[中][Eng] 舞蹈裡的光與影The Light and Shadow in Dance
1. 黎宇文於2015年獲香港舞蹈聯盟頒發最值得表揚舞蹈錄像及攝影獎項。 Maurice Lai receives the award for Outstanding Achievement in Video and Photography for Dance in 2015. 攝影 Photographer：Mark Lam
舞蹈攝影發展的肯定
Recognition in the Development of Dance Video
去年的香港舞蹈年獎中，黎宇文（Maurice）憑他以香港和舞蹈為題材的作品，獲得最值得表揚舞蹈錄影及攝影。事隔將近一年，當問到當日得知自己獲獎時的心情，Maurice笑言首先想到的是「不知道會否被老婆打？回家後是否要扭耳仔？」，因為他太太曾於城市當代舞蹈團跳舞多年，但卻未曾獲得過任何跳舞獎項，反而並非習舞的他卻首先贏得了舞蹈年獎，實在令他感到有點意外。
「其實要多謝舞盟，能夠宏觀地去看舞蹈藝術，不只是著重舞台上的演出，或者純粹是表演者或編舞這方面，而是看整個舞蹈藝術發展的方向。」他說近年透過影像去表達舞蹈的作品逐漸受到更多重視，能夠得到一個廣受認同的獎項去肯定這方面的發展，的確很有鼓勵性，讓有志於發展跨舞蹈與影像作品的朋友，可以更有信心地朝這方向繼續探索。
Last year at the Hong Kong Dance Awards, Maurice Lai received the Outstanding Achievement in Video and Photography for Dance Award based on his artistic work in dance video. A year has passed since he received the award and when asked about what his reaction was to it, Lai laughed, “I wonder would my wife be mad at me? Or would she want to ‘twist my ear’s’ [using the Cantonese idiom for a form of playful punishment] when I got home?” This because his wife danced for City Contemporary Dance Company for nearly a decade but never received a Hong Kong Dance Award. He was surprised that as a non-dance performer he won an award from the dance field. Lai acknowledged, “In fact, I’m really grateful that Hong Kong Dance Alliance has demonstrated a strong capacity to include dance [awards to artists] beyond [those that] focus only on performer’s technique, choreographic skill, and performance presentation. It has shown the organization is willing to take on a macroscopic perspective for dance development.” He observed in recent years, more dance video works are gradually gaining more attention, this award gives him a sense of recognition in the development of this art form. Moreover, it gives incentive for people interested in crossover dance and video work a boost.
2. 其中一個舞蹈錄像作品《城市祭》。Lai's The Rite of City - Reminisce.
攝影 Photographer：何海藍 Leecat Ho
3. 黎其中一個作品《Float》。A screen grab from Lai's dance film Float.
攝影 Photographer：黎宇文 Maurice Lai
由錄像到舞蹈錄像
From Video Shooting to Dance Video
Maurice提到拍攝dance video（舞蹈錄像）爭取資助很難，以申請藝發局資助為例，「舞蹈」與「電影及媒體藝術」兩個界別，往往都會覺得應該是由另一界別去處理申請。他希望有關方面可以與時並進，令更多批核資助者明白這一類創作的特色。不過他表示獲獎之後，至少在介紹自己的作品時，可以有多一些參考，比較容易去說明。Maurice回想十幾年前他最初跟舞蹈界接觸時，錄像拍攝並不像今天般人人一機在手、方便易做，故此碰巧有像他這樣的專業拍攝者願意幫忙，為演出加一些錄像或拍一個不錯的表演錄影，就慢慢跟舞蹈圈中的朋友建立起關係。「其實當時大家都很無助，因為兩個專業（舞蹈跟電影／錄像）之間不多接觸，也沒有溝通。」所以那時候他也不時會介紹一些錄像專業的朋友，去協助舞團拍攝演出。
Lai shared the difficulties in obtaining funding for dance video production, in order to apply for Hong Kong Arts Development Council funding, for example, Dance and Film & Media Art are two different sectors and each sector tends to think that such applications should go to the other sector to process it rather than theirs. He hopes that the relevant parties can be more proactive in promoting the characteristics of this kind of creation, in order to widen the understanding of the art form and reach more people. Lately, he notices, after received the award, it provides a reference for others in regards to his works, thus it helps him to explain the uniqueness of this art form. Lai recalls his initial contact with dance more than a decade ago - video shooting or documentation for performance wasn’t as widespread as today. Professional filmmakers like him stepped into the dance circle willingly to help explore dance performance documentation and video projection in performance. Through time, he developed a strong friendship with all the dance artists whom he has worked with. As he remembers back then “we all felt quite hopeless because there was not much interaction between these two professions [dance with film and video]”. Therefore, in order to open up the communication, he would introduce film professionals to assist in the documentation of some dance performances.
4. 他曾製作《男生》的紀錄片。He has made a dance documentary film about Boy’s Story. 攝影 Photographer：黎宇文 Maurice Lai
作為傳承的橋樑
Pass on to Future Generations
從當年「盲摸摸」入行，然後跟伍宇烈合作了第一部舞蹈錄像作品《一杯茶》，到近年製作舞蹈錄像《城市祭》三部曲與有關舞作《男生》的紀錄片，Maurice一直都是順著自己的興趣去創作。不過他也坦言曾經有想過自己做了舞蹈錄像工作十多年，是否是時候轉去做其他事情，例如打理家庭的生意、營運食肆等。然而，「若我現在就退下來，其實並不是給予其他人上位的機會，而是令下面的人不知怎辦。」Maurice指舞蹈錄像始終不是一個成熟的專業範疇，不是簡單地給予機會就能夠成功，他反而希望透過繼續做新作品，帶領下一代的製作人開路，令大家之後更易行。「過去曾經有很多人給我機會去嘗試不同東西，現在算是有少少achievement（成就），而我希望這個achievement能夠幫到後來者。」對於有志加入舞蹈錄像製作的朋友，Maurice希望將來可繼續利用他的經驗及地位，去為他們爭取更多機會，給予支持，「盡量運用手上少少的資源及人脈去幫他們『上位』，不會辜負一眾曾經給予獎項及機會的人。」
From chance encounter with his first dance video collaboration with choreographer Yuri Ng in A Cup of Tea in 2004 to the recent dance film The Rite of City Trilogy and a dance documentary film Boy’s Story, Lai has pursued his own interests in the possibilities of dance with film and video. Having made dance videos for such a long time, he admits that he has thought whether it is time to turn his attention to something else such as managing his family restaurant business and so on. However, he lamented, “If I retire now, rather than allowing others to have my opportunities, it won’t give access to the knowledge that I gained to the people coming after me.” As Lai points out, dance video is not yet developed into a mature art form, just providing opportunity is not enough. He hopes through continuing to create new experimental works, it will lead the next generation of creators and producers to a more open path for creation. He added, “In the past there were a lot of people who gave me chances to try something different. Now, I’m glad I’ve achieved something and wish to use this achievement to help newcomers." Lai pledges to continue to share his experiences and to fight for more opportunities to support those interested in exploring dance video. He promises, “I will facilitate with as many resources and connections that I have to help them, I will live up to the recognition of the people who gave this award and opportunities to me.”
5. 黎(右二)於意大利佛羅倫斯留影。Lai (second from right) on location for the shooting in Florence, Italy. 攝影 Photographer：邱智華 Chiu Chih-hua
