Inspired by a saying in pongso no tao folklore, “Every big fish has a fisherman’s name written on its back”, choreographer Wang Yeu-Kwn packed a fishing rod and headed to Indonesia to look for a fish as heavy as himself. He found Danang Pamungkas instead and the result is a dance duet, Islands, which will have its Southeast Asian premiere from 1 to 3 May 2026 at Pentas 1, The Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (klpac).
But, first, who is Wang Yeu-kwn and how did he seemingly rise out of obscurity to be a Bloom Prize finalist for Sadler’s Wells’ global dance competition – The Rose International Dance Prize 2025 Wang is also the first Taiwanese to receive three awards at Japan’s Yokohama Dance Collection and was earmarked by Dance Magazine Japan as someone “definitely worth anticipating”.
Wang only started learning dance formally when he entered Chinese Culture University’s Dance Department. He went on to dance professionally with the world renowned Cloud Gate 2. After ten years, he decided to strike out on his own.
In 2019, he set up Shimmering Production with Lee Yin-ying and set sail for Indonesia as part of Cloud Gate Culture and Arts Foundation’s Wanderers Project. His search for the so-called big fish was in fact a quest to unearth a story of his own. After reconnecting with former Cloud Gate 2 dancer Pamungkas there, he then decided to develop Islands with him.
From lone wanderers to kindred companions, they explored the similarities and differences between their cultures and islands, how they could communicate and challenge each other.
Pamungkas introduced the topeng (mask) to Wang who found it challenging because not only did you have to bite down on it to keep it in place, your view was completely obstructed save for a tiny hole which also made it hard for you to breathe. Besides the use of the topeng in the show, audiences will also be treated to a glimpse of traditional Javanese dance by Pamungkas during his solo.
Wang also pushed Pamungkas’ boundaries with his experimentation on the state of balance. He felt that losing one’s balance is not necessarily a bad thing. Though uncomfortable, it also allowed you to find a way to regain it.
Through this exchange, what transpired is a heartfelt dance dialogue that reflects the duality of their identities. Together they explore the weight of their bodies while it ebbs and flows along the shifting shores between the sea and the land, between balance and imbalance, between people and the island they call home.
Wang’s love for the sea shows. Since young, he has been fascinated by fishing and is a licensed fisherman himself. To him, fishing and creating for the stage is very much alike which involves some searching and a lot of waiting.
What has been evident in the productions from Taiwan is that, apart from a high level of artistry displayed by the performers, their creative and technical ingenuity have also left Malaysian audiences in awe.
Those who saw the first edition of Wang’s trilogy, Beings, will recall the giant piece of glued-together xuan or rice paper as part of the show. In Islands, audiences will be greeted by another giant prop – a huge, black airbag, courtesy of set designer Chen Guan-lin. It, at times, mimics the ocean enveloping the entire space and, other times, the wave, tossing the dancers about which certainly elevates the whole experience.
This international co-creation that started during the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic meant that initial rehearsals were online where they were joined by the project’s Paris-based dramaturg, Wang Shih-wei.
In 2022, an early-stage version was showcased at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), earning recognition from the Federation for Asian Cultural Promotion (FACP) under the Clare C. & Friends Fellowship. It continued to evolve during a residency at Kinosaki International Arts Center in Japan and The Place, London, UK before premiering at the National Theater and Concert Hall, Taiwan, in 2024. Islands returned to Weiwuying and The Place, and was also invited to be a part of Taitung Arts Festival in 2025.
A self-confessed slow creator, Wang seems to be on a steady path to success. Beings has toured to the UK, Greece, Germany, Japan, Spain and Portugal. Following the upcoming Malaysian staging, Islands will tour to Salihara Arts Centre, Indonesia. Then it is on to his final chapter, Remains, which is slated to premiere in 2027.
This staging marks the fourth collaboration between the Taipei Economic & Cultural Office in Malaysia and klpac, with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan. While the previous productions were works that were largely developed within Taiwan, this upcoming staging shows a different way to create and also sends a different message during these turbulent times.
What started as a single artist’s question of ‘Who am I?’ has evolved into a larger question of ‘Who are we?’ simply because Wang decided to venture out beyond his island. As David Mead’s review of Islands in Seeing Dance said, “…perhaps we only truly discover ourselves, and what is important in life, when we leave our ‘islands,’ meet others, and reflect from afar.”
Islands was co-commissioned by the National Theater & Concert Hall, National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying).
Tickets are available here.
