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Published on August 22, 2007

The only Thai member of the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is home for the US summer holiday. But Sarawanee Tanatanit is not taking a vacation. Instead she's collaborating with her friends for a unique full-scale dance theatre production titled "Remember…What You Have Done in 24 Hours?"

Sarawanee, who's known to her teachers and friends as Pik, started ballet as a six-year-old at Dance Centre and later transferred to the Varaporn-Kanchana Ballet school.

At the age of eight, she developed an interest in rhythmic gymnastics and went on to win a gold medal in that discipline at the 1995 SEA Games in Chiang Mai, along with a scholarship to continue training in Vancouver where she also enrolled at the Goh Ballet Academy.

After winning the prestigious Prix de Lausanne Apprenticeship Award in Switzerland in 2001, she was offered the opportunity to join the American Ballet Theatre Studio Company in New York City.

"It was very different from my previous training in Bangkok and Vancouver," recalls Sarawanee.

"When I took my first ballet class there, I wasn't used to that kind of quick movement because most of the schools here are very precise about slow motion and where you need to be placed. In America, everything is more technical. I had a hard time adjusting to the pace."

Her perseverance led to an offer of an apprenticeship in ABT's main company in August 2002, and six months later she became a member of the world-renowned company.

"I didn't have a lot of qualities they look for - nice feet, body, face and techniques. I would categorise myself more as an expressive dancer because of my gymnastic background. I had to work a lot on the technical part as I missed a great deal of ballet training while I was focusing on gymnastics.

"I was different from other ballet dancers, I think. I still don't know why they picked me. You can be a star somewhere but they may not like you. I think for me it's all been luck and timing."

"I fit in quickly because I've always moved around a lot. Whatever they ask me to do, I can do it. But feeling settled around new people took me a while. Even now, I feel like I'm not settling.

"I know what I'm doing most of the time. For some ballets, one rehearsal is enough for me able to perform the steps but I feel that there's something else out there that I still need to explore.

"ABT does 70-per-cent classical and 30-per-cent contemporary works. I dance more during the contemporary season [in the autumn at a smaller stage of City Centre Theatre] than in the classical season [in June and July at the Metropolitan Opera House]."

Even though Sarawanee is a member of ABT's corps de ballet, her performances have frequently been singled out by international dance critics.

When ABT staged "La Bayadere" earlier this year in London, she won praise from the Observer: "And, finally, a tip of the hat to Sarawanee Tanatanit, whose Aya, Gamzatti's servant, carries servility to new heights - or depths."

And of course, many of us still remember "Ramakien: A Rak Opera", Thailand's contribution to last year's Lincoln Centre Festival. Variety described her Sida as "a princess bride to take your breath away". The New York Times concurred: "Sarawanee Tanatanit was ethereally en pointe."

Working with Thai artists in that production has motivated the New York-based Sarawanee to return home more often to work with and perform for Thai people.

"Being part of it made me proud to be Thai and presenting something that's part of Thailand. I felt very good about it," she says.

"I think this [co-creating and performing in "Remember…What You Have Done in 24 Hours?"] is another part of me that needs to be fulfilled. I couldn't do it on my own because I didn't have much experience in choreography and other areas. I'm just a dancer after all."

"I met Jitti [Chompee, her co-choreographer] and Tanon [Sattarujawong, visual director/ award-winning NYU-alum filmmaker] in New York when I first moved there and have kept in touch with them ever since. We knew it was going to be hard but have always said, 'Let's make it happen.'

While I was away, Jitti took over the choreography of the group dance and other parts. When I came back, we worked together and tried to polish them. We always talked about it before making any decisions, and we're choreographing the pas de deux together."

"In co-creating '24 Hours', I'm trying to show my own style - more musicality, movement quality, and maybe a little bit of technique, flexibility, and expressiveness. In my opinion, you can always watch a technical dancer but eventually you'll get bored. They can do so many turns and jumps. But if they can't grab the audience and make them feel something then, for me, that's not an artist."

"For this production, the budget is very small. A lot of people are helping us. The dancers are not getting paid. Everybody's doing it because they love what they do."

For Sarawanee, it's the dancer's love and passion for her art that will connect with the audience. Lucky us: we'll enjoy a first-hand experience this weekend.

"Remember…What You Have Done in 24 Hours?" is being staged Friday to Sunday at Patravadi Theatre's Main Stage. Showtime is 8pm. Tickets are Bt1,000, Bt600, and Bt400 from Thaiticketmajor. Students receive a 50-per-cent discount. For more information, visit Patravaditheatre.com, or call (02) 412 7287-8.

The writer can be contacted at Pawit.M@chula.ac.th.

Pawit Mahasarinand

The Nation