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Amrita Performing Arts & ARco Renz

Amrita Performing Arts from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is developing a new work of contemporary dance, entitled Crack, with German choreographer Arco Renz who is also the Artistic Director of Brussels-based Kobalt Works.

A public showing of the work in progress at the end of a three week workshop took place in Phnom Penh in December 2010 with seven Cambodian dancers and music by Belgian composer Marc Appart in collaboration with ‘Peanut’ AKA Phanna Nam of Phnom Penh-based Tiny Toones.

Crack will undergo its second stage of development in a two-week residency at Rimbun Dahan from 15 to 29 March 2011. The finished work will premiere at the Singapore Arts Festival on May 14 2011 with support from the Singapore Arts Festival, The Goethe Institute Southeast Asia and Kobalt Works.

About Arco Renz

Arco Renz studied dance, theatre, and literature in Berlin and Paris and was one of the first generation of graduates of Anne Teresa De Keermaekers’ P.A.R.T.S. in Brussels, where he created his first choreographic works. Since 1994 he has travelled to Asia frequently to study different forms of performing and martial arts with traditional masters.

In 2000 he founded the Brussels based company Kobalt Works. Kobalt Works’ major productions include the performances Think Me Thickness (2001), .states. (2001), Mirth (2002), Dreamlands (2003), heroïne (2004), Opium (2004), Bullitt (2006), i!2 (2008), PA (2009), 1001 (2010)

Arco has regularly created commissioned works, and worked in dance, theatre and opera productions with Robert Wilson, Luc Bondy, Anna Teresa De Keersmaeker, Brussels Opera House, and Festival d'Art Lyrique d'Aix en Provence, Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra, and Norwegian National Company of Contemporary Dance - Carte Blanche.

Arco Renz is furthermore engaged in projects promoting the development of research and exchange between European and Asian artists. Monsoon, a series of research and performance platforms bringing together Asian and European artists is one of the ongoing projects.

>> Go to the Kobalt Works website

About Amrita Performing Arts

Amrita Performing Arts is an International NGO based in Phnom Penh, with US nonprofit status. The organization was founded in 2003 to help revive the wide spectrum of Cambodia’s traditional performing arts through a program that emphasized national capacity building.  

Amrita's mission has evolved to include pursuits in contemporary dance and theater, and has been the catalyst behind numerous new productions while encouraging artists to take responsibility for the direction of their artistic development.

>> Go to the Amrita Performing Arts website

Last modified 22 Feb 2011.

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