Category: Performace Art « Page 3

Thank You For Your Effort..

Preparing ropes for the overture of Liz Rosenfeld’s and Rodrigo Garcia Alves’ current project at Sophiensaele.

DANCE/PERFORMANCE
This hospice is a dune, a neighborhood, an ocean, a meal, a club, an orgy, a cinema, a cruising ground, a long flight, and a lifelong embrace. This hospice is us, them, ours, no ones and yours. This hospice is unknown, and will continue to change.

In their first duet for the stage, Rodrigo Garcia Alves and Liz Rosenfeld explore their desire to understand and create their future hospice together. For this, they drag objects, stories, projections, fantasies, and experiments crafting future worlds for each other through experimental dance, text and video practices. Hailing from Brazil and the United States, Rodrigo Garcia Alves and Liz Rosenfeld met in Berlin almost a decade ago, and began to collaborate in their desires, experiences and stories connected to a queer position on death, dying, end-of-life care. What are the possibilities during this period of life regarding support for queer kin and families who are not related? How do we want to be seen and perceived in this vulnerable phase of life?
Together, they expanded these questions and met with different kinds of artistic practitioners who work with death in both pragmatic and creative ways: a palliative doctor, a death doula, a choir director, a bondage expert and a tattoo healer, among others. From these conversations Rodrigo Garcia Alves und Liz Rosenfeld have built their current hospice, this duet for the present.

PERFORMERS, CONCEPT AND DIRECTION Liz Rosenfeld & Rodrigo Garcia Alves ORIGINAL MUSIC Colin Self LIGHT DESIGN Catalina Fernández COSTUMES AND SET DESIGN Cardo Matos DRAMATURGY Season Butler ARTISTIC ADVISORY Valerie Renay PROP-MAKING Clarisse Canela SEAMSTRESS Dores Maués ARTISTIC ASSISTANCE An*dre Neely BONDAGE EXPERT Dasniya Sommer ARTISTIC SUPPORT/ HOSPICE DOCTOR Christian Küllmei ARTISTIC SUPPORT/PRODUCTION Maicyra Leão VIDEOGRAPHERS TINT Collective PRODUCER Joseph Wegmann

Intuitive Session August

Stills aus dem letzten Instagram-Podcast im Rahmen des Dis-Tanzen-Solo Programms. Ganz herzlichen Dank an den Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V. für den Support meiner choreografischen Recherche.

August:
Zwei Tetriskörper auf der Suche nach Schnittstellen zwischen Movement, Shibari-Partnering und Restriktion als Supportmechanismus. Als offene Session angelegt und mit angedeuteten Laban-Tools startend, tunen wir ein. Erst formal, mit self-touching tools und visualisierten Kuben, die uns räumliche Orientierung geben. Dabei nähern wir uns raupenartig und verzwirbeln neugierig unsere Peripherien. Alles läuft tastend ab, auch wenn die Außenperspektive, die Insta-Kamera nicht ganz wegzudenken ist.
Hier und da entstehen Nähemomente. Wir docken an. Skin contact, die Atmung des anderen, eine Mischung aus Deo und kühlem Kippenrauch umgeben unser minimalistisches Partnering. Körper schieben sich durch Korridore abstrakter Umarmungen, wobei das Bewegungsmaterial, unsere couple-Skulptur, zunächst durchweg Shibari geprägt ist. Haben wir beide doch lange als (Bondage-) Modelle gearbeitet und drüber gebrütet, um Details wie Fußstellung, Blick, Torso-Torsionen klassisch zu verinnerlichen. Deeply enscribed into our muscle memory (and not only muscle ;).
Ich versuche diese Habits zu unterbrechen. Schiebe tanzmäßiges ein, gucke in den Raum, raus aus der rituellen Bondageblase, in die Linse, und versuche meine Aufmerksamkeit zwischen Intimitäs-energy, Hingabe ins Seil und performativen Abstand zu balancieren.
Alles in Zeitlupengeschwindigkeit. Emotionale Akzente und Dynamik kommen dazu, wenn wir vertrauter sind. Manchmal blitzen spielerische Powermomente auf, von denen ich mir mehr wünsche.
Am schwierigsten hinzukriegen sind organische Wechsel zwischen Tanz- und Fessel-Timing. Wir versuchen gar nichts zu kaschieren. Für den Moment ist Fesseln Fesseln und moven moven. Gefesselt moven hat nochmal eine andere Zeitlichkeit. Und hier kommt der Partner* auch als Hilfsmittel (Hilfsobjekt-Subjekt) ins Spiel. Ganz technisch:

– Wie räumliche Ebenenwechsel mit verknoteten Gliedern bewerkstelligen?
– Warum überhaupt den Partner* mit wenigen Handgriffen in die Luft schwingen?
– Wann einfach loslassen und sich zum Passiv-Tanzen anbieten?

In den nächsten Sessions bauen wir daraus einen Mix aus lückenhaftem Ineinander und Verabredungen für kleine Soli auf Distanz. Und obwohl unsere Körper schon längst komplex kommunizieren, brauchen wir viele Wiederholungen, wie ja meistens im Tanz. Weil ‘Choreografie schreiben’, also Bewegungen schreiben, eben so dauert. Weil Körper langsam sind, aber über Zeit und mit spielerischen Ansätzen mega cool formbar und aufnahmefähig bleiben.

Dank an Gestalta für die schönen Proben und ans Karada House!

„Gefördert durch die Beauftragte der Bundesregierung für Kultur und Medien im Programm NEUSTART KULTUR, [Hilfsprogramm DIS-TANZEN/ tanz:digital/ DIS-TANZ-START] des Dachverband Tanz Deutschland.“

INTUITIVE SESSION JUNE

Movement exploration for my instagram podcast as part of the program Dis-Tanzen-Solo. Thanks to the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V. für supporting this choreografic research.

Live Podcast: Wednesday June 29th, 5pm, IG: @Dasniya_Sommer

It’s a daily routine in itself to figure out each morning practice. Ranging from micro-movement exploration to narrative detail and context on a sensory level more than on a conceptual. Some material slips out spontaneously. Coming from a fraction of a memory, teeny gestures, a dream still hovering between the cells.

As I move figuring how spontaneous thought streams like to be expressed. Which parts like to be left in silence? Or more general, how finding the groove of the day? Quickly checking in mood(y)-wise, relating to the environment, the room, here a friends apartment I housesat last week. Plus for example changing forth and back my camera relation-dynamic, from an imagined observer thingy to being a comfortable partner. Inevitably working with lens proximity indoors which allows bodily perception to rest closer, within 1,50 meter. Also mime-wise there is something extra invasive communicating in this private circumference with an anonymous lens.

Often physical wear and tear play a role in discovering new and more counterintuitive coordination, because new patterns lie outside of the years of training routines. So I am navigating along the threshold of anatomical restrictions and habits and gradually transforming them into repeatable principles. Much enjoy grinding neuro-motor-pathways and thereby sort of reclaiming vocabulary which has been executed endlessly as pure movement and can grow more selfhood if wanted. That’s a difference I am choreographically curious about, balancing between dance-dance and performative-dance qualities.

Another question is about the the old good creative way…Considering semi-pleasurable/ tragic experiences, stories as nourishing sources. I like drama and pathos but equally want to find other logics, pleasure, lightness for making.

The score for this session was dancing a dream inside a dream.

Podcast on Instagram: June Tuesday 29th at 4pm @Dasniya_Sommer

Parsifal

(Sadly) another project cancelled:
without the pandemic we would now be in Brussels for the ten year anniversary of Romeo Castellucci’s Parsifal, at De Munt/La Monnaie Opera. A mammut staging with intricate mass scenes, the highest and greenest forrest in opera history and flying flowergirls in act II.
Reviving and choreographing ropes for such a special production, with a beloved bondage crew, would have been a fun challenge after ten years.

DE MUNT / LA MONNAIE

PARSIFAL Premiere: 27.01.2011
Direction musicale: Hartmut Haenchen
Mis en scne, Decor, Dcors et Costumes / Kostuums, clairages / Belichting: Romeo Castellucci
Video: Apparati Effimeri
Choreography: Cindy Van Acker
Shibari Art: Dasniya Sommer
Photo shows: Tomas Tomasson, Frances d’ Ath, Gala Moody, Dasniya Sommer

Intuitive Session May

Movement research for Dis-Tanzen-Solo,. With Tara Samaya and Yui Kawaguchi at my Uferhallen atelier in May.

Research Routines – Talking Toes

Movement exploration for my instagram podcast as part of the program Dis-Tanzen-Solo. Many thanks to Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V. for the support.

Live session: Monday April, 26 at 4pm
www.instagram.com/dasniya_sommer/

Talking Toes‘ adds hip action to the previous shoulder exploration ⬇️ because foot habits usually start at the architecture of the pelvis and from there root downward. Activating individual muscles groups in the pelvic region takes a moment since it seems like one massive bone structure, sheltering and protecting our guts from external impact.
Staying on the level of movement research, I am again using PNF -proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation – a taktile sense ⬇️ to work out axes and patterns of the pelvic joint, and how it’s micro movement travel up the spine if wanted.
At first its not about moving the leg but finding the individual impulse of the right and left pelvic half. Later these impulses are extended into the periphery and shaped to classical forms but originating at the very core.

I am reading into stereometry in dance, or dynamic spatial geometry. Starting.
An arabesque cut in half brakes the idea of the infinite line, as well as the wrist rope. If there is the full circumference of movement, there also is the folded in or the restricted spacial imprint. With smaller reach, with the lower leg being visually deleted. But therefor more differentiation and attention towards surrounding and often neglected parts and their opportunities to move. Now, by immobilising the lower leg, this becomes obvious. The surrounding parts, like toe or sacrum articulation need to take over. Get creative. For a moment it’s a little brain fuck. Sensory unfamiliar. Staminawise harder, but I am after these alternative sources of movement. For now. Twitches in uncoordinated corners of the little toe, and some time later adding goofy fun stuff.
My (not so virgin) lower back also appreciates this routine. Intrinsic fibres between the vertebrae’s are waking up with deeper blood circulation, and if you do it for a while some blood will rush pleasantly across the pelvic floor.

GLUTAMAT research

Im Rahmen von GLUTAMAT research stellt die Berliner Choreographin und Tänzerin Dasniya Sommer die Normierung von Körperbildern, Exotismen und Fast Food Konsum in einen irritierenden Zusammenhang. Als Analysetools dienen ihr dabei ein dekonstruierndes Verständnis von klassischem Ballett, die japanische Bondage Variante Shibari und eine originäre Pop Art Adaption.

Konzept, Choreografie, Set design, Kostüme, Tanz: Dasniya Sommer
Tanz und Co-Choreografie: Tara Jade Samaya und Yui Kawaguchi
Critical companion: Ursina Tossi
Kamera und Schnitt: Pippa Samaya

1000 Dank an Tina Pfurr und Anne Brammen für die zweimonatige Residenz! Sie ist Teil des Take Care Residenzen Programms, gefördert vom Ballhaus Ost, Flausen Netzwerk und Fonds Darstellende Künste.

March: Backyard Ballet

Choreographing ‘Slow-ballet’ for my instagram podcast as part of the program Dis-Tanzen-Solo.

Early spring my practice went outdoors. Developing choreographic material at Humboldthain and on the Uferhallen compound. Part of it is to apply authentic movement principles to classical vocabulary. Reducing perfection to marking level (15%) and strip tension plus the classical attitude. Searching a quotidian mode as if walking in the streets.
Unlike often in ballet this quality allows my breathing to switch to an aerobic use of oxygen. The low-fy approach leaves also capacity to watch, hear and react with the environment. In the park when dogs and families walk by there are split second eye contacts which are actually interpersonal.
All in all I am currently searching for a mind state while dancing which can stick to a routine, yet perceives what is going on around and is less busy with ‘showing’.

Later I taught the sequence to Yui and here we are just spacing it together in her backyard. Feels familiar dancing with her since we often trained together in class. There is an underlying beat to the material but it’s intuitive. We need to see each other in the periphery and there is an attempt for synchronicity though I like the slight off-ness between us.

Thanks to the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V. für supporting my choreografic research,
and to Yui Kawaguchi for the video.

Glutamat in Progress

First try outs with Tara and Yui. Thanks to Pippa for the beautiful documentation!
This research is part of Take Care Residenzen, supported by Ballhaus Ost, Flausen Netzwerk and Fonds Darstellende Künste.

BONES AND BAMBOO

Tonight, January 29th at 6-7pm on Instagram @Dasniya_Sommer

Trying sth new.. A sort of ballet podcast on Instagram. It’s an open atelier, raw researching/redefining my daily ballet barre, loosely shibari inspired, and with music!

You can watch, stretch or move with me. Or looking at the ceiling listening to sound. Towards the end we can chat, I am happy to exchange thoughts on this.