How are all of these related to Pichet Klunchun Dance Company’s previous works most of which are based on the techniques of Khon (classical Thai masked dance theatre)?
It’s completely different and those expecting to see me perform Khon will be absolutely disappointed. I notice that many Southeast Asian choreographers have stopped working after about ten to fifteen years because I think they rely too much on their traditions and are not conducting enough research to take their works out of the boxes. It’s like they simply marry their dances and show them off as beautiful wives, rather than making love to them and having babies who may not completely resemble them. For me as a choreographer, Dancing with Death is the greatest risk I’ve ever taken. I won’t regret, though, if it fails; I will if I don’t take this risk. My company is celebrating the 10th anniversary and with this work we’re creating new vocabulary which, we think, is possible for our future development, a different path for us from those of other companies in the region. For me as a dancer, I no longer want to be labelled, quite stereotypically, as a classical Thai dancer.