創作者介紹｜潘巴奈Pan Panay ⾝體即流域——在聲響與儀式之間⾏走的她
來⾃花蓮的阿美族表演藝術創作者潘巴奈，畢業於東華⼤學⺠族⽂化學系，投⾝表演創作已逾⼗七年。她以⾝體為起點，揉合聲⾳、語⾔與空間場域，致⼒於建構⼀種從原住⺠女性視⾓出發、跨越類型與邊界的藝術實踐。作品多在劇場、影像與儀式⾏動之間游移，將⽂化記憶與當代表述緊密交織，呈現出層次豐富的⾝體敘事。她的創作深根於原住⺠⽂化系譜之中，同時不斷向當代藝術語境發出回聲。作品《remakat kita 從這裡到那裡》於2024年與黃雅農共創，入圍2025PULIMA藝術獎提名；2022年於PULIMA表演新藝站演出的《Calay 絲線》亦曾獲第⼆⼗⼀屆台新藝術獎第⼆季提名。早在2017年，潘巴奈便獲國藝會「海外藝遊專案」補助，前往⽇本展開交流計畫。
潘巴奈積極參與國內外合作，2024年與澳洲編舞家 Baden Hitchcock 在「48×48 的 Gaya 宇宙」共同創作《Gida Explorations》，亦於「樹林跳：跳島舞蹈節」 中展演並主持⾝體⼯作坊。其近期重要合作計畫尚包括：《再壹波藝術節— 〈噪・慾 Nosire〉》、《回⾝返照—adihong》（2023 原住⺠族攝影展開幕演 出）、《很久很久以前》（跳舞蘭計畫）、雲⾨樂舞跨域工作坊《O》與《在這裡 Itini》。2021年，她於花蓮好地下藝術空間駐村，發表展演計畫《⾝呼溪》， 以⾝體之流回應⼟地與溪流的靈性召喚。潘巴奈的藝術創作是⼀場長期且持續的回返之路，將部落記憶、性別感知與當 代經驗轉化為具穿透⼒的⾝體語⾔，呼應著她所來⾃的⼟地，也走向她所想像。
創作者介紹｜Baden Hitchcock(希⾙登) 跨越島嶼與未來的舞蹈語⾔
希⾙登是⼀位來⾃澳洲的原住⺠舞者與編舞家，⽬前定居並活躍於台北。其家族根源橫跨托雷斯海峽群島 Saibai Island、巴布亞新幾內亞⻄部的 Mabaduan 村落，以及 Motu Koitabu ⼈聚落 Hanuabada，展現其多元且深厚的⽂化底蘊。畢業於墨爾本⼤學 Victorian College of the Arts 舞蹈系，並榮獲「創意藝術傑出本科⽣獎」，希⾙登曾任職於澳洲最具代表性的原住⺠舞團 Bangarra Dance Theatre 長達六年，隨團巡演全球，⾜跡遍及歐洲、亞洲、美洲與澳洲偏遠社區。
⾃定居台灣以來，他積極參與 Pulima 藝術節、Gaya Festival、台東藝穗節等活 動，並與台灣多位藝術家合作，在地⽅與國際之間開拓原住⺠藝術的對話空 間。2024年，與潘巴奈共同創作舞蹈短片並於兒路創作藝術⼯寮「48x48 Festival」⾸映，亦在花蓮城市藝術節及台北美國學校擔任編舞與⼯作坊講師。他的編舞實踐橫跨傳統與當代，曾於墨爾本 Yirramboi Festival、Black and Bright ⽂學節展演。近期他獲選參與奧地利 Impulstanz Festival 的指標性 DanceWEB 計 畫，並受瑞典巡演機構 Riksteatern 邀請，前往瑞典特爾納比（Tärnaby），參與 由薩米（Sápmi）原住⺠社群主辦的共創駐地「Indigenous Dance Residency」。 希⾙登關注語⾔、聲⾳與節奏如何作為⽂化載體，結合數位⾳樂⼯作站 （DAW）技術，即時創作出沉浸式的聲響地景，展現當代原住⺠編舞的聲⾳。
節目名稱｜回·聲 Sounds of Belonging
在這個創作中，我們探索隨著年齡增長、離開家鄉、以及在城市中⽣活的各種 離散經驗，歸屬感如何演變。這次合作想探討我們如何在⾃身、地⽅、原住民 ⽂化、家庭、社群、部落或村莊、祖先以及未來之間建⽴連結並找到歸屬感。 哪些景象和聲⾳讓我們有回家的感覺︖這又如何改變我們的⼼理與身體狀態︖
這次潘巴奈與希⾙登的合作，聊到從原住民傳統儀式中「時間是循環」的觀念 為靈感，這與西⽅「線性時間觀」截然不同。希望探索如何運⽤聲⾳、⾳樂、 動作與空間，創造出⼀種扎根的歸屬感，即使對於沒有在傳統部落⽣長的⼈來 說也是如此。我們如何擾動表演的線性結構，以引入時間的滑移與循環式的時 間觀︖
作品裡「回·聲」裡的「回」，是⼀種共振。在「回」的意象裡，是⼀個通道︔ 是聲⾳、記憶、味覺、情感…之間的共振，如同我們在討論原住民的時間觀 時，是⼀個「圓」的概念，過去、現在、未來可能同時交疊，又或在這個 「圓」裡互相影響著，它並非⼀個線性的概念，在這個往返之間慢漫地感受， 巴奈與⾙登，從跨國的對話，當代的離散經驗，聆聽⾝⼼地景裡的聲之歸屬。
此作品融合了不同的節奏、空間和圖案的概念，靈感來⾃莫圖安（Motuan）族 ⼈的傳統紋身，以及來⾃巴布亞紐幾內亞西部省基懷（Kiwai）族⼈的傳統身體 打擊樂。兩位表演者透過轉化、和諧與混沌的⽅法，試圖理解不同的⽣活知識 系統如何交疊並同時分離。這是⼀個信任身體知識或內在「Gida」的過程，嘗 試在城市與鄉村場景的交會處找到平衡與安⼼感。 透過巴奈與希⾙登跨越國界、植根於離散經驗的合作，本作品傾聽身體內在與 ⼤地之間，關於聲⾳與歸屬感的共鳴。
從希⾙登（Baden Hitchcock）提及的 Gida，Gida 是 Motu 語中代表「⽕苗」的 詞彙，此過程致⼒於點燃內⼼⽂化身份的⽕苗。我們融合傳統與現代的⽅法， 努⼒喚醒並維持這團⽕焰的燃燒。
這次在作品裡，巴奈也分享了⼀⾸在各部落⽿熟能詳的經典阿美族歌謠《Alofo no mato’asay ⽼⼈的背袋》，這是⼀⾸屬於⽣活場景的聲⾳記憶，在⼤家歡聚 時較為歡樂⾃在的情感連結。「歌」，也是⼀個連結歸屬感的路徑︔在身體迷 路時，步伐混沌找路時，傾聽呼吸與那⾸來⾃記憶裡的旋律，慢慢地安住了⼼ 靈。在⽣命裡鬆鬆緊緊的節奏裡，我們如何找到好好呼吸的那個時刻︖阿美族 ⽼⼈家有時打招呼⽤語，會開玩笑地說「還有呼吸嗎︖」
踏地的步伐，曾聽阿美族的長輩說「像是對⼟地蓋印章」，告訴這個⼟地我們 存在著，這也回應著每次祭儀現場，當⼤家⼿牽起來的時刻⼀起踏步，似乎疊 合著過去祖靈們和現在的⼈⼀起透過同樣的節奏、呼吸、歌謠彼此回應著。
The Body as Watershed — She Who Walks Between Sound and Ritual
Pan Panay is a Pangcah performance artist from Hualien and a graduate of the Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures at National Dong Hwa University. With over 17 years of experience in performance-making, she begins from the body and integrates voice, language, and spatial dynamics to develop an Indigenous, femalecentered artistic practice that transcends genre and disciplinary boundaries. Her works flow between theater, video, and ritual action—interweaving cultural memory with contemporary expression to construct layered and resonant bodily narratives.
Her artistic practice is deeply rooted in Indigenous cultural lineages while continuously resonating within contemporary art discourses. Her 2024 collaborative performance “remakat Kita: From Here to There”, co-created with Huang Ya-Nong, was nominated for the 2025 PULIMA Art Award. Her 2022 performance “Calay: The Threads”, presented at the PULIMA Performing Arts Platform, was also nominated for the 21st Taishin Arts Award (second quarter). As early as 2017, she received funding from the NCAF (National Culture and Arts Foundation) Overseas Arts Travel Program, engaging in Japan.
Panay is actively engaged in both domestic and international collaborations. In 2024, she co-created Gida Explorations with Australian choreographer Baden Hitchcock as part of 48×48 Gaya Hours, and led a workshop and performance at the WIDF Dance Festival. Her recent key collaborations include Nosire (One More Festival), adihong (opening performance of the 2023 Indigenous Photography Exhibition), Once Upon a Time (Dancing Orchid Project), as well as ”O” and ”Itini” with the Cloud Gate Foundation Project. In 2021, she was an artist-in-residence at Hualien’s Good Underground Art Space, where she presented Exhale A River Through Body, a sitespecific performance that responded to the spiritual call of the land and river through the body's flow.
Panay’s artistic journey is a long-term path of return—transforming traditional community memory, gendered perception, and contemporary experience into a penetrating corporeal language that echoes the land she comes from and reaches toward the futures she envisions.
A Dance Language That Crosses Islands and Futures
Baden Hitchcock is an Indigenous dancer and choreographer from Australia, currently based in and actively creating in Taipei. His ancestral heritage spans the Saibai Island of the Torres Strait, the village of Mabaduan in Western Papua New Guinea, and the Motu Koitabu community of Hanuabada—reflecting a richly layered and diverse cultural background.
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne, where he received the Outstanding Undergraduate in Creative Arts Award, Baden was a core dancer with the renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre for six years. With the company, he toured internationally, performing across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and in remote Indigenous communities throughout Australia.
Since relocating to Taiwan, Baden has actively participated in platforms such as the Pulima Arts Festival, Gaya Festival, and Taitung Fringe Festival. He has collaborated with numerous Taiwanese artists, cultivating translocal and global dialogues through Indigenous artistic practices. In 2024, he co-created a dance short film with Pan Panay, which premiered at the 48x48 Festival organized by Elug.Art.Corner. He also served as a choreographer and workshop facilitator at the Hualien City Arts Festival and Taipei American School.
Baden’s choreographic work bridges the traditional and the contemporary. He has presented at events such as Melbourne’s Yirramboi Festival and the Black and Bright Literary Festival. Most recently, he was selected for the prestigious DanceWEB program at Impulstanz Festival in Austria, and also had the opportunity to be hosted by the Sami Indigenous Community in Tärnaby, Sweden as apart of the Indigenous Dance Residency hosted by The Swedish Touring Company and Riksteatern. His practice engages with language, sound, and rhythm as cultural carriers, blending digital audio workstation (DAW) technology to create live, immersive soundscapes that reflect a contemporary Indigenous choreographic voice.
回·聲 Sounds of Belonging－Artistic Concept
In this performance, we explore how the sense of belonging shifts over time—shaped by aging, leaving home, and the diasporic experiences of living in the city. Our collaboration seeks to examine how we find belonging in ourselves, in places, in Indigenous cultures, in family, in community, in our village or tribe, in our ancestors, and in imagined futures. What are the sights and sounds that make us feel like we’re home? And how do they shape our mental and physical states?
This collaboration between Panay Pan and Baden Hitchcock was inspired by the Indigenous concept of cyclical time found in traditional rituals, a worldview that contrasts with the linear sense of time common in the West. Together, we explored how sound, music, movement, and space can create a grounded sense of belonging— even for those who didn’t grow up within a traditional village context. How might we disrupt the linear structure of performance and instead invite temporal slippage, an experience of time that loops, breathes, and circles?
In the work “回·聲 Sounds of Belonging,” the word “回” signifies a kind of resonance. Within the imagery of “Return,” it represents a passage—a space of resonance between sound, memory, taste, and emotion. It is much like how we understand Indigenous perceptions of time: not as linear, but as circular. In this circular concept, the past, present, and future may overlap or influence one another within the same cycle. It is through this back-and-forth motion that we slowly sense a belonging of sound within the inner landscape of body and mind.
Creative Content
This work interweaves concepts of rhythm, space, and pattern, drawing inspiration from traditional Motuan tattoo designs and the body percussion practices of the Kiwai people in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Through processes of transformation, harmony, and chaos, the two performers seek to understand how different systems of knowledge can both overlap and diverge. It is a journey of trusting bodily knowledge—an inner “Gida”—as they search for grounding and a sense of ease in the convergence between urban and rural landscapes. Through this collaboration between Panay and Baden, forged across nations and rooted in diasporic experience, the piece listens to the resonances of voice and belonging within the body and across landscapes.
“Gida,” a word from the Motu language meaning “flame,” was introduced by Baden and became a central metaphor in the work. It symbolizes the spark of cultural identity that lives inside us. Through a blending of traditional and contemporary forms, we aim to ignite and sustain this inner fire.
Panay also shares a classical song from the Pangcah song known across many Indigenous villages: “Alofo no mato’asay – The Elder’s Carrying Bag.” This song, deeply rooted in daily life, carries the feeling of gathering and shared joy. Song becomes a way home—a path back to belonging. When we feel lost, when our steps falter, when we are searching—listening to our breath and to a melody stored in memory gently steadies the spirit. In life’s shifting rhythms, how do we find the moment to truly breathe? Some Pangcah elders greet one another playfully by asking: “Still breathing?” One elder once said that to step on the earth is like “stamping a seal onto the land”— telling it that we are here. This echoes through ritual gatherings: as people join hands and move together in rhythm, it feels as though ancestors and present-day communities respond to one another—through shared breath, movement, and song.
延伸閱讀：
➤ 專訪 | 潘巴奈 Pan Panay & 希貝登 Baden Hitchcock
來⾃花蓮的阿美族表演藝術創作者潘巴奈，畢業於東華⼤學⺠族⽂化學系，投⾝表演創作已逾⼗七年。她以⾝體為起點，揉合聲⾳、語⾔與空間場域，致⼒於建構⼀種從原住⺠女性視⾓出發、跨越類型與邊界的藝術實踐。作品多在劇場、影像與儀式⾏動之間游移，將⽂化記憶與當代表述緊密交織，呈現出層次豐富的⾝體敘事。她的創作深根於原住⺠⽂化系譜之中，同時不斷向當代藝術語境發出回聲。作品《remakat kita 從這裡到那裡》於2024年與黃雅農共創，入圍2025PULIMA藝術獎提名；2022年於PULIMA表演新藝站演出的《Calay 絲線》亦曾獲第⼆⼗⼀屆台新藝術獎第⼆季提名。早在2017年，潘巴奈便獲國藝會「海外藝遊專案」補助，前往⽇本展開交流計畫。
潘巴奈積極參與國內外合作，2024年與澳洲編舞家 Baden Hitchcock 在「48×48 的 Gaya 宇宙」共同創作《Gida Explorations》，亦於「樹林跳：跳島舞蹈節」 中展演並主持⾝體⼯作坊。其近期重要合作計畫尚包括：《再壹波藝術節— 〈噪・慾 Nosire〉》、《回⾝返照—adihong》（2023 原住⺠族攝影展開幕演 出）、《很久很久以前》（跳舞蘭計畫）、雲⾨樂舞跨域工作坊《O》與《在這裡 Itini》。2021年，她於花蓮好地下藝術空間駐村，發表展演計畫《⾝呼溪》， 以⾝體之流回應⼟地與溪流的靈性召喚。潘巴奈的藝術創作是⼀場長期且持續的回返之路，將部落記憶、性別感知與當 代經驗轉化為具穿透⼒的⾝體語⾔，呼應著她所來⾃的⼟地，也走向她所想像。
創作者介紹｜Baden Hitchcock(希⾙登) 跨越島嶼與未來的舞蹈語⾔
希⾙登是⼀位來⾃澳洲的原住⺠舞者與編舞家，⽬前定居並活躍於台北。其家族根源橫跨托雷斯海峽群島 Saibai Island、巴布亞新幾內亞⻄部的 Mabaduan 村落，以及 Motu Koitabu ⼈聚落 Hanuabada，展現其多元且深厚的⽂化底蘊。畢業於墨爾本⼤學 Victorian College of the Arts 舞蹈系，並榮獲「創意藝術傑出本科⽣獎」，希⾙登曾任職於澳洲最具代表性的原住⺠舞團 Bangarra Dance Theatre 長達六年，隨團巡演全球，⾜跡遍及歐洲、亞洲、美洲與澳洲偏遠社區。
⾃定居台灣以來，他積極參與 Pulima 藝術節、Gaya Festival、台東藝穗節等活 動，並與台灣多位藝術家合作，在地⽅與國際之間開拓原住⺠藝術的對話空 間。2024年，與潘巴奈共同創作舞蹈短片並於兒路創作藝術⼯寮「48x48 Festival」⾸映，亦在花蓮城市藝術節及台北美國學校擔任編舞與⼯作坊講師。他的編舞實踐橫跨傳統與當代，曾於墨爾本 Yirramboi Festival、Black and Bright ⽂學節展演。近期他獲選參與奧地利 Impulstanz Festival 的指標性 DanceWEB 計 畫，並受瑞典巡演機構 Riksteatern 邀請，前往瑞典特爾納比（Tärnaby），參與 由薩米（Sápmi）原住⺠社群主辦的共創駐地「Indigenous Dance Residency」。 希⾙登關注語⾔、聲⾳與節奏如何作為⽂化載體，結合數位⾳樂⼯作站 （DAW）技術，即時創作出沉浸式的聲響地景，展現當代原住⺠編舞的聲⾳。
節目名稱｜回·聲 Sounds of Belonging
在這個創作中，我們探索隨著年齡增長、離開家鄉、以及在城市中⽣活的各種 離散經驗，歸屬感如何演變。這次合作想探討我們如何在⾃身、地⽅、原住民 ⽂化、家庭、社群、部落或村莊、祖先以及未來之間建⽴連結並找到歸屬感。 哪些景象和聲⾳讓我們有回家的感覺︖這又如何改變我們的⼼理與身體狀態︖
這次潘巴奈與希⾙登的合作，聊到從原住民傳統儀式中「時間是循環」的觀念 為靈感，這與西⽅「線性時間觀」截然不同。希望探索如何運⽤聲⾳、⾳樂、 動作與空間，創造出⼀種扎根的歸屬感，即使對於沒有在傳統部落⽣長的⼈來 說也是如此。我們如何擾動表演的線性結構，以引入時間的滑移與循環式的時 間觀︖
作品裡「回·聲」裡的「回」，是⼀種共振。在「回」的意象裡，是⼀個通道︔ 是聲⾳、記憶、味覺、情感…之間的共振，如同我們在討論原住民的時間觀 時，是⼀個「圓」的概念，過去、現在、未來可能同時交疊，又或在這個 「圓」裡互相影響著，它並非⼀個線性的概念，在這個往返之間慢漫地感受， 巴奈與⾙登，從跨國的對話，當代的離散經驗，聆聽⾝⼼地景裡的聲之歸屬。
此作品融合了不同的節奏、空間和圖案的概念，靈感來⾃莫圖安（Motuan）族 ⼈的傳統紋身，以及來⾃巴布亞紐幾內亞西部省基懷（Kiwai）族⼈的傳統身體 打擊樂。兩位表演者透過轉化、和諧與混沌的⽅法，試圖理解不同的⽣活知識 系統如何交疊並同時分離。這是⼀個信任身體知識或內在「Gida」的過程，嘗 試在城市與鄉村場景的交會處找到平衡與安⼼感。 透過巴奈與希⾙登跨越國界、植根於離散經驗的合作，本作品傾聽身體內在與 ⼤地之間，關於聲⾳與歸屬感的共鳴。
從希⾙登（Baden Hitchcock）提及的 Gida，Gida 是 Motu 語中代表「⽕苗」的 詞彙，此過程致⼒於點燃內⼼⽂化身份的⽕苗。我們融合傳統與現代的⽅法， 努⼒喚醒並維持這團⽕焰的燃燒。
這次在作品裡，巴奈也分享了⼀⾸在各部落⽿熟能詳的經典阿美族歌謠《Alofo no mato’asay ⽼⼈的背袋》，這是⼀⾸屬於⽣活場景的聲⾳記憶，在⼤家歡聚 時較為歡樂⾃在的情感連結。「歌」，也是⼀個連結歸屬感的路徑︔在身體迷 路時，步伐混沌找路時，傾聽呼吸與那⾸來⾃記憶裡的旋律，慢慢地安住了⼼ 靈。在⽣命裡鬆鬆緊緊的節奏裡，我們如何找到好好呼吸的那個時刻︖阿美族 ⽼⼈家有時打招呼⽤語，會開玩笑地說「還有呼吸嗎︖」
踏地的步伐，曾聽阿美族的長輩說「像是對⼟地蓋印章」，告訴這個⼟地我們 存在著，這也回應著每次祭儀現場，當⼤家⼿牽起來的時刻⼀起踏步，似乎疊 合著過去祖靈們和現在的⼈⼀起透過同樣的節奏、呼吸、歌謠彼此回應著。
The Body as Watershed — She Who Walks Between Sound and Ritual
Pan Panay is a Pangcah performance artist from Hualien and a graduate of the Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures at National Dong Hwa University. With over 17 years of experience in performance-making, she begins from the body and integrates voice, language, and spatial dynamics to develop an Indigenous, femalecentered artistic practice that transcends genre and disciplinary boundaries. Her works flow between theater, video, and ritual action—interweaving cultural memory with contemporary expression to construct layered and resonant bodily narratives.
Her artistic practice is deeply rooted in Indigenous cultural lineages while continuously resonating within contemporary art discourses. Her 2024 collaborative performance “remakat Kita: From Here to There”, co-created with Huang Ya-Nong, was nominated for the 2025 PULIMA Art Award. Her 2022 performance “Calay: The Threads”, presented at the PULIMA Performing Arts Platform, was also nominated for the 21st Taishin Arts Award (second quarter). As early as 2017, she received funding from the NCAF (National Culture and Arts Foundation) Overseas Arts Travel Program, engaging in Japan.
Panay is actively engaged in both domestic and international collaborations. In 2024, she co-created Gida Explorations with Australian choreographer Baden Hitchcock as part of 48×48 Gaya Hours, and led a workshop and performance at the WIDF Dance Festival. Her recent key collaborations include Nosire (One More Festival), adihong (opening performance of the 2023 Indigenous Photography Exhibition), Once Upon a Time (Dancing Orchid Project), as well as ”O” and ”Itini” with the Cloud Gate Foundation Project. In 2021, she was an artist-in-residence at Hualien’s Good Underground Art Space, where she presented Exhale A River Through Body, a sitespecific performance that responded to the spiritual call of the land and river through the body's flow.
Panay’s artistic journey is a long-term path of return—transforming traditional community memory, gendered perception, and contemporary experience into a penetrating corporeal language that echoes the land she comes from and reaches toward the futures she envisions.
A Dance Language That Crosses Islands and Futures
Baden Hitchcock is an Indigenous dancer and choreographer from Australia, currently based in and actively creating in Taipei. His ancestral heritage spans the Saibai Island of the Torres Strait, the village of Mabaduan in Western Papua New Guinea, and the Motu Koitabu community of Hanuabada—reflecting a richly layered and diverse cultural background.
A graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), University of Melbourne, where he received the Outstanding Undergraduate in Creative Arts Award, Baden was a core dancer with the renowned Bangarra Dance Theatre for six years. With the company, he toured internationally, performing across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and in remote Indigenous communities throughout Australia.
Since relocating to Taiwan, Baden has actively participated in platforms such as the Pulima Arts Festival, Gaya Festival, and Taitung Fringe Festival. He has collaborated with numerous Taiwanese artists, cultivating translocal and global dialogues through Indigenous artistic practices. In 2024, he co-created a dance short film with Pan Panay, which premiered at the 48x48 Festival organized by Elug.Art.Corner. He also served as a choreographer and workshop facilitator at the Hualien City Arts Festival and Taipei American School.
Baden’s choreographic work bridges the traditional and the contemporary. He has presented at events such as Melbourne’s Yirramboi Festival and the Black and Bright Literary Festival. Most recently, he was selected for the prestigious DanceWEB program at Impulstanz Festival in Austria, and also had the opportunity to be hosted by the Sami Indigenous Community in Tärnaby, Sweden as apart of the Indigenous Dance Residency hosted by The Swedish Touring Company and Riksteatern. His practice engages with language, sound, and rhythm as cultural carriers, blending digital audio workstation (DAW) technology to create live, immersive soundscapes that reflect a contemporary Indigenous choreographic voice.
回·聲 Sounds of Belonging－Artistic Concept
In this performance, we explore how the sense of belonging shifts over time—shaped by aging, leaving home, and the diasporic experiences of living in the city. Our collaboration seeks to examine how we find belonging in ourselves, in places, in Indigenous cultures, in family, in community, in our village or tribe, in our ancestors, and in imagined futures. What are the sights and sounds that make us feel like we’re home? And how do they shape our mental and physical states?
This collaboration between Panay Pan and Baden Hitchcock was inspired by the Indigenous concept of cyclical time found in traditional rituals, a worldview that contrasts with the linear sense of time common in the West. Together, we explored how sound, music, movement, and space can create a grounded sense of belonging— even for those who didn’t grow up within a traditional village context. How might we disrupt the linear structure of performance and instead invite temporal slippage, an experience of time that loops, breathes, and circles?
In the work “回·聲 Sounds of Belonging,” the word “回” signifies a kind of resonance. Within the imagery of “Return,” it represents a passage—a space of resonance between sound, memory, taste, and emotion. It is much like how we understand Indigenous perceptions of time: not as linear, but as circular. In this circular concept, the past, present, and future may overlap or influence one another within the same cycle. It is through this back-and-forth motion that we slowly sense a belonging of sound within the inner landscape of body and mind.
Creative Content
This work interweaves concepts of rhythm, space, and pattern, drawing inspiration from traditional Motuan tattoo designs and the body percussion practices of the Kiwai people in Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Through processes of transformation, harmony, and chaos, the two performers seek to understand how different systems of knowledge can both overlap and diverge. It is a journey of trusting bodily knowledge—an inner “Gida”—as they search for grounding and a sense of ease in the convergence between urban and rural landscapes. Through this collaboration between Panay and Baden, forged across nations and rooted in diasporic experience, the piece listens to the resonances of voice and belonging within the body and across landscapes.
“Gida,” a word from the Motu language meaning “flame,” was introduced by Baden and became a central metaphor in the work. It symbolizes the spark of cultural identity that lives inside us. Through a blending of traditional and contemporary forms, we aim to ignite and sustain this inner fire.
Panay also shares a classical song from the Pangcah song known across many Indigenous villages: “Alofo no mato’asay – The Elder’s Carrying Bag.” This song, deeply rooted in daily life, carries the feeling of gathering and shared joy. Song becomes a way home—a path back to belonging. When we feel lost, when our steps falter, when we are searching—listening to our breath and to a melody stored in memory gently steadies the spirit. In life’s shifting rhythms, how do we find the moment to truly breathe? Some Pangcah elders greet one another playfully by asking: “Still breathing?” One elder once said that to step on the earth is like “stamping a seal onto the land”— telling it that we are here. This echoes through ritual gatherings: as people join hands and move together in rhythm, it feels as though ancestors and present-day communities respond to one another—through shared breath, movement, and song.
延伸閱讀：
➤ 專訪 | 潘巴奈 Pan Panay & 希貝登 Baden Hitchcock
