Wayson Poon, Wai Shun is a Hong Kong-based dance artist who combines oriental spirit and western methodology in his works such as Fleeing by night, in,visible(cities); and Vortex. Wayson has actively engaged in cultural exchange with practitioners and audiences in Italy, Japan, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, to name a few. He is the 2016 recipient of the Young Artist (Dance) Award from the Hong Kong Arts Development Council. ACC’s support will enable Wayson to travel to Indonesia and the US to conduct movement research to seek inspiration for his choreographic practice. Below is a reflection of his journey in Indonesia thus far:
Knowledge—some are hidden in books, in local customs, in the hearts of humanity. Since my travel from Hong Kong to Solo and Yogyakarta in Indonesia, all of my observation and consciousness has shifted inwards instead of outwards. I had the greatest privilege to learn from Suprapto Suryodarmo, the Indonesian master of performing arts. Under his mentorship, I was able to transform myself physically and mentally, using a “holistic” approach to adjust my body and movement. At the same time, my daily life experiences allowed me to immerse into the conversation and imagination of the artistic life’s past and future. How should we define the relationship between dance, culture, philosophy, and life, today?