FR
BLEU NEON
In a distant, fictional Vietnam, the echoes of pop music on cassette tape reverberate against the sounds of modern Vietnamese rap. Châu Kim-Sanh inhabits this space, metamorphosing through bodily states generated by the presence of coloured neon lights. Of this evening blue erupts a purpleness: “bầu trời màu tím xẩm” – an uncertain translation. Eyes closed, the neon haze returns her to the sensation of her ancestral land. Saigon, like many cities in South-East Asia, is flushed with these vivid lights. Here, embodied memory and the imaginary take a ride on a Honda Dream II motorcycle, across a humid sky whose wetness whips the face.
This solo is performed in its entirety from the squat position – a typically Asian posture. Audio recordings bespeckle the choreography, navigating between fantasized nostalgia, loss of language and sexual objectification – all three widely experienced by Asian diasporic populations. In Southeast Asia, rap culture is increasingly popular – giving a voice to a population marked by silence. Rap here is a prayer.
Lyrics (by Jonair) here
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a13cea87f1992d368119988483e28141f9975dd24625d9dab5930d04017740d4/Kim-Sanh-Chau-par_Kinga-Michalska-54-large.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/51f9a2a1648df2a6d49600d143b22fe553ff1c798630d7decf0c5fa94a7bf326/IMG_15751.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/42e631f69d3c63b9d02ef1015de089a6085eeff94ae170713f4c1a7f6ec733c0/BLEU-NEON.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/e5c02ed74dba9ad5ba0d80d6b926a84fefcf524cf9f8cd55da6ad1f6923a9188/Kim-Sanh_par_Kinga-Michalska-1-medium.jpg)
Credits
Choreography & performance Kim-Sanh Châu
Music Hazy Montagne Mystique, JONAIR and Rắn Cạp Đuôi Collective
Rehearsal Louise Michel Jackson
Dramaturgy Be Heintzman Hope
Lighting & technic Jon Cleveland
Rap support Vladimir ‘7Starr’ Laurore, LilWaterboi Chuong Trinh, Nguyen Kim Phuong
Shows
MAI (Montréal, arts interculturels)(Canada) April 28-29-30 2022
Festival de danse contemporaine de Sherbrooke (Canada) August 19 2022
Festival Quartier des spectacles /Chinatown (Canada) Sept 23 2022
Semaines culturelles vietnamiennes /CCV Montréal /Maison de la culture NDG (Canada) Oct 4 2023
Festival des arts performatifs de Rouyn-Noranda (Canada) Oct 13 2022
Kinergie (Vietnam) April 5 2023
Krossing Over Art Festival (Vietnam) April 14 2023
Guang Ming College(Philippines) April 20 2023
Performance Curators Initiatives /Dance Forum (Philippines) April 27 2023
Festival FURIES (Canada) July 29 2023
Parcours danse - Séléction officielle /Maison de la culture Janine Sutto Nov 30 2023
Residencies
Institut Français & Dancenter (Vietnam) March 2019
CCOV (Canada) July 2021
Maison de la culture Marie Uguay (Canada) December 2021
MAI (Canada) 2021-22
Financial Support
Above residecy partners
+
FTA Respirations
Conseil des arts de Montréal
Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
Conseil des arts du Canada
Total budget of $44,000 (research & production) - hourly rate base of $35/h for all