Retour en Avant / Past Forward Biennale de la Danse Lyon - France

Ong Ken SenAs a law student at Singapore University, KenSen was already passionate about the theatre.Upon graduating he joined TheatreWorks, aSingapore-based company founded in 1985and geared to new work by local artists. Fouryears later, he became its artistic director. KenSen focuses on the place and role of traditionalartists in Asia and how they are evolving inmodern societies. His artistic output stems fromthe observation that traditional artists have acultural heritage – a real treasure that he tries tocapture and adapt for the stage, in order to stopKhmer culture from fading away. He adapts, butdoes not simply reproduce. He actually graspsthe essence of their art: the traditional meaningof such a dance or piece of music, in what circumstancesit is performed, for what audience…Then on stage, everything becomes possible: hesweeps the rules away and juxtaposes cultureswith a contemporary flair while remainingfaithful to the original sense. His work is acknowledgedby the leading international festivals(in Japan, Europe and the United States), a suremeasure of success and quality.The Continuum: Beyond theKilling Fields / 2001 creationThis documentary performance tells the truelife story of eighty-year-old Em Theay, masterof royal classical dance in Cambodia. Em Theaysurvived the scourge of the Khmer Rouge, teachingher skills to the national troupe after thetrauma. This is a unique form of dance wherewomen cross-dress to play male roles. This storyof dance, which generations of mothers havepassed to their daughters, becomes all the morehorrific when one learns that nine out ten royaldancers, musicians, actors, playwrights, poetsand artists were killed by Pol Pot in his fanaticalattempt to set his country back to year zero. EmTheay, often known as the “tenth dancer”, theone who survived, tells her story. Persecuted forbeing an artist, she never falters; today she isa conscience, a memory of the gash that toreCambodia apart. And 25 years on, the countryis still waiting for its war-crime trials to becompleted.Extra info:French premierewww.theatreworks.org.sg55