DANCE
Long day's journey
into night
and [my master) would scold me to get over
here and pick up the fans and the scarves."
T he highlight of Crossing Borders is the
world premiere of “Nocturnal
Path," another highly personal
work with slow tai chi-like
movements and arresting images
set to hypnotic music by Philip
Glass and Dead C an Dance. Tran
has been choreographing the
piece for more than
two years.
lean, lonely figure writhes onstage—
contorted, tortured and haunted. Two
more join him, their muscular bodies
expressing intense discomfort. Thus
opens “T he War W ithin,” the autobiographical
signature dance piece by Portland dancer and
choreographer M inh Tran.
O ne of four works by Tran that compose
Crossing Borders, it will be performed Oct. 23
by F lo y d S laver
to 25 as the season opener for the W hite
Bird/Portland State University Dance series.
It also wasn’t until he met his partner,
endured a perilous voyage through scorching heat
“T he War W ithin” is Tran’s highly personal
and
monstxin
rains.
“There
were
65
people
on
Gary
Nelson, 15 years ago that he was
exploration of his dangerous escape from Viet
our 35-foot fishing boat," he recalls. “We were lit finally able to verbally tell the story,
nam. ‘Technically, there’s nothing to it," he
erally shoulder to shoulder. There was no roam
which fortunately ends happily
says, “but choreographically it’s like going to a
with the rest of his family reunit
ing room. Only 60 percent would make it alive.”
counseling session.”
ing with him in the U nited States.
Tran’s parents were wise in telling him to
In 1979, four years after the Communists
Tran’s work blends Eastern and
stick with his brothers. “O n the boat I got sea
won the Vietnam War and took over the entire
Western traditions. He
sick instantly.” he says. “There was a time
country, a pubescent Tran was conscripted into
trained as an opera
when I wanted to let go.”
the army to help overthrew the neighboring
performer at the
In “T he War W ithin,” the 5-fcxn-4 Tran is
Cambodian government of Pol Pot. Before he
National Schtxd of
supported and carried by another dancer who
could leave for training, however, his parents
Fine and Performing
represents his older brother. “I just wanted to
handed him a large wad of cash (“I’ve never
Arts in Saigon (now
go overboard. It would be much more peaceful
had so much money in my life”) and told him
1 lo C hi Minh City)
than on the boat. [But] he wouldn’t let go."
to follow and obey his three older brothers.
when he was a child. Viet X
After four days tin rough seas with no fixxl or
T hen they kissed him gixxlbye and told him he
namese opera is very deriva
water, the three arrived at a U.N. refugee camp
might never see them again.
tive of Chinese with many of
in Thailand, where they spent the next year.
Tran bounced along dirt roads by truck,
V o ^ i
the same elements, including
~
Tran and his brothers were sponsored by a local
bike and bus in order to avoid detection. “You
elaborate costumes, minimal sets \ \ w
man to immigrate to the United States. W hen
had to have a permit to go from one city to
and a rigid structure of roles.
he heard that he was being sent to Portland, the
another,” he explains, “because everyone was
young Tran started crying, “I don’t want to go to
Opera performers must he able . to s
trying to escape. We were afraid of any govern
sing, dance and act and are typecast
Portland. I want to go to the U.S.”
m ent officials finding us.” They made their way
into predefined roles for which they
to a pier where they climbed aboard a rickety
n
Portland,
Tran
discovered
the
world
of
spend
years training. Tran was tapped to
fishing boat to leave Vietnam.
mixlem dance. “I couldn’t talk about [my
portray female warriors and concubines.
It was the height of the “boat people” crisis,
“In the opera world,” he says, “it was a com
experience) until I met dance. T har’s how I
when hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese fled
pliment that I had to take, whether I wanted it
was finally able to share the story. It was tix)
across the South China Sea using small wtxxlen
or not. I kept sneaking over to pick up a sword,
close, tixi personal.”
and unseaworthy boats. Tran and his brothers
A
Dance reflects artist’s intense personal odyssey
ea tin y out
eatingout
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1ST..
Minh Tran & Company performs
O ct. 23 to 25 at Portland State
U niversity’s Lincoln Hall
The
dancer
chi>se
night as his
them e for
“Nocturnal Path" because “it’s a time zone
that is the most intimate and personal. It’s like
watching my brain through all these nights for
the past two years.”
In Crossing Borders, Minh Tran takes us on
an intimate journey into his dark past. Rut,
with national recognition tor his work on the
horizon, his future is looking bright indeed. JH
M inh T ran & C ompany performs 8 p.m.
Oct. 23 to 25 at Portland State University’s
Lincoln Hall, 1620 S.W. Park Awe. Tickets are
$I2'$24 from Tickctmaster.
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