Behind the scenes - Photos processed by Splendid.nz and some curtesy of Benjamin Annabelle
Opening night photos - Images curtesy of Iokapeta Magele-Suamasi and Qiying Zhang
horizon
/həˈrʌɪz(ə)n/
We are where we are today because someone before us followed their dreams and pursued a certain ‘horizon’ of a distant land
This piece explores asian migrant themes in Aotearoa NZ and our own personal journeys through the expression of street dance, visual imagery and music whilst acknowledging and remembering those who came before us.
Horizons also explores identity - what it means to be of a certain culture and what happens when, through being displaced from cultural origins, one finds and identifies with another subculture, such as urban artforms and hip-hop which has impacted popular culture on a global scale.
The song used in this piece has journeyed its way here now from when it was first released in 1937, composed by He Luting 賀綠汀 with lyrics by Tian Han 田汉, amongst a very pivotal time of political unrest and transition in China. The writers of this song faced persecution, yet would not compromise on their artform and values. Now brilliantly performed by the Shanghai Restoration Project into a contemporary version.
The process of making this video was also one of trust, between the groups creating choreography together and also between the directors and the dancers, building on existing connections and also forming new ones. This is very much a project supported by and for the street dance community in mind.
The inclusion of the medium and art making process of super8 film hopes to connect the audience with the feeling from the past era of the street dance forms shown in the video of Breaking, Locking and Popping (birthed in the 60’s – 70’s) as well as take us back to past eras where visual mediums were consumed slowly and more fully absorbed, opposite to the consumeristic mass media culture of today.
“I grew up as a B-girl with Rock Steady… so it was kind of like I was involved in hip-hop before it hit the world, I guess. It was more like a community back then, everyone knew each other… There was an excitement about what was happening… That's the other thing about the difference between digital photography and film: with film, it's not about shooting every second and figuring out what you have later. It's about being in the space and feeling what's happening at that moment and trying to be a part of that and capture that.”
– Lisa Leone (Photographer & Bgirl)[1]
*****************
Dancers/Choregraphers:
Bboys/Bgirls
Miji Li 李弥吉
Daniel Jang 장웅조
Andy Thanh Ha
Christelle Alexander
Poppers
Mang Yu 于漭
Sejoo Han 한세주
Tanky Zong 宗天启
Lockers
Anna Wang 王德安
John Bernardo
Samuel Han 二宝
Wushu
Yin-Chi Lee 李映頎
************************
Calligrapher
Zhiming Guo郭志明
Super 8 film processing
Splendid (K’rd) aka The Film Lab
************************
Creative Director, Camera & Editor
Diana Hu 胡梦圆
Choreography Director
Taupuhi Toki
Camera assistant
Benjamin Annabelle
*****************
Music
"The Wandering Songstress (天涯歌女)" feat. Zhang Le performed by the Shanghai Restoration Project courtesy of Silverside Productions
Original song composed by He Luting 賀綠汀 with lyrics by Tian Han 田汉, originally released in 1937
*****************
Sponsored by:
Foundation North
Thank you:
Yeshua ישוע
Ferguson Bakery (ōtara)
Lucy Hu 胡梦玲
Seidah Tuaoi
**************
Dedicated to:
婆婆, 奶奶, 爷爷 & 公公
All who sacrificed for a better ‘horizon’ and paved the way for us
In remembrance of:
Jaegyun Lee 이재균aka Bboy AJC/Jae
Mikey Jeon 전성태
***************************
This video acknowledges the indigenous Māori / Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa, the collective history of Aotearoa NZ and respect given to elders past and present
Acknowledgement also goes to African and Latino diaspora youths of East and West Coast U.S.A who created the dance forms of Breaking, Popping and Locking in the 1960’s – 70’s.
[1] Oliver Lunn. 2016. “Revisiting the golden era of hip-hop with photographer Lisa Leone” Vice. Last modified Feb 19 2016 https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/kz8y3n/revisiting-the-golden-era-of-hip-hop-withphotographer-lisa-leone
/həˈrʌɪz(ə)n/
- the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet.
“the sun rose above the horizon” - the limit of a person's knowledge, experience, or interest.
We are where we are today because someone before us followed their dreams and pursued a certain ‘horizon’ of a distant land
This piece explores asian migrant themes in Aotearoa NZ and our own personal journeys through the expression of street dance, visual imagery and music whilst acknowledging and remembering those who came before us.
Horizons also explores identity - what it means to be of a certain culture and what happens when, through being displaced from cultural origins, one finds and identifies with another subculture, such as urban artforms and hip-hop which has impacted popular culture on a global scale.
The song used in this piece has journeyed its way here now from when it was first released in 1937, composed by He Luting 賀綠汀 with lyrics by Tian Han 田汉, amongst a very pivotal time of political unrest and transition in China. The writers of this song faced persecution, yet would not compromise on their artform and values. Now brilliantly performed by the Shanghai Restoration Project into a contemporary version.
The process of making this video was also one of trust, between the groups creating choreography together and also between the directors and the dancers, building on existing connections and also forming new ones. This is very much a project supported by and for the street dance community in mind.
The inclusion of the medium and art making process of super8 film hopes to connect the audience with the feeling from the past era of the street dance forms shown in the video of Breaking, Locking and Popping (birthed in the 60’s – 70’s) as well as take us back to past eras where visual mediums were consumed slowly and more fully absorbed, opposite to the consumeristic mass media culture of today.
“I grew up as a B-girl with Rock Steady… so it was kind of like I was involved in hip-hop before it hit the world, I guess. It was more like a community back then, everyone knew each other… There was an excitement about what was happening… That's the other thing about the difference between digital photography and film: with film, it's not about shooting every second and figuring out what you have later. It's about being in the space and feeling what's happening at that moment and trying to be a part of that and capture that.”
– Lisa Leone (Photographer & Bgirl)[1]
*****************
Dancers/Choregraphers:
Bboys/Bgirls
Miji Li 李弥吉
Daniel Jang 장웅조
Andy Thanh Ha
Christelle Alexander
Poppers
Mang Yu 于漭
Sejoo Han 한세주
Tanky Zong 宗天启
Lockers
Anna Wang 王德安
John Bernardo
Samuel Han 二宝
Wushu
Yin-Chi Lee 李映頎
************************
Calligrapher
Zhiming Guo郭志明
Super 8 film processing
Splendid (K’rd) aka The Film Lab
************************
Creative Director, Camera & Editor
Diana Hu 胡梦圆
Choreography Director
Taupuhi Toki
Camera assistant
Benjamin Annabelle
*****************
Music
"The Wandering Songstress (天涯歌女)" feat. Zhang Le performed by the Shanghai Restoration Project courtesy of Silverside Productions
Original song composed by He Luting 賀綠汀 with lyrics by Tian Han 田汉, originally released in 1937
*****************
Sponsored by:
Foundation North
Thank you:
Yeshua ישוע
Ferguson Bakery (ōtara)
Lucy Hu 胡梦玲
Seidah Tuaoi
**************
Dedicated to:
婆婆, 奶奶, 爷爷 & 公公
All who sacrificed for a better ‘horizon’ and paved the way for us
In remembrance of:
Jaegyun Lee 이재균aka Bboy AJC/Jae
Mikey Jeon 전성태
***************************
This video acknowledges the indigenous Māori / Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa, the collective history of Aotearoa NZ and respect given to elders past and present
Acknowledgement also goes to African and Latino diaspora youths of East and West Coast U.S.A who created the dance forms of Breaking, Popping and Locking in the 1960’s – 70’s.
[1] Oliver Lunn. 2016. “Revisiting the golden era of hip-hop with photographer Lisa Leone” Vice. Last modified Feb 19 2016 https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/kz8y3n/revisiting-the-golden-era-of-hip-hop-withphotographer-lisa-leone
