All the right moves

The Japan Foundation Bangkok is hoping to reprise the success of "We're Gonna Go Dancing" two years ago with a second look at the show, bringing the Japan Contemporary Dance Network back for performances in Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

Ritzuko Mizuno, the network's artistic director, wants to show his countrymen that other Asian lands have their own "wonderful and rich" traditional dance forms to which their can refer in their creations.

This is the designated "Mekong-Japan exchange year", and Mizuno and his troupe will be hosted in the North by Chiang Mai University's Japanese Studies Centre and CNX Art Connex.

Maki Morishita will conduct a "creation workshop" at the Wandering Moon Theatre starting on Monday, with the work-in-progress being shown the following Sunday.

The same workshop will be offered in the network's stops in Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh.

Also on August 9, "Debutante", Morishita's award-winning solo work, will be presented. The promotional material promises "grace, gorgeousness, transform, impatience, threat, narcissism, escape, luxury, passion, tsuku-paya, giggle, laugh, candid, Maki Morishita, soaking wet."

Two more for Bangkok

In Bangkok, "We're Gonna Go Dancing" will be co-hosted by Patravadi Theatre. In addition to "Debutante", the audience will see two more Japanese works and a Thai piece.

The savage and futuristic duet "Musingai" showcases dancer-choreographer Hiroyuki Miura and veteran dancer Masanori Hoshika in insect-like movements, accompanied by wacky soundscape by Haco.

P'Lush's "Headache" features a trio of female dancers, each with her own style - Shuko Tamauchi, Yuki Sawada and Yui Yoshizawa.

And Thanapol Virulhakul and Vidura Amranand will offer "Unknown Landscape", a collaboration with short-film director Tossapol Boonsin-sukh.

On August 15, Pichet Klunchun will conduct a khon workshop for the network's dancers. If you want to join, e-mail toby_patravaditheatre@yahoo.|com.

 SPREAD THE FAITH

>> "We're Gonna Go Dancing" is at the Chiang Mai University Museum Theatre on August 9 at 7pm. Tickets are Bt50 via (081) 884 3687. For more details, see CNXArtconnex.|wordpress.com.

>> The Bangkok show is at Patravadi Theatre on August 14 at 8pm. Tickets are Bt400 to Bt700 (half off for students) at Total Reservation. Book today for a 20-per-cent discount.

 >> On the Web: www.PatravadiTheatre.com and www.JCDN.org.