Đẹp is the Vietnamese word for beautiful. With this piece the UK based choreographer Dam Van Huynh explores influences from his Southeast Asian heritage. In Vietnamese culture, death is also a form of rebirth. When a person dies, the family and community enact rituals that will enable the deceased to pass into another realm, a higher state of being.
The work sees a shift in Van Huynh’s movement language as it delves ever deeper into the nature of the human condition. The dancers in ĐẸP are nude for a purpose. Fragile and vulnerable, their nudity literally strips them bare. Disrobed, free of distraction, their movement begins at the point where the mind transcends the physical self. Amplified and tracked by Martyna Poznanska’s numinous score, the movement in ĐẸP invites the audience to let go, reaching ever closer to the feeling of being alive.
* Supportedusing public funding byArts Council England
* With further support from Centre 151, Citymoves Dance Agency and Canterbury Christ Church University
Concept Dam Van Huynh
Sound environment composition Martyna Poznańska
Lighting Design Antony Hateley
Performers Paul Davies, Marc Krause, Marta Masiero, Ieva Navickaite, Tommaso Petrolo, Marley Seville
Strategic development & distribution Godlive Lawani
Photography Photo banner & Photo 2: Pari Naderi, Photo 1: Barry Lewis, Photo 3: Murdos