Bynh Ho: water research for THE IMPOSSIBLE HAS ALREADY HAPPENED:

Talking water - Bynh Ho with Andrea Valentine-Lewis

Andrea Valentine-Lewis:

How have the research processes for The Impossible Has Already Happened differed from other rehearsal processes at MascallDance or otherwise?

Bynh Ho:

Well, of course, we’re working on Zoom, which is certainly different! However, we’ve found very supportive ways of doing so that have still provided authentic ways of connecting, especially with our cast of friends in New Zealand.

Beyond Zoom, this process in particular has been the most communal that I’ve been a part of. Regardless of one’s role, every individual involved, from a musical collaborator to our technical support, has shared their experiences and considerations in relation to water. For example, after trialing a proposal it’s a common practice that we hear reflections from everyone in the room, rather than only the dancers. Time and space are made for all of these contributions, which has allowed for a very rich experience so far.

AVL

This project is about water and that is the through-line - not only in the movement generated but also in the conversations and elements brought in for inspiration like texts and videos. How have the rehearsals led you to consider your own relationship to water outside the studio?

BH

Because a lot of the conversations inside of the process have been very personal and anecdotal, it has been made clear to me how we each carry an individual, embodied history when it comes to water. Hearing about a near-drowning scare, feeling warm rain for the first time, or dancing while submerged in a pool has highlighted how my own stories are available in my body–experiences and memories that make up an intimate relationship.

AVL

In rehearsals, the dancers are often working with water words - geysers, irrigation and slush for instance. The City of Vancouver’s Rain Water Strategy we’ve been talking about brings me images like filter, cleanse, distribute… what comes up for you - images, gestures, body parts - in relation to notions of filtering and cleaning rainwater?

BH

Filter, cleanse, distribute – in this context these actions require a structure, one that invites interaction with water, in order for them to take place. Though there’s lots of possibilities, I see images of bodies working in conjunction to accomplish a task or complete a movement, creating a structure in order for a certain outcome to be possible.

Bynh Ho is an independent dance artist, beginning his formative training with Modus Operandi. He went on to attend The Juilliard School, graduating with a BFA, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes. He has had the pleasure of performing across North America and Europe in works by choreographers including William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, and Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar. He was a featured soloist in a work by the late Pina Bausch, as a 40th anniversary celebration of her company in Germany.

Bynh has been featured in publications such as Dance Magazine, The New York Times, and The New Yorker. Now based in Vancouver, he collaborates with a range of artists and companies, among them Mascall Dance, where he is currently a collaborating performer in two current projects, Four Score, Five Climb, and The Impossible has Already Happened.

Andrea Valentine-Lewis hosts The Impossible Has Already Happened News.