dancecenter

Meri Pajunpää started dancing in Finland at Nurmijärven Tanssiopisto and continued as a free student at Tanssivintti dance school in Helsinki. In 2004-2008 she studied at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten (MTD) during which she started to create her own work as well; The difficulty of… a solo, Leftovers at the Waterlooplein a duet with Anat Yaffe and Stupid Light, a piece for two other dancers, performed at the Muiderpoort Theater Amsterdam. After her graduation in 2008, Meri has been working with choreographers such as Francesco Scavetta (touring the “Surprised Body project” 2010-2014 in Europe, Asia and South-America), Vera Tussing, Jenni Kivelä, Sanna Myllylahti, Itamar Serussi, and Arno Schuitemaker among others. In 2010 she founded together with a group of dancers and musicians an improvisation collective Tail Collection, which performed in the Netherlands between 2010-2011. Along her career as a performer, Meri has also been teaching contemporary and partnering classes for amateurs and professionals. At the moment Meri is based in Belgium and currently working with choreographers Peter Savel and Vera Tussing.

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given:
“There will probably be some music, but we’ll manage to find a quiet corner where we can talk”(work in progress)

Short introduction of the work in progress showing of Meri Pajunpää entitled: “There will probably be some music, but we’ll manage to find a quiet corner where we can talk”.
This project started from a curiosity to combine text and movement, to take elements of language and search for ways of using them in movement research.
Texts, spoken words, have a meaning, sound and rhythm to it. Using text in a performance directly implies multilayered communication. How can I respond to, and play with text in all its dimensions with my moving body? As a source of inspiration I have used some early works and recordings of the American composer John Cage. I was intrigued by Cage’s way of looking at the world with a child like curiosity and by his endless passion towards sounds. But I also just started to get interested in him as a character, in his way of talking and in the way he tended to inject a bit of humor and mystery in every answer he gave to the interviewers. So I started to wonder, is it possible to have a conversation on stage with someone who lived in a different era?

Photography: Thibault Gregoire

Yannis Adoniou, Artistic Director/Choreographer KUNST-STOFF productions.
Born in Athens Greece, Yannis Adoniou, a Goldie Award winning art maker is the co-founder and the Artistic director of the critically acclaimed dance company KUNST-STOFF. A renowned choreographer and a master teacher he choreographs and conducts classes/workshops across the United States and Europe. In 2010 Adoniou founded KUNST-STOFF arts, a studio/art space located in downtown San Francisco that is designed to host performing and visual artists from around the globe. Mr. Adoniou curates and organizes the performances and artistic teams for Stoffwechsel – Metabolism Festival, Berlin.
www.kunst-stoff.org

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given:
In Limbo (excerpt)
Created and performed by: Yannis Adoniou and Minos Matsas

A musician and a dancer on stage. Their performance can take an unexpected twist.
The bodies, the sounds, the lights, the musical instruments-objects suggest a story, which is not really a story, since there is no beginning, middle, or end and no heroes. It consists of an “open” narrative adventure that calls the spectator to experience it “here” and “now” as an act of theater in progress.
“In Limbo”: nothing is final and everything is being reconsidered. There is no “final version”: changes are embodied the moment they are born. The bodies create horizontal and vertical axes, symmetrical lines and then break them; bodies and music engage in a dialogue or just ignore each other; they expose themselves or withdraw; they adjust the tension, improvise and try to find a way to co-inhabit the space in a fluid way, which is not preconceived; they are in quest of a relationship that is constantly under scrutiny; they are seeking a form, a brilliant idea or a moment of aesthetical pleasure.
Experimentation in synthesis is of utmost importance for both performers and audience. The rhythm, the atmosphere and the flowing structure trigger the spectators’ imagination, inviting them to create their own story. A story without boundaries based on the sensations that unfold in the surrounding fields of vision and sound.

Lindsey Renee Derry is a graduate of Purchase College Conservatory of Dance with a BFA in Dance Performance—summa cum laude. At Purchase she performed repertory by Mark Morris, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Lauri Stallings, and Jacqulyn Buglisi. She is the recipient of the 2006 Thayer Fellowship, a prestigious award given by the New York Foundation of the Arts to outstanding State University graduates. As a performing artist Derry has had numerous touring opportunities, taking her thus far to fourteen countries spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. In New York City she has worked with RIOULT (Pascal Rioult), Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, and TAKE Dance (Takehiro Ueyama). For five years, Derry spent several months out of the year working with José Navas/Compagnie Flak in Montréal. Highlights include performances at the Guggenheim Museum in Spain, the new Oslo Opera House in Norway, and the MODAFE festival in Seoul, South Korea. Presently, Derry is a Contributing Artist with European based KUNST-STOFF Productions (Yannis Adoniou and Tomi Paasonen) and dancer at Hope Mohr Dance in San Francisco. In 2012, Derry launched L i n s d a n s to serve as the platform for her solo work both choreographed by herself and guest artists. She is the recipient of the 2013 John D. and Susan P. Diekman Fellowship, an award that enabled her participation at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. This summer, with support from American Dance Abroad, she will participate in three consecutive residencies in Greece and festival Stoffwechsel-Metabolism in Berlin where she will create new solo work and perform her solo show POR·TRAI·TURE throughout.
www.linsdans.org

During this Artistic Residency the following performances were given:
FAIL SAFE
Created by Yannis Adoniou and performed by Lindsey Renee Derry

failing#responding#unlocking#solutions
A solo work that suggests failure in a way that will cause no harm but will unlock doors, ensure escapes, and present solutions all within the human body.
http://vimeo.com/96204642

POR·TRAI·TURE
Performed by: Lindsey Renee Derry
Choreography: Lindsey Renee Derry (San Francisco), José Navas (Montréal), Sidra Bell (New York), Alex Ketley (San Francisco), Iratxe Ansa (Barcelona)
Video designer Erin Malley (San Francisco)

In the hour that Lindsey Renee Derry journeys through a shifting landscape of complex movement languages and unpredictable electronic music, a collection of moving portraits emerge. In them, a multi-faceted artist is revealed who reaches many energetic and emotional extremes, from the cool and meditative to the fiery and explosive. Text and video projection serve as the connective tissue that links one dancing solo to the next, revealing both candidly and with exaggeration her personal and vulnerable sides.
Interested in exploring not only her choreography but also the work idioms of several choreographers in one evening, Derry approached some of the contemporary dance scene’s most compelling and innovative choreographers for the creation of POR·TRAI·TURE. In support of her vision and helping to move it forward were choreographers José Navas (Montréal), Sidra Bell (New York), Alex Ketley (San Francisco), and Iratxe Ansa (Barcelona), along with video designer Erin Malley (San Francisco).

“…I’ve never seen a series of distinct solos blend together so seamlessly…even her costume changing all become part of the ritual of dance.” — Jim Tobin BayAreaDanceWeek
http://vimeo.com/92190954

Jurij Konjar was born in Ljubljana in ʼ78. He trained Judo and singing from an early age, then began dancing with ballroom competitions. In 2007 he suffered a head injury that shifted the focus of his work towards the potential of the present moment. An in-depth observation of Steve Paxtonʼs Goldberg Variations video triggered what became an improvisation practice.

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given:
“Goldberg Variations”:
In 2007 Jurij Konjar started looking at Walter Verdinʼs video work, ʽGoldberg Variationsʼ, based on Steve Paxtonʼs performance “The Goldberg Variations by J.S. Bach, played by Glen Gould, improvised by Steve Paxton”. In 2009, through a chain of events and choices he began practicing regularly; dancing the whole piece every day of the following year. The official premiere of Goldberg Variations was in Vienna in October 2010.

Created and performed by: Jurij Konjar
Music: Goldberg Variations, by Johann Sebastian Bach. Performed by Glen Gould (1981)
With gratitude to Steve Paxton and Lisa Nelson
Produced by: Jurij Konjar
Coproduction: Tanzquartier Wien
With the support of Slovene Ministry for Culture

http://www.jurijkonjar.com/

Theodosia Stathi was born in Athens and is currently living in Brussels, working as a freelance performer and as a dance and yoga teacher. She graduated PARTS in 2006. She has studied Iyengar yoga in Belgium and India, and is a certified teacher. She has collaborated with several choreographers, Deborah Hay, Julyen Hamiltion, Thomas Hauert, Ann van den Broek and Bud Blumenthal. She is currently member of Allen’s Line the company of Julyen Hamilton, as well as The Wheel the company of Billie Hanne. Inspired by her ongoing research through dance and yoga she has been developing her personal approach to improvisation; which she wishes to share.

Silver Ground
On this ridge we climb
and this land is our food
in the water we wash our clothes and hair
under the sun we become still
knowing before thought
we remember what love is all about.

Silver Ground is a solo performance where movements and actions rise by listening to the present moment and by serving that which each instant wants to bring into life.
Concept and choreography: Theodosia Stathi

“Ambiguous is my favourite word,” explains Ina Christel Johannessen. Her work is characterized by high energy in the physical movements merged with poetic and often theatrical elements. The sought-after choreographer has in addition to her own company zero visibility corp., created works for international companies such as Ballet de Monte Carlo, CCDC Hong Kong, and Cullberg Ballet. In 2008 Ina received the Critics Award for “Ambra” made for Iceland Dance Company and Carte Blanche.
Since the international breakthrough in 2003 zero visibility corp. and choreographer Ina Christel Johannessen has created performances that have toured in 18 countries on 3 continents. zero visibility corp. | Ina Christel Johannessen offer some of the finest and most innovative in Norwegian dance. As members of the audience we are thrown into crossroads between aesthetic extremes in physically explicit and powerful expressions. We are united in a belief in dance as an art form. It is perhaps in this insisting on the concrete and physically demanding choreography that ZVC place themselves in a theatrical dance tradition, creating their very own artistic profile.

“ICJ knows how to observe and draw the dance from the body, free, honest, and with formidable impact”
Colombia Moya, La Jornada

Base Funding
zero visibility corp. has been awarded with a new four year period of base funding from Arts Council Norway for 2013 – 2016. ZVC received for the first time this funding in 2009 for the years 2009-2012. This represents a great recognition for the company and choreographer Ina Christel Johannessen. The basic funding is of great importance for the company’s artistic development and possibilities.

New performance 2014/2015: “The Guest”
Ina Christel Johannessen brings together dancers and performers whom are part of zero visibility corp.s history and present now. The evening exists in a performance format that can change from 10 to 14 dancers on stage. In this new piece, the first section will be performed to music by Demdike stare. The last section of the piece will be based on the text “The Guest” by Albert Camus, containing themes such as morality, solitude and freedom, and will be performed to Arabic music.
“Time is experienced and dissolved through the language of the body, through dance. Space is orchestrated through movement, stillness and details. Powerful movement through space, at times a chamber play, intimate and secretive. Hypnotic structure and rhythmic mantra. Anticipation and waiting.”

Performance title: The Guest
Premiere: January 29th at Dansens hus, Oslo, Norway

Co-produced by:
– Akropoditi Dance Centre, Syros, Greece
March 31st – April 10th 2014
– O Espaco de Tempo, Montemor o Novo, Portugal
June 9th – June 18th 2014
October 20th – October 31st 2014
– Dansearena Nord, Hammerfest, Norway
September 29th – October 12th 2014
– Dansens Hus, Oslo, Norway
January 12th – February 1st 2015

Dancers:
Line Tørmoen (NO) , Pia Elton Hammer (NO), Mate Meszaros (HU) , Jon Filip Fahlstrøm (NO), Dimitri Jourde (FR), Merete Hersvik (NO), Antero Hein (NO), Valtteri Raekallio (FI) , Edhem Jesenkovic (SE), Yaniv Cohen (IL), Guro Nagelhus Schia (NO), Vebjørn Sundby (NO), Camilla Spidsøe Cohen (NO)

Artistic team:
Choreographer: Ina Christel Johannessen
Sound design: Morten Pettersen
Light design: Chrisander Brun
Set design / Costumes: Kristin Torp / Graa Hverdag AS
Artistic advisor: Cecilia Roos

Residency at Akropoditi Dance Centre
The residency at Akropoditi Dance Center has been vital to the creation of the performance and a great inspiration. As this was the first of 5 residency periods, the time spent at Akropoditi included creating the concept, structuring of the performance and music, planning of rehearsals and mapping out the qualities and characteristics of the dancers involved. The facilities allowed the choreographer and two participating dancers (Hammer, Tørmoen) to explore the myths and theatre history of Ancient Greece and unfold and express themselves in improvisation. Solo and duet work was carried out to a wide range of music, guided by choreographer Ina Christel Johannessen and artistic advisor Cecilia Roos (SE). zero visibility corp. greatly appreciate the opportunity to be in residency at Akropoditi Dance Center. Akropoditi has been an essential collaborator to the company in the creation of this new piece, and we look forward to future cooperation.
http://www.zerovisibility.no/

Espirito Santo Dance Society is currently touring thought Europe with the Artistic Residency program (United Kingdom, Italy, Greece and Portugal) with Project Unity. Unity is a human artistic experience designed to bring together communities through the art of Contact Improvisation, voice and music.
A performance for self-observation, anticipation, the vastness and companionship. A performance by Espirito Santo Mauricio, dancer and choreographer from the Azores who lives and works in Canada, with amateur and professional dancers and musicians of local communities.
www.espiritosantodance.com

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given:  “UNITY PROJECT: The way we are”

During 2013 Iraqi Bodies have continued their work on the themes surrounding the rituals and ceremonies of sexuality, death and reproduction within the religious groups of Muslims, Christians and Jews.

In exploring and investigating the connections between dance and physical theater, Iraqi Bodies has gained unanimous critical acclaim over the last couple of years. With affecting performances such as “Unidentified” and “Vowels” the group has managed to carve a unique niche for themselves in the field of contemporary dance. It’s a world where sparse lighting, silence and near immobility is paired with seemingly erratic yet repetitive movements, at times creating an atmosphere of discomfort and unease but also one of tremendous beauty. Using almost archaic movements and textures, the aim is to articulate feelings of loss, frustration and isolation but perhaps to also show a tiny sliver of light and hope

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given: “Gerontion”

Born in Tehran- Iran in 1987, Aftab Darvishi had her first musical contact with the violin at the age of 5. As she grew older she got in touch with more instruments like Kamancheh (Iranian string instrument) and piano. She studied music at the University of Tehran and after her graduation she began to collaborate in many projects with the theater faculty of the university as well as other artists combining music with animations, theater plays, short films, etc. In 2010 she moved to Amsterdam-Nederlands to study Composing for film at the Conservatorium Van Amsterdam. Creating unusual combinations of vocals and mixing the different musical cultures has been and still is her inspiration in her musical journey. At the moment she lives in Amsterdam where she composes, teaches and study Karnatic music (South Indian classical music) with Rafael Reina.
www.aftabdarvishi.com

During this Artistic Residency the following performance was given: “OXYS” in black and white.

Marius Soluna is the first artist hosted by the Dance Centre Akropoditi through the Artistic Residency program. The Dance Centre, expression & creation in contemporary arts Akropoditi is a member of Res Artis, worldwide network of Artist Residencies since January 2013.
Marius Soluna is a Swiss independent artist and dancer. For the past seven years, he is based in Switzerland, traveling, teaching and dancing in various places of the world. His work is based on the conscious work of healing and transformation of the body. His main influences come from his training in the Subbody Butoh School of Rhizome Lee, Jinen Butoh of Atsushi Takenouchi, Vipassana Meditation, Qi Gong and Yoga.

During this Artistic Residency a workshop was given by Marius Soluna as well as the presentation Abandoned Eternity.