The KAMS Connection Salon Talk kicked off 2014 in Denmark under the direction of producer Per Kap Bech Jensen of Odin Teatret, and then went on to be held in the U.K., France, and Australia before finally making its way to Malaysia for Malaysia Now!—the sixth talk of the series—which was held this past January 15. The Connection Salon Talk series was established to boost the number of international experts in the performing arts field, part of Korea Arts Management Service’s Connection project that was launched in 2010 to promote international exchange in the sector. The talks are designed to allow experienced professionals to share their expertise with attendees in an easygoing discussion environment, enriching the breadth of shared knowledge while strengthening cooperative ties.

Malaysia Now! was graced by choreographer Lee Dong-won from the One Dance Project Group, who took part in Malaysia Research, which was held under the theme of Exchange in Modern Dance this past November, as well as artistic director Lee Seung-hyo of Festival Bo:m and choreographer Lee Dong-min, CEO of arts and cultural management firm EO Creative. The result was a meaningful discussion of issues relevant to Malaysia’s contemporary dance scene, as well the state of affairs of Asia’s performing arts world.

[Connection Presentation]

Malaysia’s Contemporary Dance Scene Today: Choreographer Lee Dong-won, from the One Dance Project Group

Malaysia is a nation composed of three main ethnic groups: Chinese, Indian, and native Malaysian. In addition to the many languages and dialects associated with each of these groups, English is the national language, an influence of British colonization. Malaysia’s location is also unique, as it’s surrounded by the nations of Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Laos. These two factors make it a prime spot for an international festival. As soon as our team arrived, hectic schedules kept us busy every day, starting from around 9 or 10 a.m. For the most part, we met with art managers and people in the theater community. From the very first day, we visited every theater with the following question in mind: What is Malaysian dance? As is evident from a single look at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s economic power has already surpassed Korea’s on several fronts; similarly, the nation’s theater scene was enough to shatter common Korean misconceptions of Southeast Asia. Not only were there several adaptations of world-class musicals, artists were also actively incorporating traditional Malaysian forms. When it came to sheer volume, however, for every 100 productions that occur in the Korean performing arts scene only about seven pieces were produced in that of Malaysia.
There are only around three to four types of traditional dance in Malaysia, and there is no governmental organization that manages performances; everything is done by private organizations. There is also no public funding for traditional dance, with all performances being funded by private firms. The Damansara Performing Arts Centre(DPAC), the nation’s quintessential performance arts arena, comprises two small theaters (black box theaters), two rehearsal rooms, and a space for international residents. International choreographers are regularly invited to stay at the DPAC facilities for one or two months while they write and produce new pieces. In Malaysia, the arts scene is far less developed than its advertising culture, which embodies a fair amount of finesse and is inevitably shaped by an influx of government funding. Although there are instances of state-supported contemporary dance performances comparable to KAMS in Korea, on the whole, funding is extremely rare. Malaysia’s National Department for Culture ＆ Arts (Jabatan Kebudayaan dan Kesenian Negara, or JKKN) regards dance forms directly rooted in Malaysian tradition as more important than purely modern dance. Malaysia’s National Arts Culture and Heritage Academy (ASWARA), a school comparable to the Korea National University of Arts, is the only public university in the nation to offer a modern dance program, though it ultimately stresses tradition above all else. I had the chance to partake in a showcase at DPAC with Steve, a dancer of Chinese descent whom I met through KAMS, and Kara, who specializes in traditional Malaysian dance. The arts in Malaysia are commonly divided according to its three ethnic groups, a division which transfers over to audiences. Although there are currently three to four contemporary dance troupes in Malaysia, audiences tend to only patronize a single company.

During our time in Malaysia, we visited one of the country’s international residency programs. It was a place run by one of the nation’s most prominent architects, located around 40 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur, with all the facilities being renovations of older architecture, including an underground bunker. Once accepted into the program, artists, installation artists, and sculptors will spend between one and two months crafting individual pieces here, after which the architect who operates the facility purchases their work. The grounds of the residence are adorned with the pieces made by artists who’ve passed through, and the interior is enlivened by antique Malaysian furniture. The residency is operated as part of a program that sends artists to whichever corner of Southeast Asia they choose, whether they fund the endeavor privately or through sponsorship, which facilitated cooperation between the residency program and the artists.
We viewed six different works by six young artists, but they all displayed movements and expressive techniques that were common in the Korean contemporary dance scene of seven to eight years ago, and so failed to grasp my attention. Contemporary dance in Malaysia is in its infant stages, still mimicking techniques learned from masters in places such as Singapore and Hong Kong. Wikipedia says that contemporary art is art of the present era. If that’s the case, would it not be something created in the present, now, in this very era, right here and right now? If we accept this definition, all dance forms that are being created in Malaysia right now would qualify as contemporary dance. This perspective made me turn the mirror on myself, obliging me to ask the following questions: What is Korean contemporary dance? What is the dance that I create in Korea today (a direct product of the present era)?
What I ultimately drew out of our trip to Malaysia was a desire to work on a residency project with the people I met in DPAC. However, I wondered how contemporary dance could be connected to all this. If Korea is white and Malaysia is black, then the two simply mixing to form grey doesn’t necessarily imply a connection. Rather than the two colors simply absorbing and tarnishing each other, a true connection involves both colors remaining true to their nature while intertwining to create something new.

Visiting an Alternative Space for Malaysia’s Performance Arts: Lee Seung-hyo, Art Director of Festival Bo:m

‘Launched two years ago, the Borak Arts Series is a conference held in Malaysia for creative practitioners and business leaders, with 2014’s conference based on the theme of funding and mobility. The Japan Foundation has its Asia Center in Malaysia that promotes its culture there, which offers a great deal of support to the Borak event. Representatives from nations such as the U.K. and New Zealand have attended to offer their opinions on what next steps would best benefit Malaysia’s art scene. Although the conference is new and still in its developmental stages, it presented an opportunity to discussion the financial and cooperative aspects of network building. Malaysia’s My Performing Arts Agency is currently creating a program that connects Malaysia’s art scene with the rest of the world, similar to the role the Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS) plays under KAMS. The opening performance was provided by choreographer Lee Dong-won, who put a fantastic show.

Our next stop was the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC). The sign at the entrance that read "No Dress Code" was a nice touch. Malaysian audiences tend to view performing arts events as formal occasions that require a certain mode of dress. To shatter this conception, the theater created an atmosphere that shouted "Shorts and sandals are okay!" The center’s offices were constructed using mostly glass so people passing by could see inside, another effort to become closer to the public. From the artists’ perspective, KLPAC’s rental fees for its venues are relatively affordable, offered at MYR 1,000 per day (approximately KRW 300,000, as compared to the rates at the National Theater of Korea’s, which are KRW 450,000 won a day) so independent artists can actively utilize the space. KLPAC offers programs all year long in a variety of genres, including dance, theater, art, music, film, and musicals. KLPAC’s premises are actually 100 years old, using a renovated space that once served as a storage facility.
The next locale we visited was DPAC, a place where Korean choreographer Kim Jae-duk once produced some of his work. The space was operated by a young artistic director and choreographer who also served as a member of the theater’s resident dance troupe, and who had experience working with choreographers from Singapore. As someone who also personally operated a theater early in their career, I admit I was a bit jealous. When I inquired how they stayed afloat, I was told that almost no public funds are provided, and that everything relies on private sponsorship. Funding in the Malaysian arts scene is still mostly brought in from abroad, whether it’s from foundations around Asia and Europe or from cultural centers around the world. As there are no institutions to acquire public funding, such as the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture and Arts Council Korea (ARKO), the Malaysian arts scene, unlike that of other Southeast Asian nations, relies heavily on the private sector. International artists are always welcome at DPAC, so long as they contact the premises in advance. And although DPAC doesn’t have the resources to sponsor artists’ production costs or travel fees, they offer a space where they can work on a variety of projects, and can even offer support to set up collaborative efforts.

Our visit also provided an opportunity to listen to some music in the KuAsh Theatre, where there was a traditional dance performance titled Rhythm in Bronze. There were several performers involved, and they all wore masks of some sort. The performing arts space Findars, by contrast, had the feel of a backwoods basement and included a bar, a screening room, and a space for various performances. The Experimental Film and Video Festival was underway at the time, and people were setting up a project that combined audio and visual effects. Although the local scene for such art has yet to establish a consistent following among local patrons, a few interested parties had gathered to help set up the installation. Participants included some crews that are well-known throughout Asia, and local artists had even made connections with artists from Korea and Japan. In addition, there was the Five Arts Centre, a collective assembled by 14 artists and producers. Started by a founding crew of only three members, it has now been running for 30 years strong, representing an impressive mix of generations, from young artists in their 20s to veterans in their 60s. As artists were preparing for an upcoming digital art festival, everything in the atmosphere implied the sentiment of a fresh start.

Malaysia’s Contemporary Art Scene Today: Lee Dong-min, CEO of EO Creative, an arts and culture management firm

As a part of our mission to establish an Asian connection in terms of a continental art network, I wanted to obtain a glimpse of the possibilities that such a network could offer, and thus wanted to investigate the connective link latent in the Malaysia’s art scene, our starting point. In recent years, the Asian dance market, including Korea’s, has catered heavily to European trends in an effort to mimic them. This isn’t necessarily negative, but I sometimes worry that it will reach a point of irreversibility. Although general trends in the art market are unavoidable, I can’t help but think a change in the tide’s direction is necessary. The main reason for our trip was to plan an event where choreographers, dancers, independent management firms, and other related institutions in Asian dance could discuss the identity and direction of the dance scene across Asia.
In Malaysia’s case, production costs are surprisingly low, though the number of troupes who work in contemporary dance is limited. ASWARA, which is run by Joseph Victor Gonzales, is similar to the Korea National University of Arts as it focuses entirely on native projects. In DPAC’s case, there is a large Chinese sector, but given that many of its dancers have studied in Singapore their identity isn’t strictly Chinese. Two previously unmentioned Chinese companies in Malaysia that cater to the local population are the Kwang Tung Dance Company, one of the country’s original Chinese companies, and Dua Space Dance Theatre, which was co-founded by two local dancers who now operate as directors. Forming a contemporary dance scene with just four companies is difficult enough, but to make matters worse, little to no exchange occurs among them. When our team suggested holding a collective workshop, we were told that it would be impossible. Thus, any joint effort to research and develop methods and movements in choreography is difficult. However, DPAC has recently invited choreographers from both Singapore and Korea for joint projects, allowing the organization to infuse European methods into the local scene. The two local other companies in Malaysia, however, work in complete isolation, an environment very similar to Korea’s scene 25 years ago. Contemporary dance in Malaysia offers a bit of the old-school methods, something very rarely seen in Korea these days.

For three days, I had some time to meet privately with local choreographers. After a discussion on extracting human movement, I learned that they were more concerned with abstract and lyrical expression, as opposed to specific methods for detailed imagery. Either that or they simply followed methods they learned from their predecessors, as was the case with Korea’s contemporary dance scene, although the Malaysian scene may seem isolated and closed-off, an effort to preserve traditions contains the potential to create something unique. The people we met were in their 30s and 40s, and could be called the first generation of Malaysia’s contemporary dance scene. Arranging a collaboration with these dancers may certainly be difficult, but if we set out with the intention of creating a uniquely Asian method, a completely original scene, then I think it’s possible. The bigger problem, however, is that there are few management firms available. When we asked managers who worked with the companies about their status, they mostly replied that they were "independent," not because they could operate with autonomy, but because the workload of each individual manager was enormous, more than any Korean manager ever takes on. Projects related to Malaysian tradition can supposedly solicit government funding, but anything else is merely left in the brainstorming stage. An independent artist has no route to apply for support through an established cultural and arts association. As there is no way for independent artists to continuous create new projects, I admit I am a bit concerned. When this topic came up for discussion at the Borak Arts Series, it was mentioned that, although Japanese foundations were establishing local branches, there’s still a severe lack of exchange between Korea, China, and Japan, leaving developing Asian nations even more alone, resulting in a disconnected Asia. Even without any immediate financial lure, Malaysia is certainly a fascinating locale artistically.

As such, we were left with the question of how to make the best of such a situation. Despite having someone incomplete movements, the various projects that choreographers were undertaking, particularly collaborative projects that blended genres, were structurally comparable to productions back home. Moreover, because public funding was so limited, private productions were much more common. One day we stumbled upon a jazz club called No Black Tie. Known as the best jazz club in Malaysia, it was run by two sisters who had studied music in New York City. In a nation with a population of 23,000,000 and a relatively low cost of living, I was surprised at the quality of the local live music scene.

A poster for No Black Tie

Korea provides a relatively generous amount of government funding for the arts; it’s mostly the private sector that’s hesitant to show interest. In Malaysia, however, it’s the opposite, with the private sector actively involved. Occasionally, people expressed interest in collaborative projects, saying it’d be nice if I could come back with some government funding from Korea.
When it came to mainstream music, however, most people were extremely receptive to whatever ideas we had. The contemporary art scene in Malaysia is more challenging to define then that of Korea, particularly in the area of dance. On the other hand, as those in today’s scene are some of the country’s first to embrace contemporary dance on a wider level, almost all would agree on the need to create a distinctively Asian scene, with pieces that possess an expressive voice and creative capacity. The problem, however, is determining how to realistically achieve such a goal. Although Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines are all geographically related, there is almost no sense of cultural community among them. Just as we were able to explore Malaysia through the Connection Salon Talk program, I would thoroughly appreciate the opportunity to explore other Asian markets in the same way. What is more challenging is that the overall problem cannot be solved simply by simply establishing a connection between Korea and Malaysia.
Although Korea’s contemporary scene is receiving high praise, it is widely understood that many disciplines have simply imported forms or styles from Europe and altered them slightly, which raises questions regarding whether Korean works will ever be able to surpass the European market. If KAMS is willing to establish a series of Connection-like programs between Korea and Malaysia, then I’m sure the theaters and collectives mentioned above will serve as a solid base. It seems certain that collaborative efforts could offer not just material and financial assistance but richer artistic substance. Malaysia’s current residency programs operate under a system that requires international artists to arrive with their own funding, after which the organizations can collaborate with and help local artists; but a simple exchange of artistic output is an insufficient foundation on which to establish a genuine connection. Regardless of whether either country pursues further exchange, it seems apparent that those in Korea’s dance scene, both interpretive and contemporary, could help Malaysian artists elevate both the style and level of their work.
What continues to be important, however, is to not lose sight of the distinct character of ASEAN members. On the technological front, for example, these are countries that skipped over land line telephones altogether and jumped straight into world of mobile phones. This phenomenon alone constitutes a very unique ASEAN quality. As nations who have seen their societies and economies progress without undergoing basic developmental phases, they are characteristically unaware of the importance of certain transitional steps, but without seeming wanting or starved of anything. This resilience and drive could certainly work to these nations’ great advantage. Largely excluded from Korea’s main concerns, the nations of Southeast Asia could be steadily wading their way through challenges that Korea has never faced. Although it’s not immediately apparent, I think anybody who endeavors to work in Southeast Asia with an attitude of respect will likely enjoy favorable results.

[Connection Talk]

Host (Seo Myeong-gu, Manager of the Seoul Theater Center): Malaysia is a diverse mix of ethnicities and cultures, giving me the impression that it’s attained a harmonious blend of cultures and a level of diversity that we don’t yet have as Koreans. You mentioned, however, that the market is rather exclusionary. I’d like to hear your reasons for thinking this way, as well as whether or not there are any governmental efforts to devise a solution.

Lee Dong-min : Kwang Tung and Dua Space are both companies with Chinese roots. According to them, if they apply for support of any kind, they are told that it’s impossible to acquire funding because they’re Chinese, while others simply tell them bluntly that they can’t be funded. There is a definite administrative bias toward strictly Malaysian productions. Of course, JKKN says otherwise, but when you talk to anyone who’s worked in the field for over 10 years, they all say the bias is undeniably real. Schools such as ASWARA have signed an MOU with Korea National University of Arts, but this is only possible because the school (ASWARA) focuses on strictly Malaysian productions. Although a person like Joseph Victor Gonzalez serves as co-chairman of the Asian Dance Committee, the country is still politically slanted toward ethnically Malaysian companies.

Host : Do you think governmental efforts in the realms of collaboration and exchange will help change things?

Lee Seung-hyo : Joseph Victor Gonzalez expressed great pride in his curriculum, saying that his students learn Malaysian dance, as well as forms from China and India. Although various methods are used for instruction, it’s all under the same structure and system. That’s where I think Malaysia’s problem lies. Even politically, the incumbent party is always emphasizing that Malaysia is a single, unified nation; rather than embracing the beauty of the country’s diversity, it almost acts as if it doesn’t exist. Its members strive to leave no room for collision or conflict. In my opinion, if Malaysia is to advance both politically and culturally, its citizens first need to ask themselves how their clash of different cultures can be worked into harmony. Even among artists, this problem remains largely excluded from discussion.

Audience member: I work in publishing. I’m going to attend a book fair in Kuala Lumpur this April, and am considering going with a Korean performance group for marketing purposes. I still haven’t heard back from the organizers regarding their opinion on this, but I was wondering if you think it’d be possible for us to expand our (my company’s) audience this way, as well as engage in a joint project with a local company.

Lee Dong-min : I think it’d be best to contact the committee that oversees the organization. If you were planning on establishing ties with a local company, then I could perhaps help, but I’m not sure if I can provide an answer if you’re planning on going with a Korean company. You could collaborate with a local company, but they won’t be able to acquire any funds. I’m sure planning the event itself wouldn’t be a problem, it’d just be a matter of acquiring adequate sponsorship.

Kim Seok-hong (KAMS): All three guests have mentioned that there is little exchange between the three ethnic groups in Malaysia. However, on the international front, I think that for a genuine relationship to exist between Korea and Malaysia, then the two nations need to express an interest in each other. I was wondering if local artists have an interest in Korea at all.

Lee Dong-won : The desire to work on an international scale is similar to what which exists in the scene in Korea. I once asked a Malaysian friend named Steve about his impressions after visiting Korea for a week. He was curious about the intensity of trends in Korea. From his perspective, the majority of Korean dance and styles get swept up into single trends and end up being very similar. While he expressed an interest in working with Korean artists, he seemed very turned off by this aspect. However, the Korean Wave has definitely sparked a level of interest. The question is how we can bring such interests together with ours. We both want something, so we need to find a meeting point, one from which we can maintain a continuous relationship.

Lee Seung-hyo : The common consensus among Malaysians is that Korea’s performance arts scene is certainly something worthy of attention. We may think we still have a long ways to go, but I think Malaysians tend to look up to both Korea and Japan. Also, I think they feel a sense of commonality with us, as Asians, something they don’t feel towards Europeans. However, while Malaysians view the advancements of Korea and Japan as something to admire and learn from, I wonder if they really think of us as distinct from one another.

Audience member : Hi, my name is Kim Yeong-cheol, and I work in Korean dance. I visited ASWARA five years ago. Due to the fact that I managed to go through a program that provided sponsorship, I thought it’d be a great opportunity to do some valuable research. Although people call my field interpretive dance in Korea, while abroad they call me a choreographer in contemporary dance, and I can’t help but think that more possibilities would open up if people just simply referred to my work as "dance." The term “Korean dance” seems so limiting. The truth is, I’ve been thinking about how to expand into Asia, not just Japan and Korea, for the past 10 years. I’ve always been disappointed that Koreans don’t pay more attention to the continent as a whole.

Host : Mr. Lee, you’ve worked in Festival Bo:m, as well as Festival Tokyo in the past, so I’m curious to hear your perspective on Southeast Asia. Also, rather than just a series of partnerships between individual companies, I’d like to know if there’s the possibility of a collaborative, joint effort on the scale of something like a festival.

Lee Seung-hyo : From a managerial perspective, creating an all-encompassing program for Asia is extremely difficult. I once worked on a program that ran like a public contest, but in the case of a nation like Malaysia, such contests don’t even exist. Even public performance festivals are severely lacking in substance. If we go there full of expectations, then I’m sure there’s nothing awaiting us. If we go with preconceived notions of modern dance or what "contemporary" is, then we won’t find anything. If that’s the case, we have to find out what contemporary means in Malaysia, but that process would take too long. This is the problem that we need a solution for, especially when it comes to facilitating exchange between Korea and Southeast Asia.

Kim Seok-hong (KAMS): You said that there’s almost no public funding available, but that such a situation could be worked into an advantage. However, I think that a certain amount of public support is necessary to boost the process. I understand that exchange between JKNN and KAMS has led to a benchmarking process on many fronts. I wanted to know, however, if more people are speaking up about the necessity of public funding.

Lee Seung-hyo : I think Malaysians look up to the systematic and institutional precision of the scene in both Korea and Japan. In Malaysia’s case however, artists need to place a heavy focus on tradition or do something the government favors in order to acquire funding, making it difficult for more "progressive" artists to attain any support. Most people say that anyone who focuses on contemporary forms is going to be naturally more left-leaning. Because there’s no hope of receiving any public funding, contemporary artists are proud of being able to say that they can create something that audiences can truly enjoy, something they’re willing to pay for. However, I think it’s necessary to express the necessity for more government funding for the Borak Arts Series. I’m concerned, however, since the Malaysian scene uses Korea as a benchmarking standard. The creativity in Malaysia’s current scene, something that now drives itself, could go dry if the focus suddenly becomes the acquisition of public funds. As opposed to simply mimicking Korea or Japan, I think it’d be better to enhance communication with Malaysian audiences, so as to support a Malaysian brand of contemporary that doesn’t exclude their identity.

Lee Dong-min : In terms of a cooperative relationship, I think it’d be better to place more pressure on KAMS to offer support to JKNN. The artists I met through this connection were all worried about this aspect. If companies from Korea and Malaysia are to embark on a collaborative project, then would it be possible for Malaysian companies to receive financial support from Korea? Because there simply isn’t any public funding in Malaysia. In this regard, I think a country-to-country discussion is necessary on an administrative scale, so that each side provides a necessary and fair amount of financial support.

Host : I understand that JKNN uses its international networks to establish its programs, but does that mean they don’t offer any financial support?

Kim Eun-hee (KAMS) : In that respect, JKNN isn’t very proactive. Projects that were too difficult to get off the ground with JKNN were brought to Malaysian companies or other private agencies. I think KAMS plays an important in conducting adequate research before planning begins for collaborative projects.

Host : In a previous talk, the director of KakArt Festival in Jakarta said that both the Asian market and Asian arts need to escape the currently dominant Eurocentric mindset, stressing the need to form a community that is distinctly Asian. The same thought came to mind during today’s talk. Even if we don’t immediately spawn collaborative projects between companies, it’d still be beneficial to begin establishing cooperative channels on an administrative and managerial level so as to build a base for continuous exchange.