Concept: 

More Than One Incense Time is a very personal performance based on diary entries that Chang Liu (Leo) wrote between 2007 and 2017. Created in 2018, the piece is an extensive exploration of questions of identity, social relations, and individual change. The performance makes use of many props: Chinese incense, incense burner, silk, Wushu sticks, and feathers all become potent symbols within this work, each carrying cultural as well as personal significance. These artifacts create a tangible connection to historical contexts while interacting with contemporary realities, evidencing the intricate play between historical narratives and individual experiences.  

The performance is a deeply personal exploration into themes such as gender identity, sexual orientation, political structures, artistic expression, and religious tensions in modern Chinese society. Chang navigates through the performance as a traditional/contemporary dancer, as a former communist, as a homosexual, as a university instructor, and as a foreign student in the United States. In so doing, he strives for balance and self-realization amidst the pressures of expectations from society versus his own desires.  

The piece is a complex counterpoint of space and time, youth and maturity, femininity and masculinity, tradition and modernity, political and religious beliefs, East and West. These dualities are explored not just conceptually but also through the movement and music, where transformation occurs through changing dance styles and musical qualities. This dynamism represents not only Chang's personal artistic evolution but also his personal growth from adolescence to adulthood, from 2007 to 2017. Every element in the work speaks of the tension between the outer world and the inner self, inviting the viewer into an inner space where past and present, private and public, come together.