Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/306555
21 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 MAY 2014 SAPPORO SUNRISE PG 30 TRAWLER TRAGEDY PG 34 DOLCE DINING PG 28, 29 TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Malta-based Malaysian dancer Mavin Khoo ahead of Bla Konfini/ Borderless – a dance performance celebrating Malta's ten years in the EU – for which he will be serving as Artistic Director and Choreographer How did the concept of Bla Konfini/Borderless evolve? I was actually approached by the Fondazzjoni Celebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali to make a work that would commemorate the 10th anniversary of Malta becoming a member of the European Union. So in a sense, the conceptual or thematic framework was suggest- ed and I then I had to go away and see if I could have a voice of inter- pretation. Several memories came up which provoked my creative senses. There was the fact that, ironically, 2004 was also the first time I came to dance at the Ma- noel Theatre with my company from London (through the British Council). I also had a vivid recollection of being in a club in London that same year, and meeting a group of Maltese guys who had just got their new passports and were ea- ger to spend some time living in abroad, their curiosity and thrill for adventure was infectious. These memories seemed quite clearly inscribed in my mind and so I felt that, although I was initially hesitant, I was keen to explore. How did you set about to address the issue of national borders through dance? I did quite a bit of research on the European Union itself through articles, documentaries, academic papers and so on. The notion of 'borders' seemed sig- nificantly prominent. I also had to look at it from a personal perspec- tive, in order to have a sense of self within the work. Of course, as someone born out of the EU, what is most evident is the freedom of mobility – the choice to locate and relocate its freedom and the simple existence of a 'line' that determines a border can allow for segregation and fragmentation. It then seemed clear that the work first needed to demonstrate these emotional and spatial boundaries in order to successfully reveal lib- eration. I brought in Renzo Spiteri and Pierre Portelli, and there was a lot of intense brainstorming. I then invited Giuliana Fenech to provide a kind of dramaturgi- cal eye, and this has been most helpful. I felt that someone with a strong literary background would be sensitive to a kind of narrative progression which would then al- low me make sense of the abstract within the work. How much of the particular creative process reflects your own experience, as somebody who has oscillated between various countries throughout their career? I think all my work has some layers of my history within it. The creative process for this work has been framed by 'observation' – my observation of people really – in Malta for example, there is an in- teresting synthesis of generations (pre-EU and post-EU), the univer- sity is a particularly interesting space for this as you have some teachers and academics of the former and students of the latter. So there is a fascinating tension that carries through various fac- ets of values, morals, politics and so on. I am also fortunate in that I maintain a professional career in several continents and yes, this allows me to observe social per- ceptions about ideas like mobil- ity and locative freedom – which is interesting, when it is taken for granted and therefore possibly dismissed, and when it is desper- ately fought for and denied. How would you describe this particular piece when compared to your previous work done in Malta? Well, it is one of the few pieces that I have made that I am not dancing in, with the point of 'ob- servation' being the crucial crea- tive anchor, it seemed unrealistic to place myself within the work. I also felt that the histories and as- sociations that audiences read of me and my body on stage would deter from the actual piece. So, it certainly seemed more impor- tant in this case that my role stay strictly from a directorial and choreographic perspective – the work is about Malta and its peo- ple, not me. Given how the event will be commemorating Maltese national identity, how has your own attitude towards the country changed over the years? I have had a relationship with Malta for over 10 years as well. And of course, I have been liv- ing here close to four years now. I have felt it shift and evolve and become more culturally hybrid. I certainly feel that the current sense of fluidity in identity is what has made feel excited about the is- land. I am excited to be and feel a part of this... Bla Konfini/Borderless will be taking place at Pjazza Teatru Rjal on May 10 and 11 at 21:00. Dancers and musicians will in- clude Clare Ghigo, Cliff Zammit Stevens, Florinda Camilleri and Michael Pascault. Tickets at €5 can be collected from the ticket- ing office of St James Cavalier, Valletta 'The work is about Malta and its people, not me' PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN GRECH Rehearsal shots of Bla Konfini/Borderless