Founded in 1995 by Lee Swee Keong, Ng Mei Yin and Loi Chin Yu, the company was initially called Nyoba & Dancers before being changed to Nyoba Dance + (2001) and then Nyoba Kan (2006). Lee Swee Keong remains as artistic director with Kiea Kuan Nam ,Caecar Chong and YC Ooi as current core members.
Nyoba Kan considers itself an experimental arts troupe that aims to pioneer new forms of theatrical dance in Malaysia. The company fuses elements of butoh, meditation and Zen philosophy.
Nyoba Kan is concerned with the harmony between the spiritual and physical selves of the dancers. Members of the company seek continuous self-improvement through the creation and performance of their art, and consider their bodies as mediums for integrating art, life and nature.
By engaging in physical and spiritual dialogue with nature, the dancers hope to gain a deeper understanding of the universe and shed light on the twin concepts of ‘existence’ and ‘emptiness’. Such practices also heighten the dancers’ sensitivity to various environments and trigger group creativity.
In 2006, Artistic Director of the company, Keong received an Arts Network Asia grant for Butoh study in Japan.
Winter 2008, core members of the company went for a Butoh research and study trip called “寻根/ the Root” to Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan.
They met up with a few butoh masters and did some workshops with them, such as Kobayashi Saga, Seisaku Kaji, Yoshita Uhno, Masami Yurabe and Ima Tenko.
They were invited to perform in Kazuo Uhno Studio, titled “Solar de Solar” - Tribute to Kazuo Uhno. They were also invited to do a showcase at Tanaka 6 Studio, Tokyo.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
productions
2008.....nyoba Kan Butoh Festival . July
2008.....She Walks in Beauty like the Night . July
2008.....Solar de Solar . Tribute to Kazuo Uhno . Tokyo
2007.....Devils Wear BATA
2007.....Green snake . BALI
2007.....The Curse of the Forbidden Palace
2006.....Butterfly Lovers
2006.....Green Snake In Butoh
2005.....Phoenix Rises . International collaboration with Butoh Master Ko murobushi,Malaysian Dance Festival
2005.....Green Snake
2004.....The Money God Arrives . Huayi Festival of Chinese Arts . Singapore
2003.....A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed . Singapore Arts Festival 2004
2003......Qian’s
2002.....Woman Born From Dragon
2002......Happy Birthday
2002......Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom
2002.....“Karmen”
2001.....Four Men and An Elephant
2000.....See-Saw
1998.....When Durian Meets Banana Tree
1997.....Coffin of Rejuvenation (Ghost Festival, Berlin)
1996.....I am a Chamber Pot
1995......Red Banquet
2008.....She Walks in Beauty like the Night . July
2008.....Solar de Solar . Tribute to Kazuo Uhno . Tokyo
2007.....Devils Wear BATA
2007.....Green snake . BALI
2007.....The Curse of the Forbidden Palace
2006.....Butterfly Lovers
2006.....Green Snake In Butoh
2005.....Phoenix Rises . International collaboration with Butoh Master Ko murobushi,Malaysian Dance Festival
2005.....Green Snake
2004.....The Money God Arrives . Huayi Festival of Chinese Arts . Singapore
2003.....A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed . Singapore Arts Festival 2004
2003......Qian’s
2002.....Woman Born From Dragon
2002......Happy Birthday
2002......Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom
2002.....“Karmen”
2001.....Four Men and An Elephant
2000.....See-Saw
1998.....When Durian Meets Banana Tree
1997.....Coffin of Rejuvenation (Ghost Festival, Berlin)
1996.....I am a Chamber Pot
1995......Red Banquet
LEE SWEE KEONG
Contemporary Theatre Radical & Artistic Director of Nyoba Kan
As an artist of the spirit Keong uses elements of his body and movement to gain insight into life and the universe. With an initial background in fine arts he now studies different movement techniques and philosophies including butoh, tai chi, yoga and Zen Buddhism. Concepts like the internal spirit, energy, yin/yang and emptiness infuse his hybrid performances and teachings.
Because truth is rarely obvious, Keong focuses on the twisted and the illogical, experimenting with elements of character, performance technique and imagery to convey meaning and reveal essence.
Keong values interacting with others and finds working with different art forms exciting. As such he has built up a diverse, multi-disciplinary body of work encompassing his own productions, collaborative projects and performances with other companies.
photographer. wee ling.kelab shashin
Keong’s versatility as an artist has been well recognised. At the 2005 Cameronian Arts Awards Ceremony he won Best Supporting Role and Best Sound Design while also being nominated for Best Choreographer, Best Director, Best Set Designer and Best Actor.
In 2006 Keong received an Arts Network Asia grant to study Butoh for five weeks in Japan.
In addition to the Buto Kan repertory, Keong’s independent productions have included:
‘Coffin of Rejuvenation’ (Ghost Festival, Berlin), ‘Woman Born From Dragon’ and ‘Green Snake in Buto’.
His collaborative projects have included:
‘Turning, turning and turning’ (with a filmmaker and dancer in New Delhi), ‘Woman, Monkey & Kabuki Joe’ (with composers and performers in Seattle), ‘Siddhartha’ (a Chinese musical that toured South Africa and Singapore), ‘Drum Beat, Shadow Feet’ (an outdoor site-specific work with drummer, Bernard Goh), ‘Chicken Parts’ (an experimental multi-arts performance series), and ‘Re:Lady White Snake’ (with Mew Chang Tsing which toured to Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore).
photographer. wee ling.kelab shashin
His performances with other companies have included:
‘The Girl From Ipoh’, ‘Street of Crocodile’ (Pappa Tarahumara, Japan), ‘Man & God’ (3nity design), ‘Rashomon’ (The Actors Studio), ‘Imperial Garden’ (Dama Orchestra), ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ (Instant Café Theatre), ‘Four Men and a Woman’ (The Actors Studio) and ‘Family’ (Five Arts Center).
As an artist of the spirit Keong uses elements of his body and movement to gain insight into life and the universe. With an initial background in fine arts he now studies different movement techniques and philosophies including butoh, tai chi, yoga and Zen Buddhism. Concepts like the internal spirit, energy, yin/yang and emptiness infuse his hybrid performances and teachings.
Because truth is rarely obvious, Keong focuses on the twisted and the illogical, experimenting with elements of character, performance technique and imagery to convey meaning and reveal essence.
Keong values interacting with others and finds working with different art forms exciting. As such he has built up a diverse, multi-disciplinary body of work encompassing his own productions, collaborative projects and performances with other companies.
photographer. wee ling.kelab shashinKeong’s versatility as an artist has been well recognised. At the 2005 Cameronian Arts Awards Ceremony he won Best Supporting Role and Best Sound Design while also being nominated for Best Choreographer, Best Director, Best Set Designer and Best Actor.
In 2006 Keong received an Arts Network Asia grant to study Butoh for five weeks in Japan.
In addition to the Buto Kan repertory, Keong’s independent productions have included:
‘Coffin of Rejuvenation’ (Ghost Festival, Berlin), ‘Woman Born From Dragon’ and ‘Green Snake in Buto’.
His collaborative projects have included:
‘Turning, turning and turning’ (with a filmmaker and dancer in New Delhi), ‘Woman, Monkey & Kabuki Joe’ (with composers and performers in Seattle), ‘Siddhartha’ (a Chinese musical that toured South Africa and Singapore), ‘Drum Beat, Shadow Feet’ (an outdoor site-specific work with drummer, Bernard Goh), ‘Chicken Parts’ (an experimental multi-arts performance series), and ‘Re:Lady White Snake’ (with Mew Chang Tsing which toured to Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore).
photographer. wee ling.kelab shashinHis performances with other companies have included:
‘The Girl From Ipoh’, ‘Street of Crocodile’ (Pappa Tarahumara, Japan), ‘Man & God’ (3nity design), ‘Rashomon’ (The Actors Studio), ‘Imperial Garden’ (Dama Orchestra), ‘Accidental Death of an Anarchist’ (Instant Café Theatre), ‘Four Men and a Woman’ (The Actors Studio) and ‘Family’ (Five Arts Center).
KIEA KUAN NAM
Freelance Artist, Administrator & Core Member of Nyoba Kan
Kuan Nam discovered dancing during his university years. He joined the Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Kwangsi Dance Troupe and trained under Mew Chang Tsing, Lee Swee Keong and Woon Fook Sen.
In 2002 he joined Nyoba Kan and performed in the following productions:
‘Carmen’, ‘Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom’, ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Qian’s’, ‘A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed’, ‘The Money God Arrives’ and ‘Pheonix Rises’.
In 2003/2004 he worked with Koike Hiroshi of Pappa Tarahumara on ‘Spring in Kuala Lumpur’, and Ko Murobushi in the Japan-Malaysia Technical Design Workshop. In 2005 he represented Malaysia at a Collaborative Choreographers Workshop in the West Sumatera Dance Festival. In 2006 he was awarded Best Choreographer and, under his direction, the Malaysian troupe won Best Group Performance in the International Youth Dance Festival in Hong Kong.
Kuan Nam discovered dancing during his university years. He joined the Selangor & Kuala Lumpur Kwangsi Dance Troupe and trained under Mew Chang Tsing, Lee Swee Keong and Woon Fook Sen.
In 2002 he joined Nyoba Kan and performed in the following productions:
‘Carmen’, ‘Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom’, ‘Happy Birthday’, ‘Qian’s’, ‘A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed’, ‘The Money God Arrives’ and ‘Pheonix Rises’.
In 2003/2004 he worked with Koike Hiroshi of Pappa Tarahumara on ‘Spring in Kuala Lumpur’, and Ko Murobushi in the Japan-Malaysia Technical Design Workshop. In 2005 he represented Malaysia at a Collaborative Choreographers Workshop in the West Sumatera Dance Festival. In 2006 he was awarded Best Choreographer and, under his direction, the Malaysian troupe won Best Group Performance in the International Youth Dance Festival in Hong Kong.
CAECAR CHONG CHUNG YONG
Multi-disciplinary Artist & Core Member of Nyoba Kan
A qualified architect, Caecar has chosen to apply his skill and knowledge not on brickwork and steel structures, but experimentally with different art media and formats. Closely associated with the establishment and direction of Space Spirit Studio, Caecar champions the use of various media across art disciplines as diverse as the visual arts, performing arts and even floral design to express the spirit of space. This grants a new lease of life to the classic ideological maxim that architecture is more than just about building buildings.
In terms of the performing arts, Caecar has been a core member of Nyoba Kan since 2002 and performed in all their subsequent productions. These include ‘Carmen’, ‘Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom’, ‘Qian’s’, ‘A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed’, ‘Money God Arrives’ and ‘Phoenix Rises’. With the other members he also participated in the Japan-Malaysia Technical Design Workshop.
A qualified architect, Caecar has chosen to apply his skill and knowledge not on brickwork and steel structures, but experimentally with different art media and formats. Closely associated with the establishment and direction of Space Spirit Studio, Caecar champions the use of various media across art disciplines as diverse as the visual arts, performing arts and even floral design to express the spirit of space. This grants a new lease of life to the classic ideological maxim that architecture is more than just about building buildings.
In terms of the performing arts, Caecar has been a core member of Nyoba Kan since 2002 and performed in all their subsequent productions. These include ‘Carmen’, ‘Eden with Chrysanthemums in Full Bloom’, ‘Qian’s’, ‘A Cherry Bludgeoned, A Spirit Crushed’, ‘Money God Arrives’ and ‘Phoenix Rises’. With the other members he also participated in the Japan-Malaysia Technical Design Workshop.
YC Ooi
Core Member of Nyoba Kan
Lived in Taipei City for eight years before moving back to Malaysia in December of 2006. She has a diverse artistic background drawing from her studies in music, movement, vocal, and costume design. Her movement training includes Tai-Chi, , Capoeira , African Dance and Grotowski Method. She has also studied music in Indian traditional Sitar and African percussion. She performed with Sun Son Theatre Company in many of Taipei City's most respected centers for creative art and also art festival in Africa, Brazil, Malaysia,Taiwan,Tokyo and Turkey.
Lived in Taipei City for eight years before moving back to Malaysia in December of 2006. She has a diverse artistic background drawing from her studies in music, movement, vocal, and costume design. Her movement training includes Tai-Chi, , Capoeira , African Dance and Grotowski Method. She has also studied music in Indian traditional Sitar and African percussion. She performed with Sun Son Theatre Company in many of Taipei City's most respected centers for creative art and also art festival in Africa, Brazil, Malaysia,Taiwan,Tokyo and Turkey.
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