Drawing on the worldview of Shan Hai Jing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), a Chinese classic text of mythic geography and beasts, we instill contemporary, philosophical contemplations into a newly conceived story. Against the mythical backdrop is the idea of avatar, or modes of alter-being, through which we elaborate the inner journey of human beings coming to terms with the unknown: the birthing of life, the struggle for survival, the revelation via love, hate, and fear, and the ultimate transcendence and release with inner peace. If the mythical world filled with Eastern totemic symbols represent the birthing of the unknown, the beasts that are the alter-beings of humans render visually our inner complexes. This piece combines semi-immersive video space and media art to let the audience inhabit the unknown and experience their alter-beings with the dancers, as we journey into the mysteries of life. In correspondence, the digital media design features technological avatars by way of motion capture, interactive animation, and remote control, linking backstage manipulation with frontstage performance. With these all-permeating technological avatars as metaphorical alter-beings, the performance also embodies the merge between modern technology and traditional arts.
Drama
