Review- Boy Story/Reborn- Unlock Dancing Plaza
25-5-15
By: Theo Blake
I went into Boy Story/Reborn not knowing what to expect. I haven’t seen much modern dance in Hong Kong but by reading the program, I came to learn that Yuri Ng is one of our city’s most cherished and prolific choreographers of recent years.
This show is very simple in its vision. Tell the story of growing up as a boy through movement. I couldn't help but think it came across at times like a rip off of the Oscar nominated Boyhood. I think boys have it pretty easy compared to girls, in my opinion. Boy Story seemed to focus on the issue that Asian boys are not allowed to show their feelings or be creative.
The show is very well choreographed. It has a variety of jumps, lifts and seems to emulate the act of “play”. Playing games, running and jumping, romantic play. Boys just want to have fun? A suggestion I have is to put the dance moves that are on the floor further away from the audience, as sometimes we couldn’t see because of the sightlines. I spent a majority of the show trying to see around the person in front of me.
At times this piece came across as artistic for the sake of being artistic. The themes could have been laid out much clearer and most of the message was lost by dancers who, although technically very good, lacked facial expression and emotional connection with their partners. I understood the Boy Story but how are they Reborn?
Despite its mixed messages, this show is very well polished and professional. It’s an interesting piece that engaged the audience for its full 90 minutes. A reason I can think someone might not enjoy this show is for its simplicity and heavy reliance on theme. It had very little pizazz and, although this is something that I enjoyed, some people like a little glitter with their dance pieces.
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