MODES of locomotion
The work is developed through the exploration of dance and text and the possibility of their interaction.
Our questioning:
How can text and dance influence each other without being used to describe each other?
Can they have a dialog?
How are these art forms interpreted when presented together?
Our investigation:
- to observe what effect words have on us
- to observe how words can be used as a source for creating movements, when they are written and when they are spoken
- to observe which kind of inputs a spoken text can give to movements
Where did we start from?
We actually started from the text.
The text was written in 2007, specifically for this work. It avoids narrative and presents an intentionally fragmentary array of brief stories, thoughts, questions, aphorisms and single words.
The dance vocabulary was created by the dancer through improvisation, using their own backgrounds and physical abilities. But to make room for fresh ideas, an important improvisational impulse has been the search for unknown movements using the inputs given by the text and its vocal interpretation. We used several improvisational tasks, which were carried out by using the written and the recorded version of the text.
We are interested in words not only for their meanings, which can be found through the totality of the text, but also for their sounds, melodies, rhythms and dynamics. Text/words are considered as part of the sound design. Though based on a fixed structure, the recordings of the text were also made through improvisation.
Our investigation on movements and text/words already started in 2007. For the last two years, we have already been working in several “research working blocks”, using various improvisation scores and experimenting with dance, text and sound. From the exploration we gave shape to three solos and two duos. Part of it will now be presented as one performance.
Dancers who took part to the research process have been: Josep Garcia Caballero, Nicholas Elliott, Elisabeth Stockinger and Raffaella Galdi.
History
The research, divided in various working blocks, was conducted from March 2007 till November 2009, in artblau Tanzwerkstatt in Brauschweig, in fabrik Potsdam, in Potsdam and in Studio LaborGras in Berlin.
artblau Tanzwerkstatt residencies, Braunschweig
March - April 2007 - with Raffaella Galdi and Nicholas Elliott
May - June 2007 with Raffaella Galdi and Nicholas Elliott
November 2007 with Raffaella Galdi and Alexander Sieber and Elke Pusl
June - July 2008 with Raffaella Galdi, Josep Caballero and Alexander Sieber
September 2009 with with Raffaella Galdi and Elisabeth Stockinger
Studio LaborGras, Berlin
March - May 2008 with Raffaella Galdi, Josep Caballero , Alexander Sieber and Elke Pusl
September-October 2009 with Raffaella Galdi, Elisabeth Stockinger, Alexander Sieber and Mira Moschallski
fabrik Potsdam residencies, Potsdam
September, October, November 2008 with Raffaella Galdi, Josep Caballero, Alexander Sieber and Elke Pusl
MODES of locomotion - Solo I premiered on 10th November 2007 within TanzHerbst Festival, Solonacht, in Dresden.
MODES of locomotion - Duo premiered on 21st November 2009 within Duettbiennale, Fürth Kulturforum, in Fürth.
Concept, choreography, text: Raffaella Galdi
Dance: Raffaella Galdi and Elisabeth Stockinger Sound: Alexander Sieber
Light: Raffaella Galdi
Light adviser: Lutz Deppe
Voice: Elke Pusl
Costumes: K&R
Dramaturgy, assistance: Mira Moschallski
Duration Solo I: 12 minutes
Duration Duo: 18 minutes
Duration all piece: 30 minutes
Produced by Raffaella Galdi and artblau Tanzwerkstatt Braunschweig.
Supported by LaborGras Berlin and fabrik Potsdam in the frame of Tanzplan Potsdam: Artists-in-Residence.
Thanks to Tanzfabrik Berlin, Gelber Raum, Jerry, Carlos Bustamante, Jutta Polic and Nicholas Elliott.
Performances:
Swan Day Festival 08 - Das Pumpwerk Berlin, March 2008
Tanztendenzen Festival 08 - Greifswald, October 2008
Italienisch Tanzherbst Festival - Tanzfabrik Berlin, October 08
Lucky Trimmer 08 - Tacheles Berlin, November 2008
Theaterfestival Outlet - "Alte Bücherei" Hintern Brüdern Braunschweig, September 2009
Duettbiennale - Fürth Kulturforum, November 2009
Studio LaborGras Berlin, November 2009
Eisfabrik Hannover, April 2010
i-camp - Neues Theater München, March 2010
Dance Performance
Photo: Laurent Burst
Photo: Laurent Burst
Photo: Laurent Burst
Photo: Laurent Burst
(click here)
