Martial arts melds with dance

THE beautiful forms, speed and creativity in Indonesian martial arts so fascinated Akiko Kitamura, an award-winning Japanese dancer/choreographer, that she spent several months learning them.

Subsequently, she fused what she learnt with contemporary choreography and a multimedia for a modern dance performance.

Her interpretation of the "Asian body" - one that fuses martial arts and dance across cultures - will be presented in two works in the upcoming NUS Arts Festival. One is part of a triple bill for the opening show, while the other premiered in Jakarta last year.