STELLA is the host for FANGLAO Now Us Award Winner 1st batch.
In 2006, two dancers Noutnapha Soydala and Ounla Phaoudom took dance workshops with Lao-French choreographer Olé Khamchanla from the company KHAM. We learned many dance techniques, especially how to create contemporary dance performance by using Lao traditional and modern dances. From 2008, we were invited to France for residencies for cultural exchanges and visits to arts infrastructures. In 2013, inspired by this international exchange, we decided to create FANGLAO Dance Company in Vientiane. FANGLAO is a dance company that aims to develop the art of dancing to be recognized in Lao society. FANGLAO produces dance performing arts in a variety of styles. We not only create dance pieces for entertainment purposes but produce with the focus on development as well. Our works reflect story-telling through dance as a form of communication to audiences. FANGLAO supports the elimination of gender and ethnic inequalities. We encourage women to take part in our performances, and every ethnic group to use their local dance and ideas in the works.
STELLA is a social enterprise, founded by two young social workers who are passionate about fostering human potentials, especially in young people. They believe that youths are tremendous force of change and can contribute much more to society if given full participation. STELLA wants to provide a unique platform that enables youths to meet each other, explore possibilities, exchange expertise, and create communities that matters to certain groups, with the aim of encouraging personal growth and creative solution to drive for positive change in society.

LGBTI is a diverse community. However, we see that, in Laos, they appear to be largely represented as people in entertainment or service industries. We feel that such a diverse group of people cannot possibly fit into this narrow spectrum profession. We choose to focus on profession because it is what we as individuals contribute to communities at large. For some of us, it is what brings us pride; for others, it is a sense of purpose, a reason for being, a livelihood, a way to give back, or even a way to engage in decision-making processes, particularly those that concern them.

We have started to explore various stories of people in the LGBTI community, starting within the dance profession. We found that while some of them have chosen dance (or adopted it as an option available to them) as a way to express themselves, they are mostly limited to commercial mainstream styles that lack the dance “vocabulary” to really “say” very much, typically it is within the pop genre.

We want to see, given the “vocabulary” of contemporary dance, what stories these dancers (whether professionals or amateurs) would tell through movement. From initial discussions, there is much they would like to share: how they feel about their place in society as well as in intimate relationships, the invisible barriers that prevent them from truly participating in society, the stereotypes and myths they would like to shine light on, and so on. We feel strongly that these are worthwhile stories to share, though a language of dance that has no “banned” words, or “sensitive” vocabularies, no censorship intrusion.

Once we have stories developed, movement crafted (choreographed), and dancers prepped, we want to share the stories far and wide. We will take every opportunity: at our own dance hall, in schools, at functions, festivals, in town as well as remote areas. Note: this portion of the initiative is not part of this proposal for funding. We will raise funds from elsewhere for distribution (performance).
Much has been achieved in terms of raising awareness among societies at large about the identity of people who do not fall into the heterosexual norms, much remains to be told about their everyday struggles, starting with that which has the most impact on their livelihoods: their professions. As can be seen, most people who openly belong to the LGBTQI community earn their livelihood from the entertainment, art, and service industries. While these are perfectly legitimate industries, they do not necessarily support the diverse passion these people have. Invisible barriers exist in preventing full inclusion of everyone to participate in the profession of their passion. We want society to hear the stories of such struggles, to see the barriers that people have not seen, and join us and the LGBTQi community in lifting them one by one.

This is the first time we attempt to address this issue. We took inspiration from a project we did in 2019 where we danced to tell stories of people living with HIV and performed in schools, particularly medical and nursing schools throughout the country. Through that experience, we learned that dance opened people up to hear about issues that would otherwise be shy upon. Through little words, dance prompted people (the audience) to ask questions afterwards, generating much discussion even among those (doctors and nurses in training) who should know the issues already.

What motivated us to create this new initiative with LGBTQI people is the change in perception among our audiences. Telling stories through dance can get to people’s emotions about complex issues that words sometimes cannot describe. And emotions can drive action. We hope that through touching people’s emotions with dance, we would generate conversations about barriers that prevent LGBTQI people from fully participating in society, especially in issues concerning them.
We have just completed an explorative workshop with a small group of LGBTQI people who typically engage in K-POP dance. Through our 5-day workshop, they were given new techniques to use their bodies, or new “vocabularies” that they can use to express themselves, which differ from pop movements which today centres mostly around sexual expression.

After they have learned to “speak” with a different language now, they are eager to use it. They have asked us about what is next in our plan. So with funding, we can move towards choreographing their stories and train them to perform. Within 6 months, they would be able to share their stories far and wide.