Alluding to both choreographers Kuik Swee Boon & Kim Jaeduk’s cultural roots, “盤” is a word commonly used by Mandarin-speaking cultures around the world, that also exists in the native vocabularies of the Koreans, Japanese and Vietnamese. Represented in its traditional form, the Mandarin title《盤》draws upon the allegorical Chinese creation myth “Pangu", a fabled being whose colossal body fragments to transform into all elements of nature. The tale of “Pangu" serves as a starting point to investigate the notion of “transculturation”—a term coined by Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz, which refers to the process of the continuous convergence of cultures.
In exploring the concept of "transculturation", it is perceived that the essence of culture transcends social, national, ethnic and geographical boundaries—it is a way of identifying who we are as people.
The openness in this definition of the concept then enables the nature of this work to include additional guest collaborators and local performers. This Italian premiere of Pán《盤》includes Diana Anselmo and Nana Motobi, who bring in their own values and life experiences, which are merged and converged into the work.
It is superbly danced. The performers may have different backgrounds and skills, but they come together in a delightful whole. It starts slowly and, with an almost minimalist touch, draws you in as it gradually unfolds and the choreography develops by absorbing new elements.
