The Albany’s associate artist Quang Kien Van is often drawn to love stories. Not so much those with happy endings, but some of the greatest will-they-won’t-they romances of all time.
His latest spectacle, Babylon, fuses dance with music and theatre to tell the story of two star-crossed lovers arguing about beginnings and endings.
With Babylon coming to the Albany in Deptford this month, we spoke to its creator, Quang Kien Van, to find out more…
If we were to take a look at your CV, what would we see?
I’ve worked across dance, opera, theatre, circus, Hollywood blockbusters, music videos and even in Berlin nightclubs.
In 2013, before I learnt how to fundraise, produce and get programmed, I picked up a camcorder to video bits of choreography I made of friends as a way to just make work, which led to the development of some film-making skills. Acquiring new skills has been useful now I no longer dance professionally.
What was the inspiration behind your latest piece, Babylon?
I pitched a Yes Manifesto to MGCfutures, a charity that supports theatre makers, and they gave me a bursary to develop the idea.
The Yes Manifesto is a direct inversion of choreographer Yvonne Rainer’s 1964 No Manifesto which was all about saying no to spectacle.
I felt compelled to go in the exact opposite direction to Rainer, essentially, and embrace spectacle! I didn’t know what would come from the process but somehow this story of lovers and their place in the history of the universe emerged.
Tell us more about the star-crossed lovers at the heart of the piece. Are they based on anyone? And, why did you decide to make them the focus of this work?
Many famous lovers have inspired the piece: the Ancient Greek legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, Chinese mythology’s story of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl; Game of Thrones’ Jaime and Cersei Lannister; through to Normal People’s Connell and Marianne. I often find myself in the mood for love.
Quang Kien Van’s Babylon. Photo credit: Kang Ong
It’s pitched as ‘dance-gig-theatre’. How do those genres intersect within it?
It’s through the performers: they sing, dance, chat, argue and carry on making a show of themselves!
While the movement has its grounding in hip-hop and disco, the show is set to music that fuses the genres of pop, funk and folk. Why these styles of music? How do they complement the dance?
For me, all of art-making is pulling disparate bits of material together and trying to shape it into things that serve what you want to express.
In Babylon, I have things I want to say about dance, music, love and romance, so the styles and genres present in the work reflect that desire.
Has choreographing Babylon made you miss being a professional dancer?
The last time I danced professionally in front of an audience was back in 2018.
I’m doing all sorts of things to fill that void. It’s difficult, but moving forward is the only way to go.
Lastly, you’ve been an associate artist at the Albany since 2022. How does it feel to have your work shown there?
I am super excited to premiere Babylon at the Albany this October. It feels like the completion of one cycle and the beginning of a new one.
Babylon is showing at the Albany, Douglas Way, London SE8 4AG.
October 18 – 20, 7:30pm.
Admission: £12/£10 concessions.
