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Kevin Kwong

Dance Forest: Self - Forgetful
Andy Wong & Taiju Matsumoto
Fringe Club Studio, Central
Reviewed: Sept 27
Dance Forest - an ongoing project between choreographers/dancers Andy Wong Ting-lam and Tokyo's Taiju Matsumoto - is in its third year. It began in 2005, when the artists decided they would meet every year, come hell or high water, to rehearse and perform new works over a decade. Unlike the previous two instalments, this year's show has a theme: forgetfulness.
The hour-long performance  comprised eight pieces, the first setting the solemn and dreamy tone of the evening.
Emerging from the dark, the two dancers  moved in silence before the ambient electronic music  from  British label  em:t came on. It sounded like a religious chant and gave context to the piece. Matsumoto used his body to form different shapes as if to provide a textual commentary to the monotonous track.
Over the Affection shows how intuitive and familiar the pair has become  choreographically. The duet would have been impossible  without that understanding.  The piece looked effortless, with each gliding over and under one another without a moment of doubt.
The duo also experimented with  props, most notably a  large sheet of white satin, which was hung  at the far end of the stage. Air blowing from a fan behind the fabric created different shapes. One moment the air pockets resembled clouds then became shapes symbolising mist   and forgotten memories.
Dance Forest: Self - Forgetful is a moving piece about love, the past and loss.  Some may find Wong's work a tad  too sentimental but that's balanced  by Matsumoto's more laddish presence and quirky humour.



Dance Forest: Self - Forgetful