DIANE ELSHOUT
THE NETHERLANDS
technique, improvisation*
"With my work I want to contribute positively to a culture that is alert and free, based on tolerance, curiosity and communication. I ask unconventional questions, give uncomfortable and/or refreshing answers. I combine surrealism and biting realism with technically demanding movement and theatrical elements, creating a world with rules of it’s own and references to the world that surrounds us". (Elshout 2007)
Diane Elshout works as an interantional freelance dancer, choreographer and teacher. From 1996 together with Frank Handeler she formed the choreographic duo Elshout/Handeler, created site specific work as well as creations for theatre (inter)nationally and toured extencively.
Diane teaches and coaches professionals, students and amateurs. She initiates cultural exchange programs and works on community art projects. She won several prizes as a danser and choregrapher. At the moment Diane finishes her Master Theaterstudies and specializes in dramaturgy.
“Moving people” is at the core of her professional activities. Moving has a double meaning here. Literally, by transforming ideas into movement, but also to move groups and individuals to allow growth and change. Being moved is being energized, feeling involved and capable. She believes this is essential in all (inter)human communication; verbaly, spiritually and physically and forms the core of all her activities.
WHAT BODY IS MOVING?
This workshop will physically and theoretically explore different ways of aproaching the (choreographic) body and its consequences on movement, theatrical constallations and the use of space. We will be playing a lot with movement and perspective, confusing the mind and challenging our body. We will be touching on personal preferences, possible blocks as well as unknown territories. Goal of this workshop is to deepen our understanding and open up new perspectives as an impuls to a versitile use of the dancing/ performing body.
The way we make (our) bodies move and interact with its surroundings depends largely on our idea(s) about that body. This workshop wants to investigating the many ways we can approach the body as a dancer/ choreographer and as a consequence the way it moves, relates to the self, others and to space. The workshop directs itself to opening up options of movement of the dancing bodyAs a guiding line we will physically explore specific theories about the body in order to deepen our knowledge, open up perspectives and give tools to generate new choreographic material. By doing so we will be finding entrences to research and challenge our personal creative journey.
Each day will include a small theoretical part integrated in our physical exploration. We will use different methods such as improvisation, partnerwork and structuring choreographic material. Time will be reserved to work concentrated on assignements that will be presented at the end of the 6th day.
The students are asked to come with a open and curious mind, willing to be challenged by some social/ philosophical theory1.They will be discussed in simple and clear language, directed to be used in a practical and phyiscal manner. Some of the questions that will be raised to trigger our explorational processes are: Is there hierarchy in the bodies movement? What generates it? Is the body an isolated unity in space? Can it connect to the infinite space and objects around it? What does a dancing body represent? Can it only represent itself in movement?
We will be trying to anwser these questions by diving into a creative world of challenging options and physical experiences with our bodies as our main and giding tool: It is the body that will give its anwser.
TECHNIQUE
The class is built around the physical awareness of the movement impulse, creating a soft, organic technical base for a day of work as a dancer / performer. Concentrating on releasing the centrifugal forces, the body will be able to play with the energies liberated, between balance and off balance, between control and out of control. We will be challenging and stretching the physical boundaries to create a strong, versatile, sensitive and intelligent use of body. From the very beginning the dancer will be moving through the space, creating a dynamic and exploratory journey about the state of the body here and now. The class is release based using the knowledge of Alexander technique, Feldenkrais and Laban.
* Please pay attention that the improvisation class fee as for 2 classes
âåðíóòüñÿ â ñïèñîê ïðåïîäàâàòåëåé
|
|
