Transmission, in my understanding and my practice, is the process of transferring ideas, pre-choreographic material, tasks, but also the concept, inspiration and values of the work. One of my strong beliefs is that there is no “genius”, that it takes a village to create a piece and that the work goes beyond the choreography. Transmission is therefore important to my process. Bertha Bermudez is a dance artist, researcher and documentarist. Her workshop in the frame of the Master in Choreography COMMA triggered a deeper analysis of transmission related to my research and my aim of developing a method based on ballet terminology through the lens of groove. I’ve chosen four questions that highlight aspects of my working process. I’ve answered them now, and am interested in seeing how the answers might change with time, time working with this method, time choreographing in various contexts with many dancers.
Who do you need for your work, and how do you prepare them?
I look for dancers who can work with set choreographic material. They do not necessarily need to have deep knowledge of ballet, but should be open to learning and applying different principles of ballet while embodying my movement language. I begin by making expectations clear, communicating needs for the process is an important first step in the collaboration. Physically, we begin with a task-based improvisation session, working on different aspects of ballet movement mechanics, connecting to sensations and applying them through the 5 key elements of groove.
How long will the transmission take, and can you take on the task?
This question requires a degree of pragmatism that I find necessary in the creation process. As the time available for in-studio work is restricted, considering the time needed to transmit is key to avoiding frustration and unrealistic expectations. I have found that knowing the skills and interests of the dancers enables me to find new ways of transmitting my work while adapting to their specific abilities. Working with sensations rather than over-detailed descriptions of what is happening or finding simple triggers that leave room for interpretation and artistic expression works well. So, in short, the transmission time depends on the total amount of time, and this affects the amount of depth I can go into within the work.
What kind of body do you need, and how do you prepare it?
More than a specific body, I need an open mindset. I need the dancers to be fully present and to be able to disengage from their responsibilities outside the studio for the time of the rehearsal. The aha moment I have had while working on this research is that I need a body open to groove. I need a sensitivity to the music, but more than that, a feeling for a movement that emerges from the core of the being. Everyone has their groove; how refined it is depends on practice. I am after the spark a dancer has when they are dancing.
What are aesthetic choices? How do you transmit aesthetics?
Aesthetic choices, for me, are choices that I make related to my values, my signature and my vision. Every choice is connected to the core of my artistic person. This makes the decision-making process clear. Part of the transmission of my aesthetics begins when I share my visual sources of inspiration. My aesthetics is an accumulation of my experiences and the places I’ve been to.
The aesthetics for Lost Threads began with the Church of Light by Japanese architect Tadao Ando. I wanted to work with shadows, light, porous borders, varying degrees of darkness, of connection, of togetherness. This became the white floor on the black floor; it became the choice of having a costume with varying degrees of opacity, creating shadows on the body. It became black and white, not different shades of grey.
