Spotlight on...Yina Ng '09 and Simon Thomas-Train '09

Author: Melissa Marshall

A petite girl from Hong Kong and a tall boy raised just across the lake in Keene Valley, N.Y., Yina Ng '09 and Simon Thomas-Train '09 sit comfortably side-by-side, their physical differences only hinting at the powerful dynamics manifested in their duet "It Needs What You Don't Want." Both dance majors, their piece has been chosen to represent the New England Region at the National Gala of the American College Dance Festival in New York City at the Miller Theatre of Barnard College, June 4-6. Interrupting and completing each other's sentences, Ng and Thomas-Train spoke to The Middlebury Campus about the challenges and the rewards of working on a collaborative project.



The Middlebury Campus: Could you outline the importance of National Gala of the American College Dance Festival?

Simon Thomas-Train: The American College Dance Festival Association has a conference every year that is divided into 10 regions across the country, and Middlebury goes to the New England one. Any school is welcome to enter, and there are usually around 40 schools. Each school is allowed to bring up to two pieces, and they pick ten to 12 of the top pieces for the one final concert and from there they pick two to three pieces to go to the national concert, which is a bi-annual event.



TC: What is the concept and the inspiration behind your piece?

Yina Ng: We actually officially started this duet from this summer from the work we did at the Bates Dance Festival. We used a lot material from that duet, and we picked out what we liked, especially the weight-shifting stuff that we did. We discovered that the most interesting dynamic was what was happening between the two of us on stage. "It Needs What You Don't Want" sort of evolved from that into another new piece.

ST: The real seed of the duet was definitely planted this summer. Yina and I have been working since then in a strictly duet sort of way. We played a lot with the dynamics possible in a relationship - especially in a male-female relationship. We were both working with the Middlebury Dance company and we were put together in a piece that played with the idea of how quickly a relationship can turn from something loving into something violent. It was a really dynamic, really physical relationship that played itself out on the stage. A very similar feel emerged in the piece we made, but with much more of us in it because we were making it instead of having it made on us. We played a lot with the range of human expression and range of emotion - from slapping to holding. The full scope of what a duet, or a couple, can go through basically.



TC: What have you discovered to be the challenges and the rewards of doing a collaborative piece?

YN: In some ways it is easier because there is never a lack of material - there are a lot of ideas bouncing on and off each other.

ST: As soloist and choreographers we work very differently. But by putting us together, we knew that someone would have a different take on something, so we never got stuck. We never really stalled and for the most part we didn't bump heads. It pushes you to try to see it from their point of view and accept choices that you wouldn't make if you were making it by yourself. You know you have to dance with this person and if you hate each other, it's going to suck.

YN: I definitely appreciate that I've found someone who I can work with collaboratively. One of the good things about collaboration is that we did stretch each other's boundaries and it forced us to think in a different way. We worked together to see how different opinions could make something good.



TC: Do you have any plans to work with one another in the future? Or is it too soon to tell?

YN: Well, we are the only two dance majors in our year.

ST: We actually are in the process of writing a proposal for our 500 project, which would be our senior concert. It may incorporate this piece in some way and it may not. At this point it's open-ended.