Invisible Cave
Choreography by Mingjun Han
When addressing the topic of "home," Mrs. Wang told me, "People like us have no home; I don't belong to any place. There's nothing to rely on." Her words deeply moved me. As a participant in "The Chooser" interview, I delved into understanding how politics and culture impact individuals and communities.
Over the past two years of ongoing interactions and conversations with Asian individuals from diverse backgrounds, I have learned about their personal experiences and stories. These insights have motivated me to examine themes of race and identity in this project. By engaging with them, I was able to visualize their intense sentiments and experiences. This project revealed the intricate challenges faced by Asian women in the realms of society, history, and politics. Additionally, it marked a pivotal moment in my personal growth and served as a turning point in developing a sense of community.
The choreography explores the nuanced feelings of displacement, navigating the complex terrain of identity, and the visceral struggle of existing as an Asian woman in our contemporary society. Embodying the struggle against ingrained cultural norms, gender bias and historical marginalization.
New York Chinese Cultural Center Presents HOME Project 2023
Placeless Place Visual/Set Design: Zi Ye, Mingxi Xu
Video Editing: Hugo Wu
Lighting Design: Mingjun Han
Placeless Place Visual/Set Design: Zi Ye, Mingxi Xu
Video Editing: Hugo Wu
Lighting Design: Mingjun Han
Inhabited by Reflections
Choreography by Mingjun Han
Performed by Mingjun Han, Equem Roël,
Ruby Stigers,Ella BakerSmith,
and Lola Votruba
Live Feed Videography by
Frenchie Cavallo Phelps
Media assistance provided by
Frenchie Cavallo Phelps
and Glenn Potter Takata
Lighting by Zixuan Yang
Costumes by Mingjun Han and Amy Page
In Inhabited by Reflections, I weave live performance with live-feed technology, bridging multiple spaces to forge connections across diverse dimensions of time and space. At its core, the work delves into the profound question: How do we truly perceive and understand ourselves? Through this choreographic exploration, I seek to unravel the enigma of self-viewing from varied perspectives, inviting audiences to embark on a reflective journey through the landscapes of identity, perception, and self-discovery.
Inhabited by Reflections 2022
Choreography by Mingjun Han
Performed by Equem Roël, Ruby Stigers, and Ella BakerSmith
Live Feed Videography by Frenchie Cavallo Phelps
Media assistance provided by Frenchie Cavallo Phelps and Glenn Potter Takata
Lighting by Alie Martin
Costumes by Mingjun Han and Amy Page
Live Feed Videography by Frenchie Cavallo Phelps
Media assistance provided by Frenchie Cavallo Phelps and Glenn Potter Takata
Lighting by Alie Martin
Costumes by Mingjun Han and Amy Page
A Relative Position
Perform by Mingjun Han
"A Relative Position" is an elegant and economical performance in which they are positioned on a tall latter, slowly unraveling a clay fetus wrapped in twine. It is a hauntingly powerful work in response to threats to women's rights to their own bodies and reproductive health.
-- Clifford Owens
Through this performance art work, I aim to explore and bring attention to the pressing issues surrounding women's reproductive rights. The process of drawing the clay fetus ever closer by cutting threads and tying knots symbolizes the complexity and challengesthat women go through in their struggle for control over their own bodies. "A Relative Position" aims to evoke intuitive and empathic responses, fostering a deeper understanding of the ongoing struggles and advocating for the protection and empowerment of women in matters concerning their reproductive choices.
The ladder a timeworn stairwell to ethereal realms
Creaks beneath the weight of secrets it overwhelms
A narrative unfolds
penned by unseen hands
As life cascades downward through ephemeral strand
With a measured stroke
she wields the blade of choice
A symphony in steel
where silence finds its voice
The rope recoils
a cosmic thread redefined
Boundaries redrawn
in the tapestry of the mind
03/27/2022
Colorless Breath is a work I created in 2020. The issue of plastic waste in our oceans has been gaining increasing attention in recent years. The negative impact that plastic waste has on the living environment of marine life is profound and deeply concerning. As a dancer and choreographer, this issue has inspired me to create a dance work that explores the effects of plastic waste on marine life.
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Plastic pollution can harm marine animals in several ways, including entanglement, ingestion, and disruption of habitats. Animals can become entangled in plastic debris, which can cause injuries, restrict movement, and lead to suffocation. Marine animals may mistake plastic debris for food, which can lead to ingestion and potentially fatal consequences. As plastic debris accumulates in the ocean, it can cause physical damage to habitats, and disrupt marine ecosystems. This can have a ripple effect throughout the food chain, as animals that rely on healthy marine habitats for survival may struggle to find food or become more vulnerable to predators. The gravity of this issue is what inspired me to create Colorless Breath which explores the impact of plastic waste on marine life. Through movement and site design, I aim to convey the devastating effects of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and to raise awareness of the urgent need for action to address this issue.
This piece I performed in three different spaces with the same material ( recycled plastic bags): a public space in a wetland park, a white square room, and a shooting venue.I felt the influence of different performance spaces on the creation of my works.
Plastic pollution can harm marine animals in several ways, including entanglement, ingestion, and disruption of habitats. Animals can become entangled in plastic debris, which can cause injuries, restrict movement, and lead to suffocation. Marine animals may mistake plastic debris for food, which can lead to ingestion and potentially fatal consequences. As plastic debris accumulates in the ocean, it can cause physical damage to habitats, and disrupt marine ecosystems. This can have a ripple effect throughout the food chain, as animals that rely on healthy marine habitats for survival may struggle to find food or become more vulnerable to predators. The gravity of this issue is what inspired me to create Colorless Breath which explores the impact of plastic waste on marine life. Through movement and site design, I aim to convey the devastating effects of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and to raise awareness of the urgent need for action to address this issue.
This piece I performed in three different spaces with the same material ( recycled plastic bags): a public space in a wetland park, a white square room, and a shooting venue.I felt the influence of different performance spaces on the creation of my works.
When you are in different spaces, even if you use the same items, materials, or objects, you can accept different information and process them, make decisions, and involve a trade-off.
In the wetland park, a small wooden platform on the lawn was our performance space. Every person who passed by the space became the audience. They could make a choice to watch, take photos, sit on the lawn, or just pass by. In that performance, performers need to recognize the information changed, improvise, and learn what to adjust.
The white square room is six meters in length and six meters in width. It's a narrow space. I put approximately 700 hundred plastic balls in it. The performer moved with the balls in the space. The audience stood outside the space. When the performer moved, the balls also had their movement, they rolled and extended the performance space. In this performance, the performer was more deeply into their feelings.
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I also made a dance film for this work with collaborators. I worked in the shooting room because it was a huge, and all-black space, similar to a black box. Unlike the previous two performance spaces, I did not create a narrow space but took advantage of the high height of the shooting space to shoot the process of plastic balls falling and floating.
For me, “Colorless Breath” was a good attempt to deal with uncertainties and dangerous situations. I'm still exploring it.
In the wetland park, a small wooden platform on the lawn was our performance space. Every person who passed by the space became the audience. They could make a choice to watch, take photos, sit on the lawn, or just pass by. In that performance, performers need to recognize the information changed, improvise, and learn what to adjust.
The white square room is six meters in length and six meters in width. It's a narrow space. I put approximately 700 hundred plastic balls in it. The performer moved with the balls in the space. The audience stood outside the space. When the performer moved, the balls also had their movement, they rolled and extended the performance space. In this performance, the performer was more deeply into their feelings.
I also made a dance film for this work with collaborators. I worked in the shooting room because it was a huge, and all-black space, similar to a black box. Unlike the previous two performance spaces, I did not create a narrow space but took advantage of the high height of the shooting space to shoot the process of plastic balls falling and floating.
For me, “Colorless Breath” was a good attempt to deal with uncertainties and dangerous situations. I'm still exploring it.
The following are questions I identified in the process:
How to feel the same things in different spaces?
How to deal with the new experience of your movement?
How to influence your ideas?
How do you have to take care of the different spaces?
... ...