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Solar Power (2024)

Solar Power is a solo dance performance by Dylan Goh / Arcai about withdrawing from hypercompetitive street dance battles and recharging with the sun. It is an antidote to personal feelings of anxiety which have arisen over six years of entering street dance battles. 

For me, this anxiety has been paralysing and caused me to lose myself in the heat of the moment. The joy of telling my story through movement isreplaced with the calculated deployment of battle tactics to impress judges, audiences and overpower my opponent within 45 seconds. 

I made this work to remind myself that personal expression is not governed by arbitrary measures of time like a spinning water bottle. We are allowed to bask in the sun and dance when we are ready - till dusk and beyond. 

In the future, I hope to develop this idea further and organise a street dance battle which prioritises pure expression and storytelling above anything else. 

* In street dance battles, a spinning water bottle is often used to determine which battler needs to dance first. 

Solar Power
by Dylan Goh / Arcai
2024
11 minutes
Dancehouse, Melbourne, Wurundjeri Country

Solar Power is a solo dance performance about withdrawing from hypercompetitive street dance battles and recharging with the sun. It is an antidote to personal feelings of anxiety which have arisen over six years of entering street dance battles. 

For me, this anxiety has been paralysing and caused me to lose myself in the heat of the moment. The joy of telling my story through movement isreplaced with the calculated deployment of battle tactics to impress judges, audiences and overpower my opponent within 45 seconds. 

I made this work to remind myself that personal expression is not governed by arbitrary measures of time like a spinning water bottle. We are allowed to bask in the sun and dance when we are ready - till dusk and beyond. 

In the future, I hope to develop this idea further and organise a street dance battle which prioritises pure expression and storytelling above anything else. 

* In street dance battles, a spinning water bottle is often used to determine which battler needs to dance first.

// Photography by Gregory Lorenzutti
// Videography by Cobie Orger
// Solar Power was generously supported by the 2024 Independent Choreographers Program - a partnership of Dancehouse and Insite Arts, with support of Creative Australia and Arts SA.