Hwa Wei-An 

My artistic practice draws on explorations of the flow state: how it can manifest itself in various forms, and how these forms can be used as building blocks for the creation of dance works. Research into this state is for the dual purpose of finding deeper, more embodied performance as an artist, and creating works that draw an audience into the flow-like state of suspension of disbelief.

Key to my practice is the idea of systemic overreach: to work slightly beyond my physical, technical, and mental capacities in practice/training, development of the project, and performance. Activity that takes place at 104% of an individual’s capability has been shown to be a key flow trigger. And the use of systemic overreach is one that can be applied in various forms, whether through duration, intensity, or technical challenges within choreography.

The project I am currently working on draws on two movement practices in which flow is manifested: free-ride mountain biking, and my personal movement practice of The Art of Falling. I use these practices to answer the question of how the sensation of falling can be a kind of liberation as one navigates the spaces in between balance and falling, between the vertical and the horizontal.

Wei-An has created both solo and group works that have been performed in Malaysia, Singapore, Northern Ireland, Canada, and South Korea. And since 2017, he has been organising Paradigm Shift, an annual event that brings together contemporary and street dancers in an experimental jam and competition, which aims to discover the creative possibilities that arise when these dance forms interact.