[中][ENG] CCDC青年舞蹈訓練計劃──往專業訓練之路出發
CCDC Youth Dance Training Programme – Starting on the Path of Professional Training
文：丘思詠
「舞蹈青年」／攝：Leung Wing-chun（照片由城市當代舞蹈團舞蹈中心提供）
城市當代舞蹈團（CCDC）在組織青少年的舞蹈培訓計劃已有很久歷史。早在1992年已應區域市政局邀請合辦「現代舞培訓計劃」（即現在的康樂及文化事務署（康文署）「少年登台：學校演藝實踐計劃 」的前身），外展到不同學校推廣當代舞，並隨後發展了讓有潛質的學生繼續進修的平台──「舞蹈培訓獎學金計劃」的「612未來舞士」（「612」）及「彩色青春」（對象分別是6至12歲的小學生及13至18歲的中學生）。
隨著康文署在1999年推出「社區文化大使計劃」，CCDC也被邀請發展了「年青的天空」及在2003年自資的「舞蹈青年」（「舞青」）計劃，每年遴選二十至三十位來自香港各個社區的青年舞者（16至27歲），就計劃的理念「從群眾中來，到群眾中去」把密集的排練成果帶回群眾，並利用環境舞蹈及公共藝術的概念，以「平台舞蹈」的形式，在不同社區的戶外地方進行演出。
自1992年起便參與運作「612」、「彩色青春」及「舞青」計劃的經理（外展事務）鄺韻儀介紹計劃的目的：「我們提供一個平台給一班很喜歡跳舞的人。他們來到我們這裡，如果他們以後選擇跳舞作為職業，他們可以了解有哪些方向。表演是其中一樣、欣賞是一樣、後台是另一樣、創作又是另一樣，服裝製作或行政都是。他們都可以透過這個計劃去認識。……計劃提供了一個寛闊的經驗給他們，讓他們能更宏觀地去認識舞蹈專業。如果以舞蹈作為職業，他們可以有甚麼選擇。」
改變計劃方向以切合當今香港青年
隨著過去十多二十年，中型舞團發展日漸成熟及多了專業的舞蹈參與者，青年舞蹈訓練在數量及形式上也日漸豐富，青年能接觸當代舞的機會多了。因此如何把過去的理念及經驗帶到今天的香港，以切合當今青年在舞蹈追求上的改變，是CCDC正在思考的方向。
這個想法在資深舞蹈家伍宇烈在年頭成為CCDC的藝術總監，以及在舞團正面臨巨大轉變之時，正好給予這些計劃一些改變的契機。伍說出他對計劃的想法：「我們如何令一些有potential（潛質）的人，能去到更遠的地方？我們如何去recognize（發掘）他們的talent（天賦），再guide（引領）他們到那些地方？我是覺得要做這件事情。我們如何透過製作或training（訓練）看到這些人適合做專業。」伍認為舞團的青年舞蹈計劃需要強化它的專業先導計劃角色，去發掘更多在舞蹈上有潛質的青年，為他們走上專業之路做準備。
「彩色青春」／攝Photo：Leung Wing-chun（照片由城市當代舞蹈團舞蹈中心提供）
因著這個想法，舞團便從今年的「612」及「彩色青春」計劃成員中遴選了七位在舞蹈、音樂潛質及態度上都優秀的青少年舞者進行密集及專業的培訓，讓他們參與舞團在暑假檔期的《甩隙咔》演出。在排練中，他們不但能參與藝術總監伍宇烈親自帶領的工作坊，還會和專業舞者一同上課及排練，讓他們親身體驗一個專業舞團對舞者的要求及訓練。隨著今年的試驗及實踐，舞團在下一個年度將有更大的計劃──讓青少年舞者成為舞團專業製作的主要舞者，舞團的專業舞者反成為客席舞者的角色，讓青少年舞者能主導整個演出。
「舞青」計劃在運作上亦有所改變，從以前由四位編舞編排作品的節目策略，改變到從往年開始由舞團的駐團藝術家龐智筠編排整體的節目方向。「舞青」作為一個自負盈虧的計劃，一方面有預算重整上的考慮，另一方面亦「嘗試去focus（專注）在我們這班dance artists（舞蹈藝術家），去培養這班人，看看會走上甚麼的路。相信一定要試三、四屆，我們才可以看到再要去的路。」副藝術總監（教育）梁曉端解釋說。此外，「舞青」亦會參與今年十一月西九文化區主辦的「城市當代舞蹈節」（CCDF）其中一個節目，目的是「將他們包攬在我們節目的一份子，讓他們成為整個大家庭的一部份」梁說。舞團希望能抺去一些「專業」（professional）與「準專業」（pre-professional）的界定，讓他們能一同投入地參與一個專業演出，亦讓青年了解到參與演出並非只要一個「興趣」那麼簡單。
重整及轉化上的思考
在重整及轉化青年舞蹈計劃的時候，內部進行了很多討論。
作為專長及負責教育的梁，她關心青年人在這個計劃的個人成長，因此感到有需要重新釐定計劃的訓練內容。製作的作用在檢驗訓練是否能達至開初訂定的一些目標：「我們會以production（製作）作為一個anchor點（支柱）。好像如果我們在來年的production（製作）希望能work（訓練／實踐）某些東西的，我們可以如何去scaffold（鷹架構建）這件事。」如何因應製作在舞蹈知識、技能及態度上的要求而設計適合青年舞者的循序漸進的訓練內容，將是優化訓練的其中一個重點。
至於為何在來年給予青年舞者主導整個舞團製作，伍解釋說這是一種手段去讓他們對舞蹈有更多的好奇：「我希望他們對創作、對舞蹈有一種好奇，知道原來創作可以係咁、可以係咁；除了是職業外，它亦可以係咁。」他更希望這班青年人亦會為現在的舞者帶來一些影響：「我們在做professional（專業）的都要好奇這班人：他們（青年舞者）會否是一班接班人？他們能否看到一個未來？」因此他將安排一些big brother、big sister（大哥哥、大姐姐）給年青舞者，作為互相影響的基礎。
CCDC在面對眾多轉變之時，亦希望透過今次對青年舞蹈計劃的改動及深化過程，讓青年人更早了解當代舞蹈專業的運作模式，從而增加他們的眼界及準備他們的心態，讓他們早一步了解自己是否適合舞蹈專業，並開闊他們日後的職業選取方向。
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丘思詠
自由身舞蹈工作者，專注於舞蹈教育、研究及寫作。她先後於紐約大學舞蹈系及香港大學文學系完成她的藝術碩士及文碩士。她現為香港教育大學舞蹈學科的客席講師。
CCDC Youth Dance Training Programme – Starting on the Path of Professional Training
Original text: Catherine Yau
Translator: Laura Chan
City Contemporary Dance Company (CCDC) has a long history of organizing dance training programmes for youngsters. Upon the invitation of the Regional Council in 1992, they co-organized Modern Dance in Practice Project (the predecessor of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department’s Taking Centre Stage: School Performing Arts in Practice Scheme) to promote contemporary dance in different schools. It subsequently developed the Dance Training Scholarship Schemes 612 Mini Dancers and Teens of Colours (targeting students aged 6-12 and 13-18 respectively) aimed at students with potential for dance.
When the Leisure and Cultural Services Department launched the Community Cultural Ambassador Scheme in 1999, CCDC was also invited to develop the Young Sky programme, which was followed in 2003 by WuDaoQingNian programme funded by the company itself. Twenty to thirty young dancers aged 16-27 were selected from different districts in Hong Kong; they presented the fruits of their rigorous training to the public, reflecting the programme motto “From the masses, for the masses”. They also made use of the concepts of environmental dance and public art and gave performances outdoors in various districts in the form of “podium dance”.
Ronly Kong, Manager (Outreach Affairs) of CCDC, who has been involved in running the 612 Mini Dancers, Teens of Colours and WuDaoQingNian projects since 1992, introduces the objective of the programmes, “We were providing a platform for dance enthusiasts. By joining they would be able to explore the different directions they could take if they pursued dance as a career, such as performance, appreciation, stage management, creation, costumes and administration. The programmes provided them with a wide range of experiences so that they could learn about the profession on a macro-level and get to know what choices were available to them.”
Changing the direction of the programmes to suit young people in Hong Kong today
During the past ten to twenty years, medium-sized dance companies have matured and the number of professional dance practitioners has increased. Dance training for young people has also grown in quantity and variety and there are more opportunities for youngsters to be in touch with contemporary dance. Therefore, CCDC has been reflecting on ways to make use of past experiences to cater to the changes in the way young people pursue dance today.
Veteran choreographer Yuri Ng became the Artistic Director of CCDC at the beginning of this year, a time when the dance company was facing enormous changes, and wants to take the opportunity to rethink these programmes. Ng says: “How can we recognize the talent in potential dancers and guide them to move forward? I feel that we have to identify those who are suitable for the profession through production and training.” Ng believes that youth dance training programmes should strengthen their role as career pilot programmes in order to discover youngsters with potential for dance and prepare them for the profession.
612 Mini Dancers／Photo：Leung Wing-chun
（Photo provided by City Contemporary Dance Company Dance Centre）
As a result, this year CCDC gave intensive training to seven participants from 612 Mini Dancers and Teens of Colours, selected for their strong skills and good attitude toward dance and music, and allowed them to participate in its summer performance Luck-quacka. During their training, in addition to attending workshops led by the Artistic Director himself, they were able to take part in classes and rehearsals with professional dancers, so that they could experience the training and the standards of a professional dance company. After this year’s trial run, CCDC plans to launch a bigger project next year where the young dancers will be the main dancers and lead a complete CCDC production, while the professional dancers take the role of guest artists.
The WuDaoQingNian project has also undergone operational changes; instead of having four choreographers involved in creating the programme, since last year CCDC Resident Artist Noel Pong has been responsible for the overall programme direction. “As a self-funded programme, WuDaoQingNian raises budget considerations, but at the same time we are trying to focus on nurturing our dance artists. I believe we will have to experiment for three to four rounds of the programme in order to decide on the direction to take,” explains Assistant Artistic Director (Education) Melissa Leung. Also, WuDaoQingNian will feature in November’s City Contemporary Dance Festival organized by the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, with the aim of “including it in our programmes and making it part of the family”. CCDC would like to remove the boundaries between “professional” and “pre-professional” and engage young people in professional performance. It also wants them to understand that performance is more than a mere “hobby”.
Reflections on revamp and transformation
There was a lot of internal discussion regarding the revamp of the youth dance training programmes. Leung, who specializes in education, was concerned about the personal development of the participants and felt the need to redefine the content of the programmes. Productions would be used to assess whether the training was meeting its initial goals. "We will make use of productions as a foundation to scaffold what we want to achieve in future productions.” A significant aspect of the revamp would be to design step by step training to equip young dancers with the dance knowledge, skills and attitude required for professional productions.
On why young dancers would be allowed to lead an entire production in the coming year, Ng explains that the idea is to spark their curiosity about dance. “I want them to be curious about dance and creativity, and discover the many possibilities creativity offers other than pursuing a professional career.” He also wants the youngsters to have an impact on the existing dancers. “As professionals we should also be curious about them; will they be our successors? What future do they see?” Therefore he arranges for “big brothers and sisters” to mentor young dancers, to encourage the two groups to influence each other.
While CCDC faces many changes, it hopes to transform and refine its youth training programme to enable youngsters to learn how the contemporary dance profession works, so that they can explore if they are suited to this profession early on and thus have a wider range of choices for their future careers.
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Catherine Yau
A freelance dance practitioner focusing on dance education, research, and writing. She obtained an MFA and MA from New York University and the University of Hong Kong respectively. She is now a guest lecturer in dance at the Education University of Hong Kong.
