My current work focuses on traditional Lao dance forms and their relations to western contemporary dance. It looks at its similarities and differences but more importantly it touches upon my identity as a Lao-Canadian dance artist. With a heavy training in western dance forms, I questioned what my role within contemporary dance is. It allowed me to question a loss of self-identity and explore ways to rekindle and rejoice in who I am within a Eurocentric dance form.
Dance to me, is something universal that transcends verbal language and conveys thoughts, feelings, and messages through the use of the body. It is something to be shared and celebrated. I believe the same with culture. My work pursues the recognition and festivity of different identities and cultures that celebrate dance together through the sharing and giving of such. I aim to celebrate and acknowledge my heritage and culture and bring a part of me into every work that I do.

'this identity: woven' is a letter to self-identity, language, culture and sharing. It endeavours to look at bridging cultural gaps and mixed identities that emerged from forgotten identities, resurfacing to be celebrated and developed into a genuine sharing of self to others and space. It looks at a weaving of fortified identities in the body: two languages of English and Lao and where they sit in the body, the shapes, lines and curves they create and how they interact with each other through a physical language of its own. “I don’t know what I want to reach or how I want to reach it, but I want to bring it into a space with others.”
Solo | 12min |