Dance ambassador Celine
2 days with professionals
Céline participated in the intergenerational exchange of expertise on blurring borders
At the beginning of March, the technical exchange “The borders are blurring: In search of intergenerational forms in dance” by Theater o.N. Our dance ambassador Céline mixed up with the trade visitors and wrote down for us what she experienced.
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2 days with professionals
2 days full of new impressions 2 days full of new ideas 2 days full of new solutions and 2 days full of suggestions and exchanges
Surrounded by people from very different industries, I was able to immerse myself in a new world and just let myself drift. My pen and paper always in my hand, so that I could directly write everything down. A small overload of stimuli due to all the different views, but still a very pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. I felt very welcome and was allowed to become a part of them. The chick, as they like to say, I was allowed to be. A young perspective surrounded by people who are already in the middle of the action.
It was an interesting trip for me. On the first day my heads were smoky about various questions and on the second day I was allowed to physically discover for myself what it means to blur the border between children and adults. The mixture was great.
Day 1
This was about the question of whether and how artists include the different age indications in the artistic process. And what does it mean to produce pieces for ‘all ages’? Are we abolishing the theatre/dance genre for young audiences, when we have been ‘fighting’ for it for so long? Recognition, resources, etc.
I could see how intensely everyone thought about it and it became clear that this topic is cross-sectoral. As segregated as the scenes of theatre and dance seem, the more they are actually connected. The same questions and the same problems.
The word "responsibility" was often used in this four-hour meeting. Who has the responsibility or to whom do we give the responsibility? How do you design a piece so that the first taste culminates and you feel like taking more bites? Create trust in the process and in the work, so that you can also enter into a relationship of trust with the audience.
Three words that have summarized it very well and that I have noted directly are:
Dramaturgy of the auditorium
I believe this is self-explanatory and was perfectly formulated for me.
The theatre is also a meeting place. When I go to the theater, I want to have an experience and also be emotionally touched. Children also want to collect their own experiences and experiences, but in some cases they are slowed down by external influences.
A theatre is a space of development. We adults use it for us. Why don't we give the kids a chance? We try to protect them or we want a visit to go perfectly. But nothing is perfect and that's a good thing.
I observe this myself when I sit in a performance with many children, that they have their own interpretations and feel and experience some situations differently. But I can draw so much from it. You don't go so headstrong in an idea. They go completely ‘empty’ in the performance, while we want to read everything beforehand and want to know everything best beforehand. Why don't we just focus on the kids?
The exchange was very exciting and enlightening for me. I was even asked if it was boring for me. I can only say: 100% no. I was able to take so much with me and learn. I will also think about some points and make my own thoughts. A steady process.
Day 2
The next day, at the workshop “Ich-du-du-Ich: Artistic work on an equal footing” with the choreographer Alfredo Zinola, we danced together with parents and their children or as adults without children. We were allowed to become a child again and were invited to participate and observe.
For example, how the children were allowed to take complete control of their parents. It was not an easy task for the parents. After all, your own child is the little sheep you want to protect and protect. It's interesting to see how different the kids dealt with it. In the beginning calm restraint and in the end active participation and co-thinking. The children realized that they had moved into focus and now their place was to shine.
The easiest task, as at least the adults would say, was to walk through the room with a partner hand in hand and find points that seemed interesting and explore them. While most adults only explored simple things like walls, lamps, or dots on the floor, the kids walked around the room much more curiously and playfully. For them, inconspicuous socks or bottles and the grandstand became interesting.
An exciting insight for me that inspired me to think. Do we adults no longer see the little things consciously or do we no longer want to see them because they are so ‘normal’ for us? Have we lost the playful?
After doing the body-practical part, we moved on to the exchange. Different perspectives were explained and small moments that were special were highlighted. On small pieces of paper we wrote short bullet points that we observed and on most points we all agreed.
The most important points for me were the following:
Mutual trust was strengthened – it was clear how the closed-eyed exercises presented the relationship between parent and child in a completely different way. Each had to rely on the other. This is easier to do with another adult because you can exchange more, but children can do the same. In addition, the bond was strengthened even more, because in real life you are not in a safe space and dance.
Different sensitivity – Exciting for me to see how a child touches. Rather gentle or rather rough. Awareness of space and fellow human beings – a clear development could be seen. In the beginning, the kids were a bit lost in this big studio, but after several explorations you could see how they consciously noticed their surroundings.
The ‘power position’ of the adult is replaced by the child – because the children took responsibility, the parents had to try to drop everything and adapt to the circumstances. Consciously give up control and don't think about what can happen.
For me, it was two very successful days with the conclusion of the dance piece ‘Luft’ and the subsequent conversation. I have now received new input, which is worth thinking about.
