2016-07-18 - 2016-07-28 Stanica Žilina - Záriečie, Žilina

a workshop connecting dance and ligh design

The workshop represents a unique platform to share creative practicies of dancers, performers and light designers. It creates space for a mutual dialogue among the participants in order to understand the creative process and exchange of information on different levels: verbal, physical, personal and technological. This movement workshop will be a place of concentration where physical challenges blend with the imagination in dialogue with a source of light.
Thinking about body and physicality was inspired by a phenomenon of translation as a tool for mediation between the plurality of cultures and human unity. The body serves as a research subject in relation to light and creative work of a light designer. The essence of the light designer’s work resides in his or her ability to create new spaces and objects due to intentional directing of light particles and waves.
The art of light design is derived from understanding the notion of darkness as absence of light and its formative potential. From a theoretical perspective, the research of body and its possibilities of expression is done in relation to the details of the object in the light. Light is seen as a delicate alchemy involving many very different domains, such as physics, art history, philosophy, physiology.
The workshop objective is to focus on details of the body, not in terms of their beauty or physical eloquence but in terms of their ability to convey something deeper, living and singular. A body that enters into the material and through uncomfortable positions in unstable balance and persistence creates amazing creatures.
This will be work of exploration, improvisation and composition: it is not about skill but about arousing the imagination of each participant by providing tools that can themselves be changed. The workshop is aimed at dancers and actors as well as mime artists, circus artists, puppeteers and curious clowns. Each participant will have a chance to contribute to creating his or her own as well as collective bestiary.

Artistic director of Dame de Pic, choreographer, performer, Karine Ponties has created some thirty dance pieces for the company with among others Mirliflor (Awarded Golden Mask for the best contemporary dance performance in Russia), Holeulone (best dance performance in French-speaking Belgium) and Brutalis (SACD Prize). Her work is characterised by a flair for the absurd, exploring intimacy and interlacing relationships.

Born in France in 1977, Guillaume Fromentin obtained a degree in modern literature and a Master of Performing Arts. A lighting engineer, he produced the concept and graphic design for different creations by Spectaculaires – Les allumeurs d’images/Groupe Dushow (from 1999-2009). From 2000-2007 he was stage manager and lighting designer at the Grand Logis – Théâtre Bruz (Rennes).

Photo: Jaro Viňarský, MaxVd, Natália Zajačiková