Wen Wei Dance
Ying Yun
Wen Wei Dance’s work reflects a multiplicity of dance and social experiences. Each creation is influenced by the evolution of personal identity, and strives to reflect the underlying experience of social, cultural and personal development. Wen Wei Dance creates provocative performances of a distinctive trans-cultural sensibility. With a highly individual style, Artistic Director Wen Wei Wang fuses precise choreography with stunning visual design and music, turning each work into a rich and unique world.
Since 2003 the company has created a repertoire of full-length works including Two, Ying Yun, Dialogue, Made in China, 7th Sense, Cock-Pit (Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award winner), Under the Skin (co-created with the Beijing Modern Dance Company), Three Sixty Five, Unbound (Isadora Award for Excellence in Choreography winner), One Man’s, and Tao. Wen Wei Dance has performed these acclaimed works across Canada and at festivals around the world.
Ying Yun
This work raises the platform of choreographing to five female performers. The creative process involved dialogues between Ying Yun’s dancers and artistic director Wen Wei Wang, with the aim to translate their stories into movement. Ying Yun is the name of Wen Wei Wang’s mother, who passed away four years ago from ovarian cancer. A significant influence on him becoming an artist, Wang dedicates the new creation to her and engages the dancers to interpret the story, and in turn share their intersectional experiences. Aurally, the piece focuses on silence and the breathing of the dancers, but also features remixes of Bach compositions with an electroacoustic score. The minimalist sound design with a focus on the dancers’ breathing will allow the piece to focus on the dancers and their expression of the work’s subject.
Performance History
- July 9 & 11, 2021: Live premiere of ‘Two’ at the Dancing On The Edge festival (DOTE).
- September 30, 2021: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at Venables Theatre in Oliver, BC.
- October 7-8, 2021: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at ArtSpring in Salt Spring, BC
- March 25-26, 2022: Two performances of 'Ying Yun' at Springboard Performance in Calgary, AB.
- March 30, 2022: Performance of 'Ying Yun' at Live Art Dance in Halifax, NS.
Project Details
Project created by: Wen Wei Wang in collaboration with the dancers.
Key Collaborators: Choreography: Wen Wei Wang in collaboration with the dancers; Performers: Shion Skye Carter, Stéphanie Cyr, Eowynn Enquist, Sarah Formosa and Daria Mikhaylyuk; Sound, Video, and Lighting Design: Chimerik 似不像 Collective; Sound Designer/Electroacoustic Music: Sammy Chien in collaboration with Wen Wei Wang and the dancers; Video Designer: Sammy Chien; Lighting Designer: Jonathan Kim; Design Assistants: Andie Lloyd and Jill Shao; Costume Designer: Linda Chow; Audiovisual Playback Facilitator: Shang-Han Chien
Audience: General Audience
Length in minutes: 65 minutes - Full length work
Space required:
Preparation required:
General technical requirements: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
A sprung stage surface that is at least 30'-0" deep x 40'-0" wide;
PA System with 2 onstage monitors;
Lighting System (ETC Family:
Ion/Eos/Element/Gio), DMX-controlled, with minimum 80 lighting instruments/circuits;
An overhead grid with positions for hanging lights, a projector, and drop down steel pipes for side lighting;
A White Cyc or Screen at the back of the stage that extends the width of the stage;
1 Dressing room for 5 performers;
Access to towels, machine washer, and machine dryer;
4 hours of pre-hang, 8 hours of setup, and 4 hours of rehearsal with 3 crew before the first performance;
Strike of 3 hours with 3-5 crew.
Availability:
Number of performers on tour including choreographer: 5
Number of support staff on tour: 4
Community Engagement Activities
Our underlying goal is to connect people through dance—be it to the message and emotion that permeates a work presented, or to ignite an interest in dance as a patron or artist. Wen Wei Dance desires to use the artform within the spirit of inclusivity, diversity and representation. Art is a necessary building block for a vibrant society, and we hope the presentation of our work contributes to this end.
Wen Wei Wang incorporates workshops and master classes into touring destinations as a way to connect with the local dance community—helping build and strengthen the network of dancers in Canada—as well as bring awareness and appreciation for Canadian dance on an international level. These workshops and master classes typically take place leading up to a presentation and are open to anyone interested in dance. Classes explore various styles and forms including elements of Tai Chi, martial arts, Peking Opera and ballet technique. Through improvisation, dialogue and experiments with physical language, the breath of the rhythm and release technique will be the foundation for creating unique movements to express meanings through the body and mind. Given the style of class, it is recommended that participants have some background in dance. Additional collaborators at workshops often include one or more of the dancers who are available.
Contact: Wen Wei Dance, jonathan@wenweidance.ca
Agent/Manager: Francesca Piscopo, francesca@wenweidance.ca
Website: wenweidance.ca
Facebook: Wen Wei Dance
Instagram: Wen Wei Dance