From the perspective of artistic methodologies and procedures developed by Slovene dance makers, both choreographers and dancers (especially women artists), Slovene contemporary performing arts of the last two decades lack documentation of any kind. This is also the reason why this project tackles documentation and reflection in the area of contemporary dance art in a different way. Our aim is to move reflection of contemporary dance closer to notation of choreographic practices and procedures, which puts the notation to an important position within a dance discourse. Notation of the choreography will thus attempt to record precisely those moments of a dance language that are by definition disappearing at the time of their occurrence. This is also why notation of dance can never entirely escape the particularity of its own form, and because of this it is really important that a clear theoretical focus of notation is established beforehand.
Methodologies of notating contemporary dance is a multiannual project of documenting the work of choreographers of Slovene contemporary dance art. Carried out as public events hosted always by a choreographer and a dramaturge, the project focuses on recording methodologies of Slovene women choreographers of contemporary dance. Public discussions are planned to include on each occasion:
a) selected artist (dancer or choreographer)
b) critic or theoretician who will shed light on the author’s opus from a selected perspective.
Individual discussions will be realised in two parts: after a presentation of the author’s work (opus), the author herself will speak about her own methodological principle. The goal of the discussions is always the same; namely, to initiate a systematic reflection and documentation of the methodology of contemporary dance in the Slovene space, with an aim to facilitate accessibility of information about contemporary dance to expert and wider audiences.
Documenting the languages of women choreographers working since the 1980s as a record of overlooked voices will thus not be limited only to generations but will record individual practices and procedures in two different time periods that will be presented through dramaturgical discussions, which will crucially connect two processes: notation of choreographic procedures and dance dramaturgy.
The process will be expanded to include also forms of self-recording and articulation of the work of women artists who are active in the space of Slovene contemporary performing art.
Project coordinator: Andreja Kopač
Organisation: Maja Delak, Dare Pejić, Nina Janež
Technical support and documentation: Luka Prinčič
photography: Nada Žgank
Partner: Pritličje
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