This workshop seeks to serve all performers and performance makers. It draws on the fundamentals of Phillip Zarrilli’s Psychophysical Approach to Actor Training as a foundation that is applicable to all forms and aesthetics of performances. It also takes inspiration from acting exercises, developed by David Zinder in his teaching of Michael Chekhov’s system of actor training, appropriating them for dancers and physical performers.
The workshop seeks to addresses the following questions:
– What is the psychophysical basis of, or connection to, movement? What is the difference between a physical move and physical expression?
– What does it mean to Listen, instead of Moving? How is Listening a Movement or an Action?
– What are my movement patterns? How can I develop them? How can I explore beyond them?
– What are the possibilities of developing movements from “within” instead of simply making movements and actions? How does one makes movement / actions alive?
– What are the possibilities of developing movement from text?
Jing Hong Okorn-Kuo was born in Singapore. She started training in Classical Ballet with Goh Lay Kuan since she was 4 years old. Later she graduated with BFA Dance and BA Psychology from the University of Iowa (USA). From 2006 – 2008, she trained with Phillip Zarrilli at the Exeter University (UK) and graduated with an MFA in Theatre Practice.
Since 2019, Okorn-Kuo teaches at the School of Dance with the Taipei National University of the Arts teaching Choreography, (Creating) Performance through Active Imageries, Movement Research and Improvisation. From 2001 to 2016, she worked a guest teacher at the Acting Department of Shenzhen University. There, she has also researched psycho-physical training for student actors and created works for the department. For four years, she was the Vice Principal of Practice Performing Arts School in Singapore. There, she taught ballet, modern dance and creative movements to children, teenagers and adults and choreographed full-length dance dramas for their performances. For five years, she was the Movement Teacher at The Theatre Training and Research Program (presently called Intercultural Theatre Institute) in Singapore. One of her focuses in her work involved the research of the implications of traditional Asian art forms in contemporary theatre-making and performing.
Okorn-Kuo creates performance and her productions have toured different countries and presented in festivals such as International Theatre Festival in Shanghai, Darwin Festival in Australia, Japan Asian Arts Festival and Bangkok Fringe Festival amongst others. She has collaborated with different theatre companies such as The Theatre Practice (Singapore), The National Theatre of China, Nordland Teater (Norway), Theatre P’yut (Korea), The Llanarth Group (UK), Fatbird Theatre (China), The Necessary Stage (Singapore) and Theatre Works (Singapore). She also works with dance companies such as Meimage Dance and The Fevervine Dance Theatre in Taiwan and Raw Moves in Singapore. From 2009 to 2010, she was the Resident Director for The Theatre Practice in Singapore.
As a performer, she works in different forms ranging from contemporary dance, physical theatre and drama (in both Mandarin and English). Most of her performances are devised pieces and some are scripted such as Water Station, 4:48 Psychosis, Line and Oleanna. She has also been exposed to Asian traditional art forms such as Beijing Opera, Javanese Wayang Wong and Indian Bharatanatyam.
2023, Okorn-Kuo was performing for Melyn Chow who is invited to the Guesthouse Program at Theatre Rotterdam in the Netherlands. She is also regularly working with seniors to co-create a movement work.
Freitag, 14. Juni 2024 I 18:00 – 20:00 Uhr I DaT Probenhaus
Samstag, 15. Juni 2024 I 10:30 – 13:30 Uhr & 17:00 – 20:00 Uhr I Tanzhaus Graz
Sonntag, 16. Juni 2024 I 14:00 – 17:00 Uhr & 18:00 – 21:00 Uhr I Tanzhaus Graz