Contemporary Dance - ExitOct.13th - Oct. 14th，2016 PSA Theatre
In her newest work titled Exit, Gu Jiani explores the human desire to exit the mundane. In a perpetual cycle of creation and destruction, we seek paths to liberty and self-fulfillment, yet our desires simultaneously stand in our own way. Inspired by the physics principle that all acting forces create equal and opposite reacting forces, Exit explores the interplay of cause and effect. With explosive athleticism, Gu Jiani and dancers create an inter-locking system; one dancer’s action sparks a current that flows throughout the others. Against the tonal wash of a grayscale backdrop, the dancers’ precision movements interconnect like parts of a machine. Yet, juxtaposed with the perpetual motion is the idea of confrontation and rejection. In exploring the tension between conflict and acceptance, Gu Jiani’s work ultimately provokes these fundamental questions: Where is the exit really? Or, should we re-examine our original desires?
Gu Jiani
Gu Jiani’s work embodies both fusion and juxtaposition. Originating from Southern China, Gu trained in both ballet and classical Chinese dance. Through exploration and self-discovery, she has rejected conventional training to create her own unique style of movement combining the precision of ballet and the virtuosity of Chinese classical dance. Her choreography has toured Hong Kong Festival, University of Michigan, Melbourne Festival, and is now brought to the stage of the Shanghai International Arts Festival.
