In the spotlight this month is a major event on Kuala Lumpur’s performing arts calendar – the Damansara International Arts Festival 2019 (DIAF 2019), formerly known as the DPAC Arts Festival. What started out as a local performing arts festival soon grew into something much bigger as international acts from across the world appeared on the bill.

This year DIAF is back with Convergence 3, featuring an array of performances and workshops throughout the 13-day event. With performers and directors from Iran, Spain, Vietnam, Luxembourg and more – here are six acts that you can witness this July:

Sublime Musical Journey

Appearing in the Chinese music scene as the first female singer-songwriter three decades ago, Paul Wah Chew bagged the Best Album Award by Radio Taiwan International for her debut album released in Taiwan entitled Love Me, Give Me Freedom. Soon after releasing her third album, Chew focused more towards being behind the-scenes. This year though she’s back in the spotlight to sing tunes relating to her many life experiences.

Sublime Musical Journey
When 8pm (2-3July)
Admission RM58, RM68

Blank

Well-known Malaysian actress-director Jo Kukathas has assembled a diverse group of thespians that help bring this part-improv piece to life. Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour’s Blank features different performers every night who become the storyteller while the crowd act as characters of the play. Much like his White Rabbit, Red Rabbit play, Soleimanpour invites actors to perform a script unseen and unrehearsed. As the title suggests, parts of the script are left blank – creating a new storyline every night.

Blank
When 8pm (5-7 July), 3pm (6-7 July)
Admission RM58, RM68

B.OOM ! International Dance Showcase

With dance at the heart of B.DANCE’s productions, it is creativity and innovation that brings beauty into each story. Choreographed by Tsai Po-Cheng, it achieves aesthetics that integrate oriental mysticism and fantasy through human movement – like the piece Floating Flower. B.OOM! features guest performers from Spain, Italy, Portugal, Vietnam, the Netherlands and Taiwan performing contemporary routines on the DIAF podium.

B.OOM ! International Dance Showcase
When 8pm (5-7 July), 3pm (7 July)
Admission RM58, RM68

Children Storytelling by The Jumping JellyBeans

Keeping children entertained is no easy task, but The Jumping JellyBeans (JJB) founder Shanthini Venugopal lives to share her theatre training skills with little ones. Having been in the industry for over three decades, Shanthini is recognised by the Malaysian theatre community for her work with special needs individuals. This free storytelling session ensures great nurturing of younglings as Shanthini is filled with experiences of freelancing as a producer alongside appearances in movies and productions.

Children Storytelling by The Jumping JellyBeans
When 10am and 12pm (7 July)
Admission RM58, RM68

Vibra el folclor Colombiano

Award-winning composer Concha Bernal and her fully Colombian-cultured concert is coming to DIAF 2019! The established singer also dances and acts, appearing in numerous television programs, one of which is currently broadcasting in Ecuador. Alighting in KL while on her world tour, Concha is set to take the audience on a journey up and down the South American continent, buoyed along by a captivating Latin spirit.

The Strangers

Created just last year, The Strangers is a German-Asian dance production starring dancers from Japan, Malaysia, Korea and Thailand. The performance brings forward the questions of identity, belonging, trust and marginalisation – some of the key struggles of those living in South-Eastern countries. Having already been staged around Asia at the likes of ASSITEJ Korea and Taiwan Dot Go Children’s Art Festival, a key point in The Strangers is the way feelings and beliefs are represented to viewers, encouraging them to be open minded and reflective.

The Strangers
When 8pm (13 July), 3pm (14 July)
Admission RM58, RM68

Damansara International Arts Festival 2019
WHEN 2-14 July
WHERE Damansara Performing Arts Centre, Petaling Jaya
TEL 03 4065 0001
dpac.com.my