Catan Kulit, the first Butoh dance performance (presented by Nyoba Kan) I attended, took my breathe away! Literally. I mean, I have long heard of Butoh and had always been tempted to watch and experience it but external and internal factors tend to make me missed out on all the great performances. So, finally get to attend one and it is an experience I will definitely not forget in the years to come.
Just a quick one, Butoh is a dance form, which originated from Japan. It uses a lot of grotesque movements and white make-up with really slow, hyper-controlled motion. Exits tend to be done by disappearing into the darkness as well. Ok, I might have gotten the information from Wikipedia, but from what I experienced throughout the performance, I am inclined to believe it is true.
So, I would describe as much as I can but the best thing to do is still to attend and experience the performance yourself. FINAL show is at 8.30pm on Saturday(26.5.2012) with tickets at RM38 for public and RM28 for students, disabled, senior citizens and TAS card holder. Also, there is a buy 10 get 1 free promotion going on, so going in big groups is a really added bonus here. Don't forget that there will be some merchandise on sale and remember to get them. The items are quite a bargain as the postcards, t-shirts and CDs of past performances are quite cheap compared to outside.
Since you are still reading here, my gratitude to you. Now, my first surprise from the performance came when the audiences were directed to the field outside KLPAC building. Audiences were then treated to a prologue of sorts and when the first sound (guessing it came from a 'singing bowl') came on, my attention was solely on the performers on the field. Each movement they made, however, small or awkward just made me more and more curious. I was eager to see what is their next step. Will they fall? Will they bend over? Will they just drop? Or will they stay stagnant? At the point that I was at the height of my curiousity, Mr. Lee Swee Keong(artistic director and choreographer) stepped into the 'scene' and announced that audiences should now proceed to Pentas 2. Or in another words, the better show is left in the stage. XD
When I entered Pentas 2, the only thing I saw was a huge white platform. So, up the stairs I went to find an empty seat as the first few rows were fully occupied and as I settled at my seat, I also saw a black platform, located at the corner, holding a LOT of musical instruments. The instruments are more of the traditional kind. One that I can recall strongly is a string instrument, a shamisen if I am not mistaken. Locally-made and carries a slightly deeper sound than the usual ones. Of course, there are others, ie. a flute(looks like made of wood to me), a guzheng-like instrument, the singing bowl and another one, which produces a 'tinkling' sound (can't quite recall the name).
Before the performance began, Mr. Lee Swee Keong made a bit of introduction about Catan Kulit and he was kind enough to make it in two languages (Mandarin and English) as there were quite a number of non-Mandarin speakers (ie. me) in the audience. One thing that really struck me though, was when he said, do not try to understand or derive any meaning as we are all here to appreciate the beauty of the dance.
With that notion, the performance started and throughout the time I was experiencing the Butoh art-form, I was constantly left in suspense. The whole thing was so eerie AND beautiful that I just can't help being mesmerised. At some moments, I actually felt that my blood ran cold and a chill up my spine. The movements were so awkward but very enchanting. Every jerk, twitch and spasm just adds up to the whole performance and made it more dramatic. Sometimes, the interaction between the dancers, although choreographed, managed to create an air of unpredictability. Those were the moments I held my breathe and felt the air stood still. So, maybe other audiences felt that too. Besides movement, words were involved through singing or really short dialogue, mainly by Agung Gunawan (this person is really amazing!!).
I think that the tension or suspense were also created due to the music played and the lighting effect. The combination of the music, lighting and dances in the stage was just so complimenting of each other! The music, was purely by one person, by managing so many instruments(the one mentioned above). The lighting, on the other hand, was definitely unseen before by me. I mean, fluid movements in the light itself? Definitely something new to me
In one word, SUGOI! Yeah, I was very deeply impressed by the performance and I guess I am now a fan of Butoh.
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