Title

Proximities
Lei Dance Theater · Production No.13

     Premiere Year

2024

     Length

65 minutes

     Performance History

Apr. 20, 2024

Bangka International Dance Festival (Invitation)
Sugar Refinery Cultural Park, Warehouse A, Taipei

Apr. 20, 2024

Bangka International Dance Festival (Invitation)
Xiao Black Box, Longshan Cultural & Creative Base, Taipei

Sept. 2024

International Presentation
Singapore

Nov. 2024

Taiwan Dance Platform (Invitation)
National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying)

Dec. 2024

International Presentation
Laos

May 31 – Jun. 1, 2025

Experimental Theater
National Theater & Concert Hall, Taipei

Jun. 13 – 15, 2025

Small Theater
National Taichung Theater

Jun. 20 – 22, 2025

Experimental Theater
Hsinchu County Cultural Affairs Bureau

*Performances from June 14 to June 22 are part of the 2025 TSMC Arts Festival.

     Description

“How close are we to others?”
“How close are we to our own nature?”
“To what extent can distance… be a strength…?”
“In moments when life keeps us apart…?”

Choreographer Olé Khamchanla has been deeply affected by the sense of distance and forced separation brought by pandemic. The core of this work expands from this experience and focus on a universally shared concern, exploring the many dimensions of human relationships—including “the self,” “the other,” and “the group.” Through the subtle interactions within these relationships, he uncovers and challenges the various forms of intimacy that emerge in contemporary dance, shaped by diverse cultures, personal identities, and interpersonal dynamics.

     Reviews & Press

“By allowing multiple dance techniques to coexist and flow within a single body,
Olé forges a transboundary physical dialogue in Proximities.”

— Hung-Wen Lu, Taiwan Dance Platform (2024)


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LDT’s Insight
Olé’s creative methodology echoes the underlying textures of Lei Dance Theater’s artistic vision,revealing multiple planes of resonance between the two. From the trajectory of an individual’s movement, one glimpses the history of embodied training and lineage. The work navigates a cyclical negotiation between the collective and the personal—moving from community to self, and from self back toward the collective—probing how bodies draw near, drif apart, and return again.

“We can clearly discern the cultural signifiers carried within each dancer’s body…
These cultural fragments do not coexist harmoniously in the work; rather, they interrogate one another.”

— Yi-Hsuan Chen, Taiwan Performing Arts Review Platform (2025)


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LDT’s Insight
This incisive review highlights the work’s refusal to simply blend cultures.
By allowing distinct cultural fragments—from Southeast Asian lineages to Western classical forms—to actively challenge one another on stage, Proximities embodies the dynamic tension of trans-cultural identity. This interrogation lies at the core of our co-creation and gives the piece its compelling contemporary energy.

“The concept of ‘distance’ is perhaps an eternal proposition for Olé, continually entwining his life and creation… ultimately blurring conventional notions of borders and opening toward a more expansive worldview.”

— Pu-Chun Lin, Cacao Magazine


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LDT’s Insight
This review captures the philosophical core of our collaboration. Olé’s mastery in navigating cultural distance resonates with Lei Dance Theater’s commitment to cross-cultural creation, using the body as a site where boundaries dissolve and reform. The work marks the beginning of our Metamorphosis Trilogy, directly engaging with themes of separation and transformation in contemporary human experience.

“The work fuses traditional and contemporary vocabularies from Southeast Asia and the West,interpreted by Taiwanese dancers to articulate the relationship between intimacy and alienation.”

— Chen-Chou Chang, Par Performing Arts Review


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LDT’s Insight
This review confirms the work’s dual success. Its selection for the highly competitive 2025 TSMC Arts Festival and invitation to the Weiwuying Taiwan Dance Platform affirm both its artistic rigor and its strong resonance with local audiences—establishing a solid foundation for international presentation.

     International Co-production Creative Team

Taiwan Production Team
Lei Dance Theater

France Production Team
KHAM Compnay

Choreographer
Ole Khamchanla
Producers
Alison Wang
Emma Engelmand
Artistic & Strategic Consultant
Shu-Yi Chou
Dancers
Ai-Hsuan Chou
Jyun-Yi Lin
Chen Hsu
Pei-Chun Shih
Wen-Ting Chang
Music Design
Mathieu Vallet
Lighting Design
Michel Vendittelli
Yun-Hsiang Guan
Costume Design
LychEE
Chi-Fan Huang
Visual Design
Linda Cheng
Production Executive
Zoe Lin
Stage Manager
Pei-Yu Tseng
Master Electrician
Stephanie Lo
Marketing Team
TuoTuo Creative
Photographers
Chang-Chih Chen
Larry Huang
Video Director
Maurice Lai