[中][ENG] 總監主場 Artistic Director's Home: 錢秀蓮 Miranda Chin
總監主場
Artistic Director's Home
Miranda Chin錢秀蓮
錢秀蓮舞蹈團藝術總監及編舞
Artistic Director and Choreographer of Miranda Chin Dance Company
翻譯Translation: Tiffany Wong
回想1986年從紐約研習現代舞返港，於1989年以自己的名字成立了錢秀蓮舞蹈團，至今已是30年。受西方影響，我志在忠於自己的選材及編舞，嘗試找出自己的純藝術創作之路，建立中西文化融合的香港本土舞團。舞團舞者九成畢業於香港演藝學院的，希望能填補專業舞團多取外來者，而未有足夠機會給香港舞者在舞台延續發揮。
It has been 30 years since I founded the Miranda Chin Dance Company in 1989 after returning from New York in 1986 where I had studied Modern Dance. Under the influence of this Western culture, my initial aspirations were to devote myself to developing an individual approach to choreography and to locate a unique voice. I wanted to establish a Hong Kong local dance troupe that integrated Chinese and Western cultures. 90% of the dancers in my company were trained graduates of the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, and in this way we hoped to make up for the lack of opportunities for Hong Kong dancers to perform on stage because, for the most part, professional dance troupes hired mostly foreign dancers.
《武極七》：黃帝內經 ─ 腎水 Wuji 7 – Huangdi Neijing - Water Kidney; 攝Photo: 鍾漢榮 Jason Chung
舞團作品與我共同成長。早期的《律動舞神州》、《草月流─四季》、《敦煌》、《字戀狂》，是以畫、盆栽、雕塑、書法作創作主線，較偏愛優美和生活文化。
My company’s works and I grew together. The early works such as Innovative Chinese Rhythms and Movements, Four Seasons, Dun Huang, Calligraphy Fantasia used paintings, potted plants, sculptures and calligraphy as central themes and tended towards elegant representations and referring to living culture.
2000年起，中國獲奧運主辦權，激發起了我和運動員一起努力的意願，我遂用了八年時間以中國文化符號「武術和太極」作為創作主線，冀可為中國特長和香港藝術盡點綿力。在創作探索過程中，我體會到作為藝術工作者的段段難忘經歷，並增強了對華夏文化的認識。
The success of China in the bid for hosting the Olympic Games in 2000 motivated me to work hard in another direction and this time together with athletes. I spent eight years creating pieces based on the Chinese cultural icons including the martial arts and Tai Chi hoping to contribute to Chinese specialties and enliven the Hong Kong arts. On this journey of exploration and creation, I had some of my most memorable experiences as a creative artist and also strengthened my knowledge of Chinese culture.
2001年我赴武當山、陳家溝采風後，編創了《武極一》，介紹武術太極的源流。《武極二》是我赴青城山與青城派掌門人劉綏濱談巫與舞之間的關係後，用《春之祭》音樂完成了以太極推手散打為主之舞。
After visiting Wudang Mountain and Chenjiagou to learn more about local culture and folk songs in 2001, I created Wuji 1 introducing the origins of Tai Chi and its consequent development. Wuji 2 was a dance based on the pushing hands of Tai Chi such as attack and defense and was performed to Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps. This second version was created after traveling to Qing Cheng Mountain and discussing the correlation between magic and dance with Liu Suibin, the Grandmaster of Qing Cheng Tai Chi.
《武極二》：太極 – 推手散打 Wuji 2 : Tai Chi – Pushing-hands; 攝Photo: 鍾漢榮 Jason Chung
《武極三》則用太極詩賦，以楊式太極拳刀劍而完成之「太極隨想曲」。《武極四》是以貝多芬的《第九交響樂》配以內家拳的舞蹈。《武極五》是我赴北京民間采風後，開始以八卦五行作創作主線。《武極六》是參考北京體育大學武術系，引用通臂拳及形意拳作為變色、變象為主線。《武極七》是引用《黃帝內經》中，太極乃大自然和身體要協調的中醫理念發展而成。而最後一集，《上善若水》是根據中國經典《道德經》，相信大自然的水，悟出生活與幸福的智慧。此集當中，水之源、變、韻、勢和境是主要題材。而水之境則是生活的最高境界。
Wuji 3 incorporated Tai Chi chants to create a “Tai Chi Capriccio” with movements from Yang Style Tai Chi swordplay. Wuji 4 was matched with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and dance movements from Neijiaquan. For Wuji 5, I started to base my creations on “The Eight Trigrams and Five Elements” after visiting Beijing. Wuji 6 referenced how the Wushu School (Martial Arts School) of Beijing Sport University taught Tongbeiquan and Xingyiquan the changes of forms and expressions. Wuji 7 was based on Huangdi Neijing (Inner Canon of the Yellow Emperor) and the idea that Tai Chi was linked to and developed from Chinese medicine and that the body needed to coordinate with nature. And the last episode, Highest State of Good – Water, was based on the Chinese classic Dao De Jing advocating that we could understand life and gain wisdom from the water in nature. In particular, we observed the source of water, its changes, rhythm, surge and state. The highest state of good was like the state of water.
《武極三》：太極隨想曲 ─ 蛇手貓步 Wuji 3 ─ Snake, Catlike Changing Shadows into Dragon; 攝Photo: 鍾漢榮 Jason Chung
我在探索過程中，深深體會中國文化之實用精深。通過武術太極之源，從而感受到從哲學、文學、中醫、術數、天人合一的中國人文理念。每舞集均經過半年的探索，才有全舞之概念。舞者通過分享主題的傳承啟發，再於時間、空間及律動質感互提。香港舞者特別靈巧，部分創意隨個人和群組多元互動，最後我再選材而提煉之，得以順利完成「武極」八集系列。
In these explorations, I realized how practical Chinese culture was. Through learning about the origins of martial arts and Tai Chi, I came to understand the Chinese idea of humanity from literature, Chinese medicine, divination and also the concept of “oneness of heaven and men”. The concept of each dance was the result of half a year of explorations. After sharing their thoughts and feelings about a topic, dancers then worked together on time, space, rhythmic movement and quality to improve the dance. I found Hong Kong dancers to be especially sensitive and adaptable. After sharing their creative work, I made a selection of materials and refined them further and hence the eight episodes of Wuji were completed.
在八集中，《春之祭》及貝多芬《第九交響樂》印象尤深，此為個人高難度之挑戰，幸得音樂總監和作曲陳明志一直的協助。全部過程中，我深感到訪談名家最能啟發創作概念並刺激追尋下一集之主題。觀看武術界的動律而啟發舞蹈之選材，再把選材予以舞者體驗和啟發其研發主題之動律。當然，最後全舞集則賴幕後協助舞美設計及舞台製作，這是藝術工作者們群體精神的呈現。
Of the eight episodes, Le Sacre du Printemps and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 were the most impressive and the most challenging for me and I was fortunate to have creative input from Music Director and Composer Ming-chi Chan. In the process, I realized that interviewing acclaimed experts was the most effective way of obtaining inspiration and finding an initial theme. For example, by observing the rhythmic movements in martial arts as inspiration for the dance, I came up with the movement materials for a dance episode. The dancers felt it and further developed their rhythmic movements. Of course, the whole series would not have happened without the backstage assistance in stage design and production. This was a demonstration of collaborative team spirit among artists.
藝術本為創意無邊界，每人因背境、思維及方向不同，「言談容易實踐難」，此乃我在八集中的最大感受。武術太極界會感到現代舞太抽象，而現代舞界則感到武術太極過於受中國文化規範。但有幸香港乃一自由創意社會，大家和而不同，和諧共容。
Art is creativity without boundaries. In creating the eight episodes, what I felt strongly was that due to each person’s different background, mindset and direction, it was easy to talk but more difficult to put everything into practice. People from martial arts and the Tai Chi would find modern dance too abstract, while those from modern dance would find martial arts and Tai Chi too strictly bound to Chinese culture. Fortunately, Hong Kong is a free and creative society. We respect diversity and we live in harmony.
這十數載的藝術探索旅程以今年5月26日於香港文化中心大劇院的《錢秀蓮舞蹈團30周年之「武極」精選》，共邀太極名家、創意舞者、古琴及擊樂現場演奏作分享。作為藝術總監及編舞，我感恩同行的用心、熱誠支持。
My over-ten -year journey in arts will be shared in The 30th Anniversary Gala Programme of Miranda Chin Dance Company on 26th May in the Grand Theatre, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. We have invited Tai Chi masters and creative dancers to participate in the event accompanied by live guqin and percussion. As the Artistic Director and Choreographer, I am grateful for the care and support from my counterparts.
