Title of Project：Immersive Guqin Music and Contemporary Dance One·Infinity

Genre(s): Contemporary Dance. Other. Traditional Chinese Music.

GROUP:[JunTianYunHe Ensemble] [Dancenorth Australia] [Beijihng Dance Theater]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF : 【Project Description】 "One, Infinity " is a cross culture music work with movement inspired by the ancient Chinese tale of "Zhi Yin" ("knowing the tune"). The idea was for musicians of different cultural backgrounds, without a common spoken language, to communicate through their instruments. The title “One, Infinity” suggests both the internal and universal reach of music and the production will provide a new experience for artists and audiences bringing eastern and western traditions together. 【Creative Statement】 ·By Director/ Choreographer: Gideon Obarazanek “I was interested to learn that originally this music was mostly played by oneself encouraging contemplation. In considering the idea of self-reflection – to step outside of oneself and look back – I am further convinced to separate the audience into two groups with the musicians situated in the middle. Facing into the musicians and opposite each other, both audience groups appear as reflections. Initially unrecognized, a small group of dancers reveal themselves at the centre of both audience groups as they respond in turn to the music creating moving symmetrical shapes. To the opposite side, they appear behind the musicians as changing kaleidoscopic backgrounds. In addition to these shifting mandalas, the audience themselves are guided at times to move by an instructor situated above the opposite audience group. These simple unison gestures done on mass transform the audience into large field ripples and flocking patterns. While listening to the music, both opposing audience groups take turns in creating these kinetic visual textures. Observing this oscillation in our perceived reflection, we become witnesses to our own transformation from the tangible to the ethereal." 【Musician Concept】 ·By Co-composer: Max De Wardener “I aim to provide a series of musical mirrors that reflect this ancient repertoire into something new and contrasting . As the work develops the mirror could distort more and more, given the evening an inherent structure. This sense of distortion could be done in many ways and perhaps shouldn't just try to become louder and climactic. Perhaps the opposite could happen where our response become more hermetic and quiet. Using electronics could give our work a real sense of scale - the ensemble's interaction with prerecord material, including studio recordings of the ensemble themselves could lend a playfulness to the piece as well to help blur the listeners perceptions. I would like to try and subtly merge the two musical worlds so that each start to bleed into the other. The music could explore commonalities between the Western and Eastern instruments, allowing sonic neutralities as the music unfolds." ·By Co-composer/ Musician :Genevieve Lacey ”We learned to speak in metaphor and imagery, as our Chinese hosts were teaching us, with their incredibly poetic way of understanding the world. We spoke of weather, of a kind of atmosphere to cradle these ancient Chinese treasures. It’s clear to us that we don’t want to disturb them. We don’t want to set them literally against a backdrop of nature, but we are interested in creating a context that alludes to the vastness of that space and our tininess in the face of infinity. We hope to intensify the experience of hearing these exceptional musicians, and give audiences across the world, from many cultures, a chance to discover them, in all their astounding beauty. Max and I agreed that the clearest musical way forward is for us to make a musical frame for these treasures, so that the original sounds themselves are unaltered. Our intention is to create a world of new compositions that hold the originals, which sets them in relief, so that each time audience members step back into the Guqin sound world, it is more familiar, more beautiful, more deeply contemplative."

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