“Attraversiamo”

The Italians have a phrase a which goes “Attraversiamo” which translates to "let's cross over", and boy was there plenty of that at this years Opera Estate –BMotion in Bassano del Grappa Italy.

For six days I attended the BMotion Dance Festival set within a delightful picturesque Italian backdrop of Bassano, hosted by Roberto Cassaroto. This festival brings a variety of artists from across Europe, to exchange, share, challenge, soak up all the creative juices and finally cross over in practices.

The days began with a 2-hour class taught by different guest teachers: Rachel Krische, Freddie Opoku Addaie and Rodrigo Sabarzo to name a few.

Pushed us to our limits, throughout the 38-degree heat to the point where most of us began to imagine how good that ice cream will taste at the end of class.

Everyday an open discussion was hosted by Peggy from the Netherlands, raising questions that challenged the panel of representatives from a variety of European cities including herself, as well as the audience. I absolutely enjoyed these sessions, it was great having time to reflect on questions brought to us, that both emerging and fully established artist found challenging to answer; for example:

• Many young artist are struggling to find their own authentic voice, how do producers and dance houses support them with this? Can we be sure the support they provide is the most beneficial?
• How do we find the next Pina Bausch?
• Is it necessary to find another?
• Is the responsibility of the artist even greater now, within this current financial situation that puts pressure on the arts?
  

A sharing of work in process presented by the participants, occupied my first afternoon in Bassano.

Choreoroam Europe is an international research project for choreographers. Its purpose is to build an international community of choreographers and stimulate the artist through dialogue, confrontation and interaction between the participants with outside their country.

It was nice to see how these people had came together for which had only been a week already, the amount the creative juices that where overflowing in Garage Nardini was interesting and exciting. Definitely some interesting and engaging ideas by Alessandro Sciarroni (EN), Janet Rodriquez (ES) and Pablo Esbert Lilienfeld (ES); keep your ears pinned back for future works by these artists, as it would defiantly be worth a look.

I must admit it has been quite a challenge to write about my time at BMotion this year, as it raised a big mix of thoughts and feelings within me that caught me off guard a little whilst away.

I guess I always thought, hypothetically speaking, that I am open minded and appreciative when it comes to experimental and boundary pushing work. However at least on a few occasions I left after seeing work, that I either was dying to see or just had been really recommended as a must see, leaving feeling either that I couldn’t read the work because it felt totally out there for me Or it just wasn’t to my taste

This feeling however bugged me, frustrated me and questioned me in reflection I guess that is what art is meant to do question us right?

It did play on my mind for quite some time after when I arrived back in the Nottingham. I guess it has encouraged me to reflect on the variety of work I feel that I have been seeing and to consider how broad this cross over of the contemporary performance, performance art, and when dance meets theatre is when place together in a dance programme. It is very tough to see such a varied amount of performance languages and expect to read them in the same way as each other and half them settle within you at the same time in the same way.

Finally once again I just want to share how Great Opera Estate –Bmotion week is, and giving us the chance to watching some thoughtful and intelligent performance in some of Bassano Del Grappa’s loveliest venues.

Dwayne Simms
studiofiftyfive.blogspot.com

A Year Later....

I recently took on a new job role as Administrator / Receptionist for the Conservatoire that I had graduated from 365 days ago.

I remember so clearly in the final weeks along with everybody else counting down the days to what was known as freedom. It feels that within a blink of an eye I am back but this time as a staff member and a public face of the school.

This opportunity came to my attention upon my temporary relocation back to the North. My working hours are in return for studio space while the students take a summer break. To be honest I am really enjoying the experience of having a few months learning and developing some administration skills and most important of all (which any established or emerging artist will appreciate) FREE studio space!

I have always had a lot of love for Yorkshire and my time here back up north has been rather nice actually: returning to daily classes again and finally having more creative time and space to develop work & generally just be inspired. How quickly my senses took me back to my first year in training and that daily new dancers concoction: finding my feet, my core and re-finding my seeing has all been missed by my internal system from what my bodies aches and pains are telling me. I wasn’t prepared for all of the soon-to-be-graduates in their last week of term asking me the dreaded question: "So what are you doing now?" Confused looks on their faces joined the obvious next question: 'Why are you here?'

Many questions, many reasons, many answers…

Then I realised that was me 362 days ago with 3 days until I was released into the big wide world of dance thinking, 'I am ready, right?'

Having travelled a lot since I graduated, performing, collaborating and making work for some commissioned pieces and (dare I even say it) enjoying life I then returned back home. I thought this would be pretty straight forward by getting a part-time job. 'I have a good a CV and I can multi-task and I have experience,' is what I was thinking. 'I will take a class and find some cheap studio space. This is Nottingham; it is well resourced with classes," ran through my mind also. Wow how wrong I was!

It was like real life jumped out of the floor and flashed me with reality so quickly once I had returned. Within 4 weeks I was in the queue pulling at my very first ticket and taking a seat at the job centre. That’s right I shall repeat it again I am not a shamed the "job centre" (I can finally insert a honest laugh at this point) but it did take me a year people.

I came across a discussion last week on TED Talks. I was watching some inspiring talk by a guy from the United States entitled “8 Rules to Success” when I came across the discussion further down on the page in which it was the title that first caught my eye 'How you do you balance pursuing your dreams with paying your bills? Or do you just go for broke?'