- a project initiated by the choreographer Kitt Johnson - as a part of the festival La Strada 2020 in Graz.
A walk throught Griesviertel Graz with 3 selected places. Each one provided space for an artist and her performance . My task was to work with a group of youngsters. Throught their dance performance more attention should be drawn to this location.
My personal challenge and question was : How to develop a dance performance with a small group of youngsters when the choosen space is in constant change? A new dormitoy was in building in Feuerbachgasse Graz . Our original plan was to dance next to this exotic building but , unfortunatelly it was not ready by that time. As an alternative the parking slot on the opposite was choosen.
I divided this small area into 8 partitions in which each groupmember could present her solodance. The dancers started their performance by running into the parking slot after the audience walked in. At each station a specific movement material was given to the group to improvise with. During the transfers the audience had to change their position in order to observe the dance and dancers from different persepectives . Therefor this inconspicuous trivial parking slot became an interesting space with unexpected and creative content. There was no music. The group was given some equipment (knitting needles and an advertising plans) so they could create sounds throught their movements and reactions.
this video excerpt is provided by Horst Schimeczek ©2020
stations :
wheelchair access : hand sqeeze and loose, observing the space, arm reaching
border of the building site : quick sideway steps, loud steps toward the audience , retreat
1 soli : support with clapping and body percussion
2 soli : making sounds with knitting needles hitting the metall railing of the wheelchair access to support
building site: sitting on streetborder and hiding half of the body with the advertising plans, "feetplay", catching something, making individual clicking sounds
3 soli: the breath is leading, rest of the group has to follow and to repeat the movement they recognise from the leader
4 soli : hitting the wall with full body effort to give sound and rhythm for the last solo
end : everyone could dance her own developed movements
Thnx alot to :
Kitt Johnson for supporting us with workshop , feedback and positive mood.
Also to Deborah Adams - Base Graz .
das andere Theater was providing the rooms for dance training and rehearsing .
Company Perwein was lending us one of their advertising tarpaulin.
Thanks alot to Horst Schimeczek for filming and providing this Video.
We started together in June and had more than 6 performances at the end of August .