Warsaw, Poland – 2013 video | Global Water Dances

back to the list of All 2013 performances

http://vimeo.com/72946132

Water Locale

River Wisla

The Choreographers

IWONA WOJNICKA – THE FORMAT ZERO ASSOCIATION
the dancer, choreographer, dance historian and performer. Experienced with physical mime, butoh and movement analysis. Dramaturgist of many recognized stage events of butoh in Warsaw. 2010 – 2013 studies theories of Rudolf Laban and The Laban Movement Analysis in Codarts, Rotterdam and in Eurolab, Berlin. Movement Analyst in training. As a Program Director of The Format Zero Association, she is the author of co/author of the following projects
# Discover Your Personal Movement in Polish Dance Theatre, February 2012
# The Movement Profile, The Slask Ensamble, Poland, July 2012
# European Internship of Laban Movement Analysis, Den Haag September 2012 – March 2013
# European Laban Platform with Ex Nunc Den Haag and Labanow Attelier, Bratislava 2012 – 2014
# Grundtvig Assistantship and Job Shadoving Visit at Codarts, 2010 – 2012
Previeous works include works as a dramaturgist and performer in several editions BUTOH BARTER 2002 – 2009 in cooperation of Jinen Butoh Group by Atsushi Takenouchi. Production dramaturgist and performer of DANCE OF THE FOREST and BODY AND VOICE with Katsura Kan and the Chorea Theatre in 2006. Between 2005 – 2007 performing with The Limen Theatre of Sylwia Hanff. The first stage experience and training were in the physical mime group, performing in METHAMORFOSIS, on International Mime Festival in Warsaw 1997 – 2001.
SYLWIA HANFF – THE LIMEN THEATRE
Theatre Limen was founded in 2002 by dancer and choreographer Sylwia Hanff, who is also a dance therapist and master of art in philosophy. The theatre was the result of her studies in search of autentic bodily presence and the essence of the phisical presence of the performer. Sje is one of the most wildly recognized Polish artists to perform butoh. Her theoretical backgroud is in Antonin Artaud’s theatre, the antropology of theatre and shamanism. She has also studied Western and Eastern techniques of body control: martial arts,ballet, modern dance, contemporary dance, Hindu dance (both Bharathanatiam and Manipuri), Aztec and Affican dance, improvisation, mime, choreotheraphy and Noh theatre. The practice of meditation (Zen, Hatha and Kundalini Yoga, Tao and labyrinth meditation) always wereand still are a crucial element of her training; they help her achive states of concentration that are both useful and visible on the stage.

Audience Site

MIASTO CYPEL http://miastocypel.eu/
The precise location: http://miastocypel.eu/o-nas/

History of site and related water issues

STANDING BACKWARDS TO THE RIVER
Warsaw has only one river. This is the water to drink but since World War II it has been also a sewage. After the water treatment plant has been opened few years ago, the river can be used as a recreational area. Warszawa is the only town in Europe, that is turned back from the river.
It is represented in architecture and embankment, built with cross – town high speed roads, not available for pedestrians. The banks are bushy, deserted and wild areas. It has been 2 – 3 years now, since there has been some beach cafes, like in Berlin, or Paris, where you can get with a bike and spend the whole day sunbathing, and dance at night. In this perspective, the Global Water Dance, is a celebration of returning clean water to the people of the town.
Warsaw is the town that has been turned back from the river of Wisła. GWD would be a great opportunity to return the river to Warsaw. We would like to connect to other organizations, who do it.
***
REASON TO COME TOGETHER
Poland has been democratic since 1989, so this is the first generation that grew up with freedom. But still, there are older people, who remember life under regime. One of the key totalitarian issues was to restrict meetings of people and exchange of information. The institution of PUB (PUBLIC) was forbidden, and restricted with many forms of persecution, arrest or violence. People were not talking to each other, because everyone could be a spy and help you to become a victim of a system. This is why public life became pathological and recently all the events try to make people gather outside, open to each other in public, being friendly to strangers and to make events together with the people, who are unknown. The Global Water Dance is the ideal event to become a public movement, community dance and the most important – The Laban Choir.
***
CONNECTING TO MISSION OF GWD
GWD fits in the local movement of celebrating the river. By now, it was represented in architecture with the building of University Library and a walking path that leads to the embankment. The second building is the Science Center Kopernik. There is also one organization that has been fighting the past bureaucratic policies that led the town to this unfortunate situation. The heritage of communism in Poland is represented in lack of recreation areas, lack of architectural solutions for mothers, children, old and disabled. Embankment of Wisła is still the area, where all these groups cannot get. With the event we wanted to address the idea of COMMUNITY BUILDING to common aim.

The Music

Music is to be mostly life, performed by SHALIMANDU ensemble, who specialize in life improvisation music, that includes drums and singing. There was also recorded music, prepared in advance for solos and duos or set choreographical local pieces.

The Performance

VENUE: MIASTO CYPEL http://miastocypel.eu/ the precise location onhttp://miastocypel.eu/o-nas/ is an unique green space in the center of the city. Hidden from the city rush is a recreational area for concerts, performance and other outdoor events.
MISSION: The main objective of the project is to popularize participatory art-making methods to raise consciousness about environmental problems and to bring people together to work on solving issues crucial for the community. We want to make an art through the idea of COMMUNITY BUILDING, by grouping the community on common aim.
***
PROGRAM: We have chosen the program to be easily approachable by amateurs, adults, persons in any age and profession. We would like participants to give the sense of peace, time, nature. The idea is to combine THE LABYRINTH WALK with the GLOBAL WATER DANCE. This idea came from long years of friendship and cooperation. Also, the groups who work with us on dance, meditation, yoga, dance therapy, movement analysis and other movement connected issues. The program is to make people meet and do things together as ART AS AN RECREATION.
***
LOCAL CHOREOGRAPHY: Local choreography will be an improvisation piece based on A-Scale
***
WATER CELEBRATION WITH LABYRINTH WALK
Live performance by intuitive music ensemble SHALIMANDU, who are a group of conserwatoire musicians. All of the participants will resonate with the music done ad hoc and life.
***
LOCAL ISSUES
# OPENING. Choreography made by Iwona Wojnicka with various dance schools for youth and adults. Solos, duos and group dances from different genres. There was a special A SCALE choreography with one interested group of dancers.
# EMBRACING THE RIVER. WATER CEREMONY and LABYRINTH WALK based of intention of healing and embracing the river, bringing the sense of community identity.
***
GLOBAL ISSUES
# GLOBAL WATER DANCES
# DREAMS OF AN OCEAN (butoh performance)