Monday, November 12, 2012

Training Is Creating

It seems that people are talking about training everywhere I go lately... As someone who trains daily as part of my practice as a dance artist, as a training provider through my work with the Love-In and a new teacher myself, I am asking myself many questions all the time about this very large part of my professional life.

How does training feed me artistically? Am I just going through the motions? How can this part of my practice continue to serve my needs as I inch above 30?

After being introduced to the Axis Syllabus and Countertechnique about 3 years ago, I felt very empowered with lots of new insights about my body as well as the realization that how I think can dramatically change how I work and move. I have been thinking about how we train, why we train and am certain that the training we do directly informs the work that we make and how we make it. I came across a great essay (thank you Andrew Hartley) written by Thomas Hauert, artistic director of ZOO company in Brussels. The essay echoes many of the things I had been thinking about and maybe you too... I stole the title of the essay for the heading of this post. You can read the essay here:

http://www.zoo-thomashauert.be/workshop/thomasforparts/

Please share your thoughts below or join the Love-In for a lively conversation about this very popular topic on December 2nd at 6pm at El Cafecito Espresso Bar at 3 Westmoreland Ave (north of Bloor, one block west of Dovercourt).

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Place for thoughts, inspired by the Swedish Dance History

Last winter we launched our official website, so haven't been actively using the blog to post information about our workshops or events... Please visit our website for information on our training season and other events!

I would like to re-launch the blog as a place for writings, articles, thoughts and rants for the community at large about creative practice, thinking, talking and making dance. While at the Impulstanz Festival in Vienna in 2010, a group of young artists were at the festival, promoting the launch of the second edition of the Swedish Dance History, a free, published document created in collaboration by over 200 authors, makers and doers in the field of dance and choreography. I grabbed my free copy of the very large, silver book at the closing party on the final night of the festival and have been inspired by the idea of a collaboration in collecting thoughts and a process of documenting and sharing. I extend an open invitation to you, to send along your own writings or articles that have inspired you to create an online vault of thoughts to be shared here. Read more about the Swedish Dance History here .
Email us your desired contributions: tolove.in@gmail.com

'The history of dance is initiated through dance, but it is writers that fasten it and its readers that secure it. The Swedish Dance History is dance’s claim on its own history, a history created and authorized by us who create dance and choreography. The Swedish Dance History is a collective effort to realize this history and ultimately to claim the right to our future.'

Watch for words coming soon!