Extraordinary project Gallery without borders hosted a research of eleven dance makers from Czech republic and USA who were together with american choreographer Sue Schroeder exploring the role of the the artistic artefact and its kinesthetic potential in the Gallery - white cube space. Various mouvement researches were applied and reflected the display and curatorial ideas of current exhibition Art of Long Century: 1796–1918 in National Gallery Prague. The outcome of this long term quarantine research was presented life in the National Gallery Prague and streamed on 14th of July 2020. Here you can folow more on why these eleven mouvement artists decided to attend this particular project.
19th Century (wo)Man: A Contemporary Intervention
Participating Artists : Walter Apps (USA), Barbora Látalová (CZ), Roman Zotov Mikshin (RU), Nikki Morath (USA), Johana Pocková (CZ), Joshua Rackliffe (USA), Benjamin (Benji) Lee Stevenson (USA), Eva Urbanová (SK/CZ), Zdenka Brungot Svitekova (SK/NO/CZ)
Walter Apps (USA) contemporary ballet dancer, lives and work in New York, performed with Aszure Barton, Septime Weber, Lar Lubovitch, MADBOOTS, and Ohad Naharin, is currently a Dance Artist with Core Dance based in Atlanta, GA and Houston, TX.
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
I am most interested in visual/performance art that provokes an audience to see in a different perspective and engage in questions. The realistic human sparks my curiosity. The versatile performer/dancer sparks my curiosity. Blending the two is a choreographic research that I’m interested in.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
I am delighted to work with international artists. I believe this experience will enrich my view on visual art through collaboration. I am also very excited to showcase the change in art during the Long Century. The way artists blended old ideas with new interests me because I am currently researching how to do that in the medium of performance.
Barbora Látalová (CZ) free lance dancer, actor, teacher and choreographer, co founder of OSTRUŽINA z.s. free artistic association www.ostruzina.eu
What is your current interest/curiosity in you movement/choreographic research?
I am writting you the tree thigs I found now in my head, because without your question Iam not in prosces that I would work on them, just I have them in my pockets.
I am describing to you something what Iam interested when I watch people dancing
first : I am acctually looking in patterns of people movements not in the sence to abandon them, in sence to understand why they are existing and what they are. The step before we want to get rid of them by exploring them or allowing them , the step to recognise them and enjoy them. I am fascinating when I can define somebodyes movement and I can say:“ this is your movement I know it. „ and oposit it is bit hard to say it to my self because usually when I recognise it I rather escape from it, because I dont want to repeat my same movements …. so now I am challenging my self to work with it what I already know in my way of movement. And I am currious why I am fascinating on the other people when I recognise their movement and I am not fascinating when I rocognise it in my self :-) ? ...
the second thing is a bit connected, it is still connected to the people movements and gestures and pop culture. Why certain songs leads people to do the same way of experssions in the movement? Like raissing the hads up, turning, hopping, screeming together with a singer, very offen the specific song leads into the similar mood of movemnets and gestures. I didnt do any reasearch about it yet, it is only in my head since x mass when I was in crowed of people dancing. Connection to emotins of sound, special time and groups of people even from different backgrounds.
The last is a concept I started with and I abandon itangularity versus rotundity, starting from painting inspiration of Austrian painter and activists Kurt Hundertwasser and writting this text a question I always have is: is it possible to do everything with dance ? Yes or there are themes more close to it or not ? If yes I still thing we have to find an entry point into it which is compactalbe what the dance can say about it and it will stay a dance.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
Sue, firsth it is you and after Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process, looking very much for that, I worked with Bush Hartshorn who was a coach several times and he intruduced us into this technique, this time with you it will be firsth time to apply it on own work.
And thanks to the acctual covid situatuation I am very much looking forward the technology of the project even I am very bad in using it, now I see how important it is and people who has knowlage are much faster adaptable for that situation. It will be kind of spaceship adventures.
( I even realised firsth time in my life really need of car and driving lessons, how the life would be easyer now...) so this streem of thoughts leds me back to the area of my choreographic interest as well : independance, self-sufficiency
It has been kind of paradox in the situation we are in isolation, the needs of sociaty and connections are very visible now and thanks to taht I realise how much I dont allow to know about my self because most of my time before I do care about other people ( family, children in school where I teach many years, people in our company, audience in our performances, collegues ….and throw this way of carring they also care about me and I need them to exist) now I am in my flat with my almost grow up child and dog and it is challenging to be only with me, I realise how many things I hide or ignore inside myself , I have to learn again how to communicate, how to work with time, how to find time for relaxation, and most of it I learn about my self that Iam not doing this, I dont have the skills ….how very difficcult it is to do everything almost without help of others...and how much I need the reflection and immediate feedback life feedback , life reaction. To be alone is not easy and I hope it will make us stronger human beeings.
So this project in this moment allow me to still be only with me, I have to help my self to be selfsuficient and in the same time I know I will do it with the group of people I like and Iam interested about and finnally I will taste the need of global need and practical,use of technologies, the work, to feel again the sence of creation and to feel Iam part of something creative.
Roman Zotov Mikshin (RU) freelance dancer based in Prague, works with physical visual and dance theatre.
What is your current interest/curiosity in you movement/choreographic research?
My current interest is in ability to create a durational piece (365 minutes), ideally for the white-cube gallery space, where everything (a human body, time, music, different sorts of objects of our daily life) will be presented as phenomena, as something to be objectified and presented in the gallery space. I am very curious to present the creation and search process as a «piece of art» also.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
As I told on our personal meeting, I am very much excited that my current interest which I described in 2) is very much similar to what you’ve presented on our meeting. Also, I got very interested in trying new approach: not directly reflecting the work of art, but rather intention of the artist. I find it very inspiring and curious path.
Really looking forward and preparing myself for exciting work :)
Roman
Nikki Morath (USA) contemporary dancer currently works with Core Dance company.
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
Currently, I adore the rigor of technique and aim to unveil the truth that pours out from the moving body. My passion for movement has evolved from a desire to engage communities in experiences rooted in performance art. I am devoted to developing experiences that fuse performance art and the human experience.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
Aha! I am most interested in how this creative project will evolve! I am excited at the challenge of the virtual portion and feel the anticipation of being in the same space for the second portion of this project. I am looking forward to the transfer of information and collaboration we have ahead!
Johana Pocková (CZ) freelance dancer based in Prague. Awarded by Jarmila Jerabkova Award 2017. In May 2019 she has established a company POCKetART z.s. As a performer she colaborates with Tantehorse company and Cirk La Putyka.
What is your current interest/curiosity in you movement/choreographic research?
Recently I am interested in movement research for original physicality inspired by human senses. I am looking for a way to alive viewers senses through dancer`s bodies. Also within my research I am trying to „alive“ artificial objects to give them possibility to be perceived as natural organism. This is something I feel similar to upcoming research inspired by paintings - artistic intention of artists and works. How can we alive the „inanimate“ painting (which is actually very moving in stillness) using our bodies? How can we relate to the story of the painting which has it`s own time? There is another aspect of my actual interest and it is specific atmosphere, calmness, concentration and time which we find in galerry space. My question is can I bring this spesific atmosphere to another (theater) space?
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
I had a chance to work with one painting from the 1796–1918: ART OF THE LONG CENTURY in Veletržní palác – National gallery last summer thanks to S.E.S.T.A. choreographic residency with coaching. I could spend and mirror there one hour with one painting. The spectators of the gallery were coming through but I was there some time alone as well. Time there stoped and the painting uncovered another layer of its`s meanings / my imagination. Very interesting moments while finding a relation to that.
So my interest and curiosity about this project is in researching ways for unique kinesthetic realation with the art. How can I do it without copying the story of the painting but to find a way to relate to that? Phylosophical, historical, vizaul, atmospherical, architectural…etc.
I am happy to be inspired by dancers from America and my colleques from Czech and beeing part of a common discussions and sharing different kinds of views of points. I am very interested in beeing leaded by the virtual concept, choreographer Sue and to experience live stream performance from two continents. I hope Part II. Will be also realized in the future.
Looking forward to meet you all online and our creative process.
Joshua Rackliffe (USA) is a movement artist from Mableton, GA. Currently works as Dance Artist at Core Dance, and has been with the company ever since. Joshua lives his life as a cabaret entertainer, under the alter-ego "Brigitte Bidet".
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
Currently, I'm really curious about the body as a kinesthetic sculpture and how this sculpture is presented to an audience. As the quarantine has forced us to all go online, there has been a lot of research into how one can best "broadcast" their art to the digital space. The artist has a unique advantage in this scenario, where the ability to control the gaze of the viewer is much more available. This informs the style of movement, and creates new limitations on dance as a performing art.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
I'm most interested to be exposed to new creative processes and perspectives that can only be learned from collaboration. The international component is very exciting to me. The more I work with different artists around the world, the more I see common threads of things that inspire us all as humans; on the contrary it also reveals many of the special ideas that make our cultures different from one another. The dialogue and the shared learning is what I seek the most.
Rose Shields (USA) currently performs acrobatics and aerial as a freelancer with varying local groups and currently works with Core Dance for a 7th season.
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
My current interest lies in the physical body’s potential and capability to offer complex and dynamic movements and shapes within itself as well as exploring the possibilities of balance and movement in partnership with other bodies that offers new ways to lift and be lifted (or support and supported). I have been playing with fundamentals of physics (mechanics) in relationship to the human body’s structure and it’s physical capabilities (acrobatics to sum up), but in a thoughtful way that is approachable and in relation to a subject matter like architecture or a specific moment in history like Božena Laglerová becoming the first licensed Czech female pilot in 1911 (source: https://www.radio.cz/en/section/czech-history/first-brave-unique-stories-of-pioneering-czech-women-who-made-their-mark-on-history ).
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
I’m really interested in the sculptures within the exhibit (from the few I was able to see on the website) and how they are on display in relation to neighboring paintings and what debates or thoughts that might bring up regarding the connections of history to present day.
I’m also interested in working with other artists and hearing about their ideas and what they are interested in exploring in hopes to collaborate and make multifaceted performance art.
Benjamin (Benji) Lee Stevenson (USA) is a movement artist and published poet from rural Alabama. They currently reside in Atlanta, Georgia where they work with Core Dance.
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
I'm currently interested in using text (i.e poetry and prose) as movement prompts to evoke honest physical states of being as well as imagery drawn by the body. More broadly, I'm interested in improvisation as a performance tool, confessional poetry, surrealism, and dance theater.
What are you most interested in/curious about for this project?
First and foremost, I'm always excited about working with other artists and collaborative processes. I'm particularly interested in projects like this that require us to source inspiration from other non-performance based artworks (visual art and literature.) I really enjoy the challenge of trying to convey a feeling, sentiment, a concept with movement that might have previously been conveyed in another way
Eva Urbanová (SK/CZ) freelance dancer based in Prague. Eva has been working alongside Japanese choreographer Yukio Suzuki, Slovak choreographer Petra Fornayová and among others.
What is your current interest/curiosity in you movement/choreographic research?
At the moment I am in the process of the creation of my MA thesis choreography. This project will be performed in the gallery space, not because I want to bring the dance to the gallery, but because I want to allow the audience to perceive a human dancing body in a different interior than is a theatre stage. This experience might bring to the audience new points of view on a moving body or even they could experience a new sensation that they might not experience when watching the piece in the theatre space.
In this work I am also exploring these elements:
- human body as a statue (not sure if this is the right term…but for now I will use it)
- audience being part of the moving picture (audience will be able to freely move in the space)
- time
- human touch
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
I am very interested in the exchange of the ideas among the artists, which I believe is a necessity in order to move forward and beyond my own habits of thinking and creating. I am curious if I can surprise myself with a new perspective on the sensing the space, which memory I can later use in my creation of my upcoming work.
Scott Wheet (USA) born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Scott has received mentorship from Kristin O’Neal, Dominique Angel, Kyle Abraham, Tracy Gilland, Claudia Lavista, Jen Nugent, Robbie Cook, and many others and is currently working with Sue Schroeder/Core Dance as a full time dance artist.
What is your current interest/curiosity in your movement/choreographic research?
- I like to focus on researching feelings and ideas that sit close to my heart. As a mover, I believe that crafting from improvisation, raw impulses, pleasure & joy are fundamentally important. When considering the creative scene, visual performance art has become an increasingly stimulating phenomenon to me. I’m often thinking about how I can synthesize static imagery with movement that is personal and confident, and materials that speak loudly to myself / physical spaces; all to build installations that are radically surreal and brutally rooted in reality.
- In addition, topics of identity, intimacy & loss have been sifting through my body for the past year or so. I wish most deeply for an opportunity to choreograph work that allows me to discover my deepest self, while nurturing environments where the people around me can do the same.
What are you most interested/curious about for this project?
The first and most important goal for me would be to discover the rich and unique history of Czech visual art. From there, I’d want to identify parallels between my research and subjects that defy time. For me, working in solo form is less familiar and as such vitally important to my journey as a creative. However, I also look forward to creating something provocative and exciting with new friends!
