Silence Flower is a butoh performance by Sineenadh Keitprapai with live music by Payap Kaewkred. It was featured at PoA White Box on 17-18 February 2023.
Butoh, also known as the “dance of darkness,” emerged from post-war Japan as a part of the postmodernist movement. It’s typically characterised by dancers covered in white body paint using slow hyper-controlled physical contortions and expressing extreme emotions/movements that are deeply connected to the nature of being. In the present day, different butoh groups in the world explore the concept beyond just dancing, creating new expressions for this art form.
In this butoh performance by Sineenadh Kietprapai, the audience members were encouraged to open up all senses and listen closely to the echoes of nature expressed through her physical movements and live music by Payap Kaewkred. Payap used various ethnic instruments to create unique sounds that captured the emotions conveyed in each moment. These instruments included electronic soundboard, guitar, percussions, music box, flute, and didgeridoo.
This performance was also inspired by Naraphat Sakarthornsap, the installation artist himself, and his approach of telling personal life stories through flowers.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Sineenadh Keitprapai is an actor, director, producer, performance maker, butoh practitioner and performing arts teacher. Her work employs various techniques and styles, including non-realism, movement-based performance, physical theatre, devising performance, and butoh. Most of her works explore women's issues in various dimensions. Sineenadh is currently a guest lecturer in universities and an artistic director of Crescent Moon Theatre. This theatre company aims to address social issues and connect people through performing arts. Sineenadh's works were featured in Thailand and abroad. Her latest pieces were “Women Ghost Dancing” performed in Bandung Isola Performing Art Festival 2022 (BIPAF) and “Body Earth and the Alchemy” performed in Bangkok Theatre Festival 2022.
Payap Kaewkred uses various mediums of arts such as paintings, music, drama and creative writings to communicate with people and society. He enjoys exploring diversified roles as artist, musician, actor, scriptwriter and film director. Payap is also a learning process designer and self development facilitator working with young activists and vulnerable children in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.
Since 2011 his exhibitions, art and music performances have been shown in Thailand, Japan, Singapore and Myanmar. His recent works were “Body Earth and the Alchemy" in Bangkok Theatre Festival 2022 and ASIATOPIA International Performance Arts Festival 2023.