Concept: 

間 (Ma) is a contemporary dance piece based on the aesthetic concept of "間 (Ma)", a word borrowed from both Japanese and Chinese, meaning the space between, the pause, the void full of infinite possibilities. 間 (Ma) was completed as part of my Master of Fine Arts thesis at the University of Utah in 2019. This piece fuses intercultural aesthetics with traditional philosophies of movement inspired by Chinese and East Asian movement practices such as Tai Chi, Wushu, and classical forms of dance.

The choreography encapsulates the concept of 間 (Ma) as the basic unit of time within which creation and change happen, underlining the dialectical relationship between movement and non-movement, sound and silence. Wabi-sabi further amplifies this binary with its principles that focus on authenticity, transience, and the beauty of incompleteness. Philosophically, the piece aligns with Buddhist and Zen philosophies, exploring the concept of the infinite inherent within the void and the limitless possibilities that arise from emptiness—providing a contrasting perspective to the limitations imposed by time and space.  

The piece is separated into five different sections—Eye, Torso, Hand, Step, and Rule—alluding to fundamental elements present in the body of traditional Chinese movement. These elements act as a foundation for looking at different choreographic strategies while, at the same time, promoting an intercultural dialogue between the East and West movement practices.  

Through 間 (Ma), I invite the audience to reflect on unseen forces that shape our lives and the important role of space and time in creating meaning and transformation. Seeking a balance between the "more" of spirit and the "less" of the material world, this work embodies a meditation on impermanence, emptiness, and infinite possibilities arising from the void.  

More info about the word "間 (Ma)": 

The character "Ma" (間) combines the symbols for "door" (門) and "sun" (日), depicting a door through which light enters. This imagery represents the open space through which growth and creativity flow, inviting reflection on the space between moments, between beginnings and endings, and the potential of what lies in-between. 

As Donna Canning, an Ikebana artist, describes, Ma is "the space between the edges, between the beginning and the end, the space and time in which we experience life." In the words of Laozi, "Thirty spokes meet in the hub, though the space between them is the essence of the wheel; pots are formed from clay, though the space inside them is the essence of the pot; walls with windows and doors form the house, though the space within them is the essence of the house." Ma invites us to consider what exists in the space between, and how this invisible, often overlooked, realm shapes our understanding of the world.  

Aesthetic Research: 

Drawing from the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi—embodying Zen principles of naturalness, impermanence, and simplicity—I designed the work to evoke a sense of "Embodied/Materialized Zen". Through careful consideration of music, costume, lighting, spacing, and choreography, 間 (Ma) becomes a space where the beauty of imperfection and transience is celebrated.  

Philosophic Research: 

• Cultivating Disposition through Training Corporeality (修身养性/xiū shēn yǎng xìng) – A Buddhist dharma that emphasizes the cultivation of one's disposition through the care and discipline of the body. 

• Infinity Hides in Void – A Zen teaching, suggesting that the emptiness we perceive contains infinite possibilities. 

• Unlimited "More" of Spirit from "Less" of Material in Limited Space and Time – A core ideology of wabi-sabi, where simplicity and restraint allow the spirit to flourish. 

• Anitya (Impermanence) – The Zen philosophy of impermanence, acknowledging that everything is in constant flux. 

• "To see a world in a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower" – A reflection of the Buddhist wisdom of seeing the infinite within the simplest of things, as echoed in William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence.

Choreographic Structure:

• Section I: Eye

• Section II: Torso

• Section III: Hand

• Section IV: Step

• Section V: Rule