Wan Su

(Beijing Dance Academy, Beijing/China)

 

I started dancing when I was 7, and just by then I began my real dancing career. I was recommended ceremoniously by somebody whom I don¹t know of so far to the Children¹s Troupe (called Red Little Soldiers¹ Propaganda Troupe) in Nanjing by the time of Mao. Here, ³ceremoniously², I mean, this event determines my fortune for ever.

From then on, dance has become a way of life which I get used to, and become my own living condition. From all kinds of Chinese and foreign dances, from a child to the dancing student ­ then a dancer ­ then a dancing teacher, then I got to my year of 30. Suddenly at this year, I mean suddenly not occasionally, I found Modern Dance at this year of 30. From that moment, all my life (even including breathing) belongs to Modern Dance, belongs to a real status of my life and my art. Also from then, people started misunderstanding me by saying that I am: ³a strange person², ³very unique², ³very modern², and at last I was given a title as a ³special person².

In fact, I don¹t understand this saying: what is a ³special person²? I only know that I am myself ---- looking the world around me with my own eyes, with my own mind and with my own way. The truth of looking the world with the eyes lies on what is seen selectively by the looker. I select those often seen but neglected, those looked simple but with profound philosophic ideas. And the truth of looking the world with the mind lies on what is established by the looker. I have established my dance style in an easy and natural way with black humor, and also the essence of the body rhythm, the vivid space full of movements and the body language of the deepest emotions. And also the truth of looking the world with the way lies on what is left by the looker. I will leave the world with a strong cultural and humanistic sense combined with the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang, and the natural Taoism. This sense is also a set of my art view, method, dance works and teaching in an angle of sociology and humanity which is only set by me.

I am making my dances not with concepts or terms but with my eyes, my mind and my way. But in such a political and commercial and mass entertaining environment, I am not regarded seriously by those leaders of high rank, of main stream and other people. I don¹t want to change my art. In the dictionary of my life, there is no a term called ³should² but only ³need². This need contains a nature of life, and even more, it contains the spiritual sincerity and purity of the life. But, when I turn and look, there is no body aroundŠŠ

There are some sayings about me: ³she, only a modern dancer²ŠŠ ³her class of training is good²ŠŠ ³she has some clever ideas²ŠŠ ³she has a good understanding of movement²ŠŠ ³she can create beautiful group dances²ŠŠ ³she can teach those who can¹t dance²ŠŠ then another voice joins: ³nonsense, if they can dance, why need of you!² Another voice says slowly: ³oh, art, artist². And some other voice says continuously: ³ŠŠ she is still in low level, not matured yet, with no toleration, lack of greatness, need moreŠŠ². Well, this is me.

This is me, often feeling sad when thinking of surviving, not getting along with many ³secrets² of life, looking like a child in need of directorship. I am doing all these for the future: for love, for expressing love and for sighing the love. I don¹t know whether the lightness of the form can carry my weight of thinking, and where I could be greeted. I am enjoying the process of choreography. Those impulsions passing through my heart always excite me, and always form something. They might be ³new², and might not. For me, I just love the process of creating. I know there is a day we will all die, so, I eat as much as possible and sleep till I have to get up. To all those comments, I shrug my shoulders and turn around to play with my dances.

For the year being, I have finished the following work:

Teaching in Beijing Dance Academy. My students composed by three parts: 1, training class for the undergraduate students majoring in TV Dance Making; 2, training and choreographing class for pre-undergraduate students; 3, training and choreographing class for those professional or non-professional dancers coming from different parts of the nation.

A modern dance called ³Quiet Orchid² I made this year, got the first prize of Helsinki International ballet competition 2005. And in summer I choreographed a dance drama in Yunnan called ³Love in Dian Kingdom²‹ which tells a story about Flower Waist Dai people and their noble past.