Joyce Liao
Experiment With Introspective Dances
As a dancer and choreographer, I believe dance is a uniquely powerful art form that allows individuals to express themselves through their bodies and movement. Recently, I have pivoted to experimenting with choreography, creative writing, and short films, hoping to evoke deep emotions and inspire new ideas.
My choreography is recognized for its introspective qualities, often featuring a subdued soundtrack that fosters a meditative and immersive atmosphere. This approach allows performers to fully inhabit their movements and gives the audience the interpretive space to establish a personal connection with the piece. I strive to instill each step with purpose and intention. Through every project, my goal is to breathe life into my vision and present contemporary dance in a fresh and captivating way.
2022 "CountDown"
As an artivists, I strive to create pieces that challenge and engage my audience on critical social and environmental issues. In my 2022 project, CountDown, I developed a series of creative writings sparked by scientific reports on global warming, integrating these texts into a collection of video clips.This experience allowed me to reflect on my purpose as an artist in our current social climate. Ultimately, I aim to create thought-provoking work that resonates with both the intellect and emotions, fostering awareness and contemplation.
2020 In Place: Light, Trees, Motion
Amid the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, I shifted my creative space to my mother's backyard in Seattle. Surrounded by thriving native pines, maples, and wild greenery, the space was blessed by nature—animated by changing sunlight and falling rain. Here, I focused on experimenting with outdoor dance videos, and The Backyard Dance Lab was born! Despite the absence of a polished floor, this raw environment forced me to dive deeper into each movement, adapting to natural scenery and shifting light to enrich the texture of my work.
2019 "Time - rEvert"
Our memories often stem from childhood, rooted at times in concrete facts and at others blurred by imagination. Often, we cannot pinpoint the exact events behind these residual feelings and emotions. The “Time - and rEvert” project emerged from my exploration of how past memories affected us and transform subconsciously over time. Over a span of three years, I engaged in numerous improvisation guided by a dance score, utilizing video clips of these spontaneous movements to craft a novel choreography.
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2018 In the Room: From Score to Screen
Between 2017 and 2018, I dedicated a consistent portion of my week to experimenting with dance scores and choreography. Each week, I crafted my scores a day before entering the studio, filming the sessions as I executed them. In my dance, I played with narrative, concepts, and stage props to create an immersive performance experience. Subsequently, I transformed these video recordings into standalone photos and dance films.
2016 - 2017 PlacePlay: A Body in Motion
From 2016 to 2017, I created small, site-specific dances set in diverse environments. From downtown areas and suburban neighborhoods to abandoned structures, my aim was to produce works inspired by the unique atmosphere and history of each location.
(Note: The photograph on the left captures a moment at the Saint-Sulpice Church in Paris, France, in August 2017. Judging by my expression, I was clearly engaged in a very deep inner dialogue with myself that day!)