'That's the hardest question,' Sang Jijia says, laughing and collapsing in mock despair at being asked what his new work is about. The difficulty lies not so much with the answer itself but in having to explain it. Pressed further, the choreographer says As if to Nothing, his full-length work for the City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC), is 'about memory - how some memory is real and some is not'.
The Chinese title can be translated as 'a certain day, a certain year', which reflects the subject matter more directly. However, Sang says he prefers the English one. 'That's the one that I thought of originally. I chose a more sentimental title in Chinese because I think Chinese people will respond to that better.'
The 37-year-old says the English title refers to the idea that when people have lost everything, they no longer have anything to fear.
It is not a narrative piece and Sang sees no contradiction in exploring an abstract theme through a physical medium. 'Dance can be abstract too,' he says. 'You just need to find an emotional connection.'
Sets and props will be used for this purpose and the dancers will interact with a live video feed.
Sang has some unusual working methods. For one, the music is being created to fit the dance instead of the other way around.
