Origins

• Inspiration


  Feeling disillusioned with work in contemporary dance and ballet, seeking something beyond traditional dance
• Shaolin Monks


  • Physical discipline
  • Spiritual ethos
  • Artistic endeavors
• Feeling a connection between physicality and spirituality


  Saw an opportunity to collaborate
• Collaboration with Shaolin Monks


  1. Monks expressed curiosity about his role as a choreographer

  2. Struggled to articulate his profession

  3. Found common ground in choreographing Kung Fu movements

  4. Genesis of the project blending choreographic principles with traditional Kung Fu forms
• Sutra


  Initial concept stemmed from fascination with Shaolin philosophy and Buddhism, particularly energy recycling and relationship between life and death
• Collaborative discussions with Antony Gormley


  Sparked the idea of incorporating boxes into the performance, symbolizing confinement and space surrounding the body
• Navigating his role within the project


  Felt like an outsider despite holding authority as director and choreographer, status as only white man in the group made him uncomfortable
• Aiming to respect the monks' traditions


  Also contributing his own ideas, ultimately reflecting on the theme of cultural exchange and integration
• Sutra


  Explores the Shaolin Temple and his personal journey of attempting to integrate into its community
• Themes in Sutra


  • Inclusion
  • Cultural differences
  • Transformation
  • Grappling with identity within foreign environment
• Sutra


  • Captures moments of humor
  • Violence
  • Diverse animalistic forms embodied in Shaolin Kung Fu
  • Reflecting the multifaceted nature of the monks' practices