Pump up the volume: dancer Lee Ren Xin's new show taps into the power of voice

Lee Ren Xin (right) returns to the stage with Tan Bee Hung in 'ANGGOTA 2: Re-Member' at Five Arts Centre in GMBB, Kuala Lumpur from Sept 22 to Oct 1. In 'ANGGOTA 2', Ren Xin works with 'voice' as a significant element – the voice from the voice box, as well as the voice of the body. Photo: Prakash Daniel

It starts with the deep, palpable vibration of the low humming of chest voice. In the recent teaser trailer published by Five Arts Centre of its upcoming production, ANGGOTA 2: Re-Member, director and choreographer Lee Ren Xin lies on her back, while video artist Chloe Yap Mun Ee asks, “so what do you think your body is telling you right now?”.

In it, we hear Ren Xin (as she is better known in the arts scene) describe an observation – dancers, who though may dance and perform fantastically, are somehow muted in the expressions their bodies try to communicate.