[中] [ENG] 記艾甘．漢的舞創分享

文：陳瑋鑫

編按：香港演藝學院於2024年12月初，頒授榮譽院士予國際著名編舞家艾甘・漢先生，學院更邀請到艾甘・漢親臨香港，出席該校頒授典禮；除了頒授儀式外，校方亦舉行了艾甘・漢的講座，讓學生及校友們能近距離與大師見面與交流。本文主要是摘錄該講座的談話內容。

香港演藝學院舞蹈學院院長陳頌瑛 (左) ；艾甘・漢 (右)  (照片由香港演藝學院提供)

Left: Prof CHAN Anna CY; Right: Akram Khan (Photo provided by HKAPA)

當代傑出舞蹈藝術家艾甘．漢（Akram Khan），近年雖已暫別舞台演出，但卻從來沒有停止過創作，而且一直利用他的影響力去搭建不同平台，致力培育新一代舞蹈藝術家。2024年12月，他獲香港演藝學院頒授榮譽院士，除親身來港出席頒授典禮外，更特地與舞蹈學院的師生見面交流，分享他的跨文化成長背景，如何影響他的創作方式與藝術視野，以及他對新一代舞者的觀察與寄語。

在混雜的文化處境下成長

艾甘．漢說自己出身比較複雜，因為他生在倫敦，國籍上是英國人，同時血統上是孟加拉人。其孟加拉裔父母在1970年代初，為了逃避內亂而離開家鄉，去到英國倫敦展開新生活。他認為他們這些移英第二代的孟加拉人，就像是一所活生生的「文化博物館」：一大班同鄉姨姨自小就不斷向他們傳授民族舞蹈，教他們唱老歌，希望在他們身上繼續傳承孟加拉傳統文化。有趣的是，這一班姨姨全都從未接受過專業的音樂或舞蹈訓練，所以艾甘．漢笑言她們其實教得很差，只不過學習重點並不在於技巧，而是當中的意義，因為這是他與舞蹈的第一次邂逅。

小時候他們一家人住在父親經營的印度餐廳的樓上，而母親則在唱片公司工作，常會帶不同的流行曲唱片回家。故此常常在小小的客廳中，一邊會播著寶萊塢電影音樂，另一邊同時播放著西方流行曲。艾甘．漢說起初的確會很混亂，但漸漸他與妹妹都習慣了這種文化混雜，慢慢找到平衡。當時在同一街區，除了孟加拉人，也有來自中國、馬來西亞、斯里蘭卡，以至尼日利亞的家庭，因此艾甘．漢在這文化大熔爐中逐漸形塑了他的世界觀，也直接影響他對不同文化持有更開放的態度。然而，真正讓他開闊眼界並認清自己的才能，是始於少年時參與了劇場大師彼得．布祿克（Peter Brook）*的《摩訶婆羅多》巡演。

艾甘・漢在《叢林奇譚》彩排中 (攝：Camilla Greenwell；照片由Akram Khan Company)

Rehearsal Shots of Jungle Book reimagined (Photo Credit by Camilla Greenwell; Provided by Akram Khan Company)

從布祿克身上學習創作

艾甘．漢參與長達一年半的巡演時，年僅13歲，尚未接受過正式的表演訓練，但這一段跟隨劇組巡演的日子，正正成了他的大師班特訓。《摩》劇全長九小時，每次演出都會分三段，每段三小時，由傍晚演至翌日清晨。當時共同參演的，都是來自世界各地的大師級演員，而艾甘．漢就憑著他的良好體力與出色的肢體動作，經遴選加入劇組。整個經驗令原本很怕說話的他，變得較為自在，雖然他仍不完全相信說話言詞，但卻意識到說故事的重要性與方法，並能透過自己信任的身體去傳達複雜的情感，並敘述情節。

在創作方式上，艾甘．漢直言自己深受布祿克的影響。他指出，現時他創作一齣新作，一般需要用上至少三年時間：第一年為狩獵採集期，先去收集所有相關事物，以及直覺與之有關的東西；第二年就用來玩，分階段去玩一年，他通常會工作三星期，然後放假一個月。他承認這是很奢侈，一般創作很難這樣做，但只要資源充裕，他都會盡量投放在創作過程中，事關他創作進度比較慢；而到了第三年，他就會正式獻身予這一個創作。不過有關舞者的遴選，很多時會在項目首演前兩年就進行，因此舞者們往往也是完成作品的創作者之一。

先了解規範才有真正的自由

談到對舞者的要求，艾甘．漢認為要具備兩種能力，第一是從布祿克身上學習到的協作能力，而另一種就是個人的技巧。他說傳統印度舞讓他了解協作能力，亦同時如芭蕾舞般，給予了一個囚籠。艾甘．漢強調囚禁並不是負面的，好像他的卡塔克舞（Kathak）老師對動作的精確度要求非常嚴格，每一個姿勢都有一個固定的架式，把身體重重的鎖住。因此舞者要對當中的架式有著深入及透徹的了解，才能夠繞過規條突破出來，尋找到當中的自由。他強調我們要掌握一種形式，就必須要好好認識它；要做到好的即興，就必定要清楚知道規範在哪裡，要有真正的自由，就得要從囚牢中出來。

艾甘．漢說他跟賀飛雪．謝克特（Hofesh Shechter）及克莉絲朵．派特（Crystal Pite）常有交流，大家都對如何進行即興很感興趣，尤其他們經常會收到上千段即興表演之遴選影片。他提到通常看最初的幾個，總是驚訝這一代年青舞者的優異身體能力；不過當看到第十個、第十一個、第十二個時，就會看到他們的動作都很近似，甚至明顯看得出都是一些為即興而即興的動作。而當他們被放在一起去進行現場遴選時，這些舞者往往只能展現個人技巧去吸引負責選拔的人員，但就缺乏溝通與協作能力，看不出他們如何能夠跟其他人共同創作演出。

《Until the Lions》劇照 (攝：Jean-Louis Fernandez；照片由Akram Khan Company提供)

Until the Lions (Photo credit: : Jean-Louis Fernandez; Provided by Akram Khan Company)

思考自己與舞蹈的關係

艾甘．漢說到他的舞團的每一位團員都有著非常厲害的技巧，不一定是芭蕾，可以是任何舞蹈或表演。他們不只是舞者，而是藝術家，藝術家會問深入的問題，關心藝術與自己的關係多於藝術活動本身。他們關心的不僅是技巧，而是要明白自己與該技巧之間的關係，如何從該技巧之中找到屬於自己的聲音。

正如他從不覺得自己很有舞蹈天分，反而小他四歲的妹妹，不單在學術上比他領先四年，更天生擁有舞者的身體條件。小時候當妹妹已在高級班跳舞，他還在上初班，著實令人丟臉。然而，艾甘．漢提醒，天賦條件不會隨時日增長，但他的堅持努力，每日鼓勵自己能夠做到，就讓他一直進步，因此最終不單追過了妹妹，更遠遠把她拋離。他深知自己強於爆發力，身體卻不柔軟靈活，也拉不直足尖(Pointe)，但他會把克服其困難弱點，視之為挑戰，並尋找屬於自己的方式去演繹。因此即使當年他跟蕭菲．紀蓮（Sylvie Guillem）同台，他也能以不同的技巧方式，讓觀眾不察覺其身體有多繃緊。

對於未來希望繼續在舞蹈專業發展的年青人，艾甘．漢的建議是要保持思考自身與舞蹈的關係，問問自己到底有多熱愛舞蹈？特別在這一個資訊爆炸的時代，不要只追求答案，不要只選容易的路，別怕吃苦，也不應跳過過程，藝術是需要用身體去感受、去表達，音樂如是，舞蹈如是。

編註：

*彼得．布祿克（1925-2022），生於倫敦，二十世紀下半葉最重要的國際劇場導演，1962年進入皇家莎士比亞劇團，1974年投身巴黎北方滑稽劇院，之後一直擔任該院藝術總監及導演。2019年獲阿斯圖里亞斯女親王獎藝術獎（The Princess of Asturias Awards）。知名作品有《馬哈／薩德》、《摩訶婆羅多》等，其著作《空的空間》是當代劇場的教科書式經典。

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陳瑋鑫

資深藝評人、媒體及劇場製作人，近年主要從事表演藝術研究及教育，現為香港演藝學院講師（表演藝術實踐導向研究）。

Akram Khan’s Dance Creation Journey – a sharing session in Hong Kong Text: William Chan

Translator: Elspeth, Chan Chi Fan

Editor’s Note: In early December 2024, The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts conferred Honorary Awards on ten outstanding individuals, recognizing their significant contributions to the performing arts, the cultural industry, and the Academy's development. Among the recipients was internationally renowned choreographer Akram Khan. The Academy invited Khan to visit Hong Kong to attend the ceremony. Alongside the event, a special lecture by Khan was organized, offering students and alumni the opportunity to engage closely with the master. This article highlights key excerpts from the lecture.

Renowned contemporary dance artist Akram Khan may have recently stepped back from performing on stage, but he has never ceased creating and continues to leverage his influence to build diverse platforms dedicated to nurturing the next generation of dance artists. In December 2024, an Honorary Fellowship was conferred on him by the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Not only did he attend the ceremony in person, he also took the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with the academy's faculty and students. During this interaction, he shared how his cross-cultural upbringing has influenced his creative approach and artistic vision, as well as his observations and advice for the new generation of dancers.

艾甘・漢在香港演藝學院 (照片由香港演藝學院提供)

Akram Khan in HKAPA (Photo provided by HKAPA)

Growing Up in a Mixed Cultural Environment

Khan describes his background as complex, being born in London with British nationality but Bangladeshi heritage. His parents fled their homeland of Bangladesh in the early 1970s to escape civil unrest, starting a new life in London. Khan views second-generation Bangladeshi immigrants like himself as living ‘cultural museums’: a group of older generation ‘aunties’ kept teaching them traditional dances and old songs, hoping to preserve Bangladeshi culture through them. Interestingly, these aunties had no formal music or dance training, and Khan humorously notes that the instruction  he received was quite poor. However, the focus was not on technique but the underlying meaning of the traditions, marking Khan's first encounter with dance.

In his childhood, Khan's family lived above his father's Indian restaurant. His mother, who worked at a record company, often brought home various pop music albums. Their small living room was filled with the sound of both Bollywood film music and Western pop songs. Khan recalls finding this confusing at first but he and his sister gradually adapted to the cultural mix, finding balance over time. The neighbourhood was diverse, with families from China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Nigeria. This cultural melting pot shaped Khan's worldview and fostered an open attitude towards different cultures. Nevertheless, the experience that truly broadened Khan's horizons and helped him recognize his talents was his participation in theatre master Peter Brook's* touring production of The Mahabharata as a teenager. 

《XENOS》劇照 (攝：Jean-Louis Fernandez；照片由Akram Khan Company提供)

XENOS (Photo credit: Jean-Louis Fernandez; Provided by Akram Khan Company)

Learning the Creative Process from Brook

At just 13 years old and with no formal performance training, Khan joined a year-and-a-half-long tour with the production, and this experience with the touring company became his intensive masterclass. The Mahabharata lasted for nine hours, performed in three three-hour segments from evening until dawn of the following day. Khan was selected to join the cast, which included world-renowned master performers, due to his exceptional physical stamina and movement skills. This experience transformed Khan, who was initially afraid of speaking, making him into a more relaxed performer. While still not fully trusting in spoken words, he recognized the importance of storytelling and learned how to approach conveying complex emotions and narratives through his trusted physical bodily expression.

Khan openly acknowledges Brook's profound influence on his creative approach. He generally dedicates at least three years to creating a new work:

1. The first year is a ‘hunting and gathering’ period, collecting all relevant materials and intuitively related elements.

2. The second year is devoted to playful experimentation, divided into stages. Khan usually works for three weeks at a time, followed by a month-long break.

3. The third year is fully committed to the creation itself.

Khan admits the length of this process is a luxury which is not typically feasible for most productions. However, when resources allow, he invests heavily in the creative process, acknowledging his slower pace of creation. On the other hand, the selection of dancers often begins two years before the project premiere, making the dancers integral co-creators of the final work.

《Sacred  Monsters》劇照 (攝： Tristram Kenton；照片由Akram Khan Company提供)

Sacred  Monsters (Photo credit: Tristram Kenton; Provided by Akram Khan Company)

Understanding Rules to Find True Freedom

Regarding requirements for dancers, Khan identifies two essential abilities: collaborative skills as learned from Peter Brook, and individual technique. He explains that traditional Indian dance taught him about collaboration while also providing a ‘frame’, similar to ballet. Khan emphasizes that confinement within a frame isn't necessarily negative, citing his Kathak teacher's strict demands for precision in movement, where each posture has a fixed form, firmly locking the body in place. Khan explains that dancers must have a profound understanding of these structures in order to transcend them and find freedom within them. He asserts that to master a form, one must thoroughly understand it; to improvise well, one must clearly understand the rules; and to achieve true freedom, one must emerge from confinement.

Khan often discusses improvisation with fellow choreographers Hofesh Shechter and Crystal Pite. They have a profound interest in the process of improvisation, particularly when reviewing thousands of improvised audition videos. He notes that the first few videos usually showcase the impressive physical abilities of young dancers. However, by the tenth, eleventh or twelfth video, movements become similar, often clearly improvised for the sake of improvisation. During live auditions, these dancers typically display individual skills to impress the selection panel but lack communication and collaborative abilities. Khan observes that it's difficult to discern how they might co-create with others in a performance setting.

Reflecting on One's Relationship with Dance

Khan emphasizes that each member of his company needs to possess exceptional skills, not necessarily in ballet, but in various forms of dance or performance. He views them not merely as dancers, but as artists who delve into profound questions, focusing more on their relationship with art than on the artistic activity itself. Their concern extends beyond technique to understanding their personal connection with it and how to find their unique voice within that skill set.

Khan never considered himself naturally gifted in dance. His sister, four years younger, was not only academically advanced but also possessed the innate physical qualities of a dancer. As a child, he found it embarrassing to be in beginner dance classes while she was in advanced ones. However, he points out that, while in-born talent doesn't automatically grow over time, his own persistent effort and daily self-encouragement has led to continuous improvement. Eventually, he not only caught up with his sister but surpassed her significantly. Khan recognizes his strengths – he has plenty of explosive power - but his flexibility is limited and he cannot stretch his feet into ‘pointe’.  However, he approaches these challenges as opportunities for growth, seeking his own interpretative methods. This approach allowed him to perform alongside Sylvie Guillem, using different techniques to mask any bodily tensions from the audience.For young people aspiring to pursue a career in dance, Khan advises maintaining a reflective relationship with dance, questioning the depth of their passion. In this era of information overload, he encourages them not to seek easy answers or shortcuts. Instead, he advocates embracing challenges and experiencing all processes fully, emphasizing that arts like music and dance require physical sensation and expression.

Remarks:

*Peter Brook (1925-2022), born in London, was one of the most influential international theatre directors of the second half of the 20th century. He joined the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1962 and later became associated with the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord in Paris in 1974, where he served as artistic director and director. In 2019, he received the Princess of Asturias Award for the Arts. His notable works include Marat/Sade and The Mahabharata, and his book The Empty Space is a seminal classic in contemporary theatre studies.

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William Chan

A senior art critic, media and theatre producer, Chan has predominantly engaged in performing arts research and education in recent years. He is currently a lecturer (Practice-based Research) at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts.