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Exclusive Behind-the-Scenes | Yu Xiuhua Explores a Bold New Form of “Writing”

Article: 独家探班|余秀华用不完美的身体展开一场全新的“写作”

Article by: Liu Qing 

From Wen Wei Po

October 29, 2024


Yu Xiuhua doesn’t let societal taboos weigh on her mind. During rehearsals for the dance theater production “Ten Thousand Tons of Moonlight”, she sits down, drenched in sweat, and says matter-of-factly, “Sometimes I wonder if, after I die, I might have a healthy and free body in my next life.” Dancer Li Kehua, sitting close to her, immediately covers her mouth. Yu brushes her hand aside indifferently, stubborn yet serene, and declares, “I love the feeling of sweating. For a disabled body like mine to perform these movements is already a huge affirmation of what I’m capable of.” 



Just minutes earlier, she had completed an eight-minute solo dance. It was a routine she had only practiced for six days, yet she had already mastered it enough to perform on her own. On the rehearsal stage, every move she made was like commanding an army. The eight minutes weren’t easy for her, requiring immense physical exertion, but as she caught her breath, she recited her own poetry with unwavering strength, “Yet I must live/ Like red persimmons crowning autumn's hills/ I force you to tumble down with me/ From the threshing ground, from the hillside, from flames/ Only by slamming our fists against life's sharp edge, can we catch/ The fallen leaves covering the mountains.” As Yu Xiuhua finished the final syllable, director Farooq Chaudhry was the first to applaud, praising her enthusiastically: “Your performance carries an intensity that rivals Shakespearean drama.” Yu, lively as ever, responded, “But I don’t like Shakespeare’s poetry; I like Walcott!” 


Poetry and poets are the central themes of “Ten Thousand Tons of Moonlight”, a unique dance theater production. “Using Yu Xiuhua’s poetry as the foundation for choreography and putting the poet herself on stage to dance” was Farooq Chaudhry’s concept. It wasn’t without skepticism, especially given Yu’s physical limitations in daily life. Was it offensive to ask her to perform contemporary dance? In the rehearsal space, Yu answered with her sweat: though she struggled, she also reveled in it. She is the best interpreter of her poetry, whether through recitation or dance. 


Yu Xiuhua’s poetry serves as the core of “Ten Thousand Tons of Moonlight”. Her works, such as “Determination”, “A Le”, and “A Pool of Water”, act as seeds from which music and dance grow, creating a “polyphony” where spoken word and physical movement intertwine. This immerses the audience in a multi-sensory exploration of her poetry. The choreography process was unusual—Farooq hired a sign language instructor in London to “read” Yu’s poems through sign language. These gestures were then magnified to create a unique “dance vocabulary” that became the foundation of the choreography. In this way, dance became a physical reading of Yu’s poetry. 



Throughout the choreographic process, Yu keenly identified traces of her words in the movements. When professional dancers performed a dramatic duet on stage, Yu, sitting at the edge, swayed to the music and rhythm, recognizing her poetry and longing to participate. Her constrained body didn’t stop her from becoming an active performer. Amazingly, when Yu shared the stage with two professional dancers and one professional actor, she became the undeniable focal point. 


Whether she slowly picked up scattered roses from the floor, moved her arms deliberately to draw arcs in the air, or crossed the stage at a pace noticeably slower than the dancers, the impression she left was not one of clumsiness or disability. Instead, her every effortful movement was imbued with strength, and her actions radiated a profound vitality. Her imperfect body revealed a universal human beauty. As director Farooq put it, his 25 years as a dance producer taught him that a dance theater featuring only professional dancers is not enough. Dance that merely pursues “beautiful bodies and movements” is also not enough. 


When Yu Xiuhua was first persuaded to participate in “Ten Thousand Tons of Moonlight”, she often became frustrated with her uncontrollable body, throwing tantrums, crying, and drinking heavily due to the stress. She feared being a “burden” in the performance. But she didn’t give up. What began as a library sharing session evolved into a formal theatrical production, with Yu at its core. 


The two professional dancers working with her gained profound inspiration from their collaboration. During rehearsals, Yu’s simple movements drew them into her rich and intense inner world. These dancers, with their flawless bodies and masterful techniques, began to reflect: What is dance? What is beauty? Where does energy come from? What kind of performance evokes a powerful sense of life? 



Yu Xiuhua’s dance coach repeatedly emphasized, “Her talent isn’t limited to writing—it’s holistic. Her understanding of the body, dance, and performance is exceptional.” During rehearsals for her eight-minute solo, the coach discovered that Yu excelled at identifying where her body’s energy lay and passionately conveyed this life force with precision. 


For Yu, her body feels like a newly discovered language. Just as she can write in Chinese, “My ten thousand tons of moonlight have sunk into the depths of the ocean.” “I want your night shadow. I want your twilight years.” “My soul so clear, tumbling on a leaf.” She has now opened a new door. Using her imperfect body, she embarks on a wholly new kind of “writing.” 


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