NORDPLUS music & choreography workshop June 9-15. 2019, Copenhagen

Monday, 10th of June

Our first day of the program started out with Latvian and Lithuanian students at Kim Helweg´s lecture which was a brief introduction to Choreomusicology and Choreomusical Practice. Kim gave us an overview of all the possible ways of using music and choreography together - strategies, illustration, symbiosis, complementarity, impulse and the main focus was on “Chance” operation which we focused during the whole week. I found out that my favourite way of making choreography is to use illustration which is also Jiri Kylians (my favourite choreographer) way of making choreography for stage. Small ideas can make big pieces, even if you just 8-clap which for example was used by Keersmaeker. After the lecture Kim gave us a little tour of the Danish National School of Performing Arts.

Tuesday, 11th of June

Tuesday was the first day of the workshops- first class of the day was the technique class inspired by Cunningham´s original class, which was taught by Daniel Roberts who was a member of Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Now all the students were taking the class together, students from USA, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. The technique focuses on clarity of form and legwork, coordination of upper body and legwork, rhythmic punctuality, virtuosity and spacial awareness. We also practiced a few phrases of Cunningham´s work that we did across the floor. It felt like a ballet class with a twist, I really enjoyed it.

The second part of the day was focused on baroque music and transposing rhythmic structures, it started out as an improvisation (do what you want was the theme) it felt great to focus on your own movement and musicality. The second part of the class was to prepare Scarlatti assignment. As we got the assignment a week beforehand we prepared the piece before the start of the program, so Estonian team just worked on repetition and cleanliness of the piece. Then we performed the piece to different music compositions that were prepared by the musicians, there were drums, saxophone, piano and singing. It turned out really amazing. 

Wednesday, 12th of June

The day started out with Ann Sofie Clemmensen who taught contemporary/floor-work class. We went through different exercises as well as combinations which were accompanied by musicians - it was very interesting but challenging class as we went through very many combinations and exercises. It was a great class. After the lunch we had another improvisation jam and then we were put into mixed groups and worked on minimalism and repetition, we put together a little piece to show. Our piece was to saxophone and had crescendos and decrescendos in it. Our piece was also chosen to perform again on the last day!

Thursday, 13th of June

We had a Tiziana Fracchiolla technique class, which focuses on connecting to one´s own physical structure, mobility and pathways to move your body. Then we coupled up and used each other to move and use our core and points in opposition, later we were put to groups and we did the same thing, it was super cool to be able to work in groups and it felt like a contact improvisation but with a guided structure. After the lunch we got to improvise again to jazz music, Daniel let the musicians improvise as they wished, later we grouped up again and got an assignment to work in groups and individually at the same time - so we worked with the saxophone again and we had a structure that when he stopped playing we moved really fast and big and when he started playing then we went into slow motion, that was our structure and later each person from one group performed it and later they picked out the most interesting ones to show again. 

Friday, 14th of June

The last day of the program started out with Ann Sofie Clemmens workshop again, which was structed as the first one, but we spent more time on doing the exercises, it was again a challenge but a great class! Musicians were improvising with David Yoken and it felt great. Then we had a little lecture about Cunningham and were shown some video examples which also included the videos where Daniel Roberts was dancing in, it was really amusing to see! After the lunch we got practice "Chance" technique, we made 6 short pieces and numbered them, later we wrote them down and put them into different order to mix them up and try to remember the order. Then we grouped up and chose one of us as the choreographer and others the dancers, the choreographer could do whatever they wanted(they could use our pieces, and/or put them into random order) then we performed it to each other with different musicians, first we had a saxophone, it felt like it was meant to be even though we did not rehearse not even once with the musicians. Later we showed it again with the drummer, but this time it didn´t fit that well with the music. It was a great, productive week and I learnt a lot!

Sandra Põld

Tallinn University

Photos: Sandra Põld