated in intensives such as One Body, One Career (OBOC) Countertechnique by Anouk Van Dijk, and Orsolina 28 where she studied the repertoire of Crystal Pite under the guidance of Sandra Marín and Jirí Pokorny. Beryl is in constant practice of combining her knowledge and experience over the years to expand her craft and artistry as an artist.
Photo by Crispian Chan
Moh. Hariyanto, or Hari Ghulur, was born in Madura island, Indonesia. He decided to major in dance, and earned his undergraduate degree in the Drama, Dance, and Music department at the State University of Surabaya (2010). In 2011, he pursued his Masters in Dance Creation and Interpretation at the Indonesian Institutes of the Arts, Surakarta (ISI Surakarta) and graduated in 2013. Hari has been involved in many festivals, as well as national, regional, and international events. He is now a lecturer at The College of Art Wilwatikta, Surabaya. He also established a dance studio named “Sawung Dance Studio” for Surabayan dancers and choreographers to collaborate on creative processes and innovative art works.
Photo provided by the artist
Born in 1992, Reisa Shimojima began dancing in her hometown of Kagoshima, Japan, at the age of 7. Reisa primarily performed jazz dance and traditional Japanese Yosakoi dance, and majored in contemporary dance at J.F. Oberlin University. Reisa was later featured in the works of other choreographers, such as Kuniko Kisanuki, Chieko Ito, and Ryohei Condors. Since the establishment of the KEDAGORO Dance Company in 2013, Reisa has been in charge of the choreography and production of all the works. Reisa’s solo, Monkey in a Diaper premiered at the Yokohama Dance Collection, and was invited to be performed at more than 10 places, both in Japan and abroad. In 2018, Shimojima performed Monkey in a Diaper at the first Asian Comic Dance Festival in Hanam, and also showcased Sky at the 2019 Seoul World Dance Festival.
Photo by Sato Mizuki
Born in the United States, Megan Doheny is a movement artist, choreographer, and co-director of the collaborative dance project, Outrun The Bear. From 2015–2022, Megan worked as a dancer for the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) where she performed the works of artistic director Rami Be’er throughout Israel, as well as international tours to more than 20 different countries. In 2021, she was awarded the Yair Shapira Prize for her contribution to contemporary dance in Israel. As a choreographer, Megan has been collaborating with her partner, Ilya Nikurov, since 2015. From 2016–2020, they worked as resident choreographers for the International Dance Journey Program in Israel and created works for KCDC’s main company as a part of the Alternative Stage Platform. In 2021, they established Outrun The Bear, and have been invited to perform and screen their works in festivals throughout Europe, the United States, Mexico, Israel, South Korea, and Singapore.
Born in Kemerovo, Russia, Ilya Nikurov is a movement artist, choreographer, and co-director of the collaborative dance project, Outrun The Bear. From the age of 7, Ilya studied ballroom, modern, jazz and contemporary dance. From 2004–2008, he danced with folk dance company Siberian Kaleidoscope, then relocated to Moscow where he worked as a dancer with Boroditsky Dennis Dance Company and with The Great Moscow Circus. In 2012 he participated in the performance, Kamera, by Belgian choreographer Ann Van den Broek. Ilya joined Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) in 2014 and received the Yair Shapira Award in 2018 for his contribution to contemporary dance in Israel. From 2016–2020, Ilya, together with his life partner and collaborator, Megan Doheny, worked as resident choreographers for the International Dance Journey Program in Israel and created works for KCDC’s main company as a part of the Alternative Stage Platform.
Photo by Mark David
Currently a freelance dancer, teacher, choreographer and multimedia designer, Tan-ki is one half of the movement collective NEO Dance HK. His work Division received the top prize at the 7th Jerusalem International Choreography Competition, while works Galatea & Pygmalion and Galatea X received the Hong Kong Dance Award for “Outstanding Achievement in Independent Dance” in 2011 and the “Outstanding Choreography” award in 2014 respectively. Tan-ki also received the “Young Artist Award” at The Hong Kong Arts Development Awards in 2015, and was awarded 3rd place in the Male Solo category at the 2012 International Dance Organisation World Tap Dance Championships. His filmic work Come Rain Or Shine received the “Outstanding Cinematography Award” and “Outstanding Film Award” at the 2022 Manifest Dance-Film Festival.
Photo by Chris Chan
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