Over the past 10 years, Daniel Yeung has rapidly established himself as one of the leading contemporary dance artists in Hong Kong. His view on dance and it’s relation to art is truly unique, which he displays through his innovate, thought-provoking compositions.
‘Contemporary dance is not a fixed style or technique. It’s the phenomenon, the here and now, whatever we have.’
Daniel’s journey into the dance field has been anything but conventional. After leaving school, he majored in fine arts and music, before going on to work in various local art institutions. When he failed to find his true calling in this area, he went on to volunteer at a local contemporary dance studio. Progressing from administration assistant to marketing manager, it was here his interest in dance artistry began to grow. ‘I just loved the energy’, and after joining the company initially for fun, Daniel soon began to realise his natural aptitude for movement. ‘I felt dance was something that was in my blood. Maybe my visual arts background led me to see myself as a piece of art, a sculpture perhaps, and therefore more capable to understand my body and how it moves.’
Aged 29, Daniel made the life-changing decision to quit his day job and try to forge a career in the dance arena. The risk paid off, with him gaining dance and choreography scholarships in both Holland and the UK. After returning to Hong Kong, Daniel faced the tough challenge of carving a niche in this highly competitive space. Without fellow dancers or a company for support, he turned this disadvantage into his strength, deciding to become a solo artist, creating pieces designed by and for him.
It was from here Daniel’s choreographic journey began. His first piece, ‘Dance Exhibitionist’, forged a link across the art mediums, with a life size video projection of Daniel, creating a new dimension for contemporary dance. The use of multimedia and video projection has remained a constant of Daniel’s solos. He works closely with video and lighting designers to create truly integrated shows, ‘I think my art and musical background enables me to communicate my vision more clearly with other artists,’ which shows in the clear vision and direction of Daniel’s compositions.
Daniel likes to keep his audience guessing, pushing the boundaries with each new work he creates. Famous for exploring taboo subjects as well as using nudity, he emphasises these are not just shock-tactics. ‘As a visual artist, one of the first skills you learn is life-drawing or sculpture of a nude model, it’s a very basic, mainstream thing. I feel that all art starts with the body, and should always come back to the body, whether the medium be paint or dance.’ He also raises the valid point of not wanting his pieces to be judged based on his costume. ‘How should I know what to wear? I use the symbols of my body to create my art, not a costume detracting or leading the audience away from these symbols.’
In terms of tackling taboo subjects, again, this is not an intentional media hook. His 2008 solo, Medi.C saw Daniel present choreography inspired by Chinese medicine against the backdrop of recent Chinese historical events, such as the Cultural Revolution and Tiananmen Square massacre. Daniel used these dramatic scenes to transcend his piece from a simple demonstration into an artwork, the visual scenes merely an after-thought, bringing deeper meaning to his piece.
Daniel’s unique approach to dance has led to him being a sought after expert in Hong Kong. He is now ‘giving back’ to the dance community as he explains, ‘I wear many hats, I’m no longer just a dancer and choreographer.’ Daniel is working closely with local government organisations to create platforms for dancers, curating works across the dance fields and genres, including the ‘Free Space Fest’ and ‘Open Dance’ initiatives. He is also a guest teacher and lecturer across many Hong Kong universities as well as a dance critic for the local media. It’s through this work he sees the contemporary dance field continuing to develop and grow. ‘These interactions give dance the nutrition it needs to organically evolve and move forward, new situations leading to new creations.’
Looking forward, Daniel hopes to continue these collaborations as well as creating further solo performances. In terms of what they’ll be, he’s not so sure. ‘Art is not like commercial design. There’s no fixed target to reach. You don’t know where art will arrive, you just transcend from stage to stage, and the life of the art work leads you there. As long as it’s honest, I’ll just let it happen’.
By Claire Johnson
