12/04/2026

theSunday Special IV ON SUNDAY APR 12, 2026

Islands explores the weight of bodies anchored to land and air. – PIC COURTESY OF LEE CHIA-YEH

The performance presents a meeting of two bodies, cultures and energies. – PIC COURTESY OF LIN CHUN-YUNG

Dance of self-discovery churned from the ocean In a breathtaking collaboration with Indonesia’s Danang Pamungkas, Taiwanese dancer Wang Yeu-Kwn explores how identity is tied to existential tides

BY SUBHADRA DEVAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

“D ANCE is a living, breathing art form,” said Taiwan’s dancer choreographer Wang Yeu-Kwn. All geared to premiere his dance, titled Islands, in Southeast Asia, the former Cloud Gate dancer said the project took six years from initial seed to stage. “The very first inspiration for Islands was sparked in 2019 when I received support from Cloud Gate Dance Theatre’s Wanderer Project to travel around Indonesia. “The physical creation process began to take shape in 2022

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I decided not to follow the path of my friends in the village who were pursuing vocational education, such as electrical engineering. “Instead, I chose a dance vocational school in Surakarta. There, I decided and talked to myself, that I would be happier if I continued studying traditional dance. “The Mangkunegaran Palace became my home, bringing my body back to dance and studying traditional Javanese dance, which balances my heart and body.” He continued to study dance at the Indonesian Institute of the Arts, Surakarta, where he was introduced to the world of contemporary dance. “It opened the door for me to meet local and international choreographers,

forward without a backup plan’. That sheer resilience of life deeply struck me. “That memory, coupled with later meeting fellow dancer Danang (from forward w That s deepl “ co m D

dances beyond mere role-playing. I essentially encountered an entire culture. It made me completely rethink my relationship with the work and unlocked entirely new layers of meaning for the masks in Islands.” Two different energies For Danang, born to farmers living on the fringes of Surakarta (Solo) in Central Java, dancing with Wang on stage was an incredibly joyous thing. “I don’t know how to express my joy at finally being able to dance together with Wang on stage,” says the 40-something performer. “What’s clear is that I’m thrilled and proud to have been chosen by Wang Yeu-Kwn as my collaboration partner for Islands. “We both worked as

when we received the first stage creative support from Weiwuying’s Taiwan Dance Platform. “In 2023, my team and I travelled extensively, participating in artiste residencies in Solo (Indonesia), Kinosaki (Japan), and London (UK) to further develop and deepen the piece. It finally premiered at the National Theatre and Concert Hall in Taipei in 2024,” said the founder and artistic director of Taiwanese dance company Shimmering Production. Islands, which Wang performs with Indonesia’s Danang Pamungkas, is the second episode of his “A Trilogy t he and ei in der and wanese mering

Indonesia) at Cloud Gate 2, forged a deep emotional connection between me and Southeast Asia. “Taiwan is an b S

island with immense inclusivity. It nurtured me and taught me that true artistic expression isn’t about proving where you come from, but about being brutally honest with yourself and embracing cultural collisions. This is ultimately why ‘Islands’ was born.” Sensory challenge isl incl and artistic proving w but abou with you

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including being selected to work professionally at the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre where I later met Wang,” said the award-winning choreographer-dancer. Danang wants the Malaysian audience to enjoy Islands with joy. “I’m sure this work will transport the audience to memories of events, objects sometimes unexpected. I hope the audience will share with us what they felt after watching this work.” Wang said Islands is a piece about self-discovery, deep friendship, cultural encounters and questioning the very nature of what an “island” is. “This is a work born from the ocean,” said the islander. “Since klpac in Malaysia w a o so hop share after w Wang about friendship

professional dancers at the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan, and we often met and danced while working at the studio. We danced together with other dancers. “But for Islands, we are reunited on stage. It’s a blessing for me. Wang is a great dancer and choreographer, as well as a dear friend and brother in real life. “That position was actually the biggest challenge for me in dancing this work. It was about how to differentiate between meeting as coffee buddies who could laugh at any time and meeting as d was lenge work. It rentiate coffee

Taiwan nurtured Wang to attain artistic expression in being honest and embracing cultural collisions. – PIC COURTESY OF LIU PITZ

- Quest of Relationships” choreography project. His award-winning and internationally toured dance piece, Beings, was the first. Resilience of life Wang’s works explore connections and disconnections between people and cities, people and environments. His works experiment with space and objects to deconstruct movements and propose philosophical questions in contemporary times through dance. When asked about his start in dance, Wang, who is a certified fisherman, reveals: “I didn’t formally start learning dance until I was 18, which is considered quite late. But I was fortunate enough to join Cloud Gate 2 as a professional dancer at 22. “Looking back at my upbringing in Taiwan, one of the most profound influences was the time I spent working in my father’s textile factory during junior high school. “I had to haul heavy, wet and scalding fabrics every day. It was there that I made my first Indonesian friend, a migrant worker who had left his home to work in Taiwan. “He showed me what it meant to ‘fight

Wang says in an email that he and his team are continuously refining and evolving Islands. The dance explores the weight of bodies anchored to land and air, where identity is tied to the tides. From solitary striving to kindred companions, Islands offers insight into our strengths. It is a dialogue around ‘who am I’. The dance show marks the fourth consecutive collaboration between the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Malaysia and klpac, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. In Islands, Wang and Danang will perform with topeng ( masks ) . “Before this, I had never danced with a mask on. The sensation is much like jumping into the water to swim while wearing a heavy jacket, your body is restricted and your vision is almost completely obscured. It was an immense physical challenge for me but at the same time, this sense of sensory confinement forced me to look inward and truly face my own feelings. “Danang shared a profound concept with me: ‘On stage, you must diminish your own ego and allow the character of the mask to become you.’ He explained the deeper significance of masks in Indonesian court

Danang was inspired by a repertoire of Javanese dances in his village. – PIC COURTESY OF DANANG PAMUNGKAS

professional artistes. But that’s where Islands comes in – a meeting of two bodies, two cultures, two different energies, striving to stand tall in an imbalance.” Traditional Javanese influence Danang shares that he learnt to dance a repertoire of Javanese dances in his village. “I realised how much I enjoyed it and how easily I remembered the movements taught by the dance teacher who visited my village. I felt like I stopped with just one dance until I was 15.

marks the very first stop of our Asian tour, rather than dictating what the audience should take away, I am actually much more excited to see what the Malaysian audience will discover within it. I am looking forward to seeing how this work resonates with them.” Islands will be staged on May 1 (8pm), May 2 (8pm) and May 3 (3pm) at Pentas 1, klpac, Sentul Park, KL. Online ticket purchase at cloudjoi.com