Thursday, July 17, 2008
Video Clips on the blog
If you click on the top box that appears to the right of this post, as well as the top box under the heading "Pestalozzi,,,", you'll be able to see Freiburg students rehearsing their Dancing to Connect works. (Disregard the 3 boxes that aren't positioned at the top of the row -- they are not included intentionally: excuse my lack of blogging expertise, but I don't have a clue as to how to remove them!)
Freiburg Adieu
The two performances at the large hall of Theater Freiburg were packed and as Bettina Schulte reported in yesterday's Badische-Zeitung, there was "thunderous applause" at the end of the show. Consul General Jo Ellen Powell gave us a wonderful tribute at the beginning of the performance as did Deputy Mayor Ulrich von Kirchbach. The students from eight schools really demonstrated what it means to "connect" -- with an audience!
And our dancers summoned up over-the-top performances despite their 29 days of non-stop work.
Thanks to the many people who made it all possible. Look here for a translation of Bettina's review coming up soon.
And our dancers summoned up over-the-top performances despite their 29 days of non-stop work.
Thanks to the many people who made it all possible. Look here for a translation of Bettina's review coming up soon.
Waldorf St. Georgen Students have their say...
"At the beginning of this workshop I found it quite hard to invent that much movement. And it was a bit difficult to do work with the visually impaired kids as well...but when I think back now, I would say that it was a great experience to work with them. I think we learned alot of things from that partnership; to be more social and to assist and explain to them. I think our rehearsal time was too short because I liked it so much. Thank you and please come again to dance with us!" -- Johanna Plappert
"The project Dancing to Connect was really great. It was so good to work with another school and to meet new people. At first I have thought that I wouldn't know the moves at stage time and the warm up was hard but after a few days it was all okay. It was a great time and I am sad to know the last day. The days passed so fast." --Maren Hormuth
"I found the Dancing to Connect project very well because no one was excluded and everyone worked together for a good result. It was worked out to be a beautiful experience to work with the handicapped children." --Anne Erichsen
"Thank you so much for all. It was a great experience for me to take part in Dancing to Connect. The special aspect of this project for me was that we worked in a community. No one was locked out and no one laughed at another." -- Marie-Christine Schmechel
"It was a lot of fun for me to do Dancing to Connect and I liked it very much to dance with all the other pupils. I also learned a about dancing, the body and improvisation. It was good to practice every day instead of regular school. Thank you for the amazing time we had!" --Magdalena Hartmann
"We would like to thank you for the wonderful time. We all enjoyed it so much and it was an experience we will always remember. We hope to see you again!" -- Waldorfschule
"The project Dancing to Connect was really great. It was so good to work with another school and to meet new people. At first I have thought that I wouldn't know the moves at stage time and the warm up was hard but after a few days it was all okay. It was a great time and I am sad to know the last day. The days passed so fast." --Maren Hormuth
"I found the Dancing to Connect project very well because no one was excluded and everyone worked together for a good result. It was worked out to be a beautiful experience to work with the handicapped children." --Anne Erichsen
"Thank you so much for all. It was a great experience for me to take part in Dancing to Connect. The special aspect of this project for me was that we worked in a community. No one was locked out and no one laughed at another." -- Marie-Christine Schmechel
"It was a lot of fun for me to do Dancing to Connect and I liked it very much to dance with all the other pupils. I also learned a about dancing, the body and improvisation. It was good to practice every day instead of regular school. Thank you for the amazing time we had!" --Magdalena Hartmann
"We would like to thank you for the wonderful time. We all enjoyed it so much and it was an experience we will always remember. We hope to see you again!" -- Waldorfschule
Bernd Muenk has his say about Dancing to Connect
Bernd, a psychoanalyst and group analyst in Freiburg, has been observing the Dancing to Connect and Dances for the Blue House projects since 2006. He offered the following comments about the Waldorf-Waldkirch workshop led by Carmen Nicole:
Though not foreseen, we can understand better afterwards that Carmen's group showed the new challenge of this year´s project: to merge students from different schools into one group. It was known in advance that this was an experiment, but not what that experiment implied. Now, after the fact, we are wiser.
Though Dancing to Connect is the theme, we don´t have to connect what is equal or identical. In so far as the term “connecting” implies that there are parts, (individuals, or groups that are different from each other) in some ways, this was more drastic in Carmen's group than in the others. The students of the “Sehbehinderten Schule Waldkirch” are, by their visual handicap, physically different from the others. And those of Waldorf Schule come from a philosophical background that demands to be different from others.
When they all met on the Tuesday, they came together quite naively and merged in an astonishing way; you could think, they had already found their choreography after one day. But then the second day showed the hidden dynamical conflict. Simply merging neglects the differences. This must lead to an emphasizing of the differences and the “inconnectibility”. So the differentiating impulse had to break through on Wednesday to a point that it might have seemed that these groups were not able to dance and perform together.
But your (and the teacher´s and student´s) ability to “contain” this, i.e. to hold and deal with it, and to digest it, lead to a solution in connecting the differences. Your idea, shared with the teachers and Jonathan, to let the Waldkirch students start with their dance, then to bring in the Waldorf students to intermingle with them for a real “dancing to connect”, and then again let the Waldkirch students leave the stage to the Waldorfs, digested the conflict to a real dialectical solution.
Dialectical in the sense, that the contradiction (if not antagonism) of being so different was “aufgehoben” (i.e. German past participle of “aufheben”). The German “aufheben” means all of the following: solve and abolish – lift to a higher level – and keep. In so far, the title of Waldkirch-Waldorf-Dancing could be: We – Connected – You.
What I am pointing at is not a mere problem of the students. The outlined dynamics were already existing when they met, in our society, organizations, the teachers, etc.. The groups merely reflected and mirrored the conflicted dynamics. This happens by mechanisms of splitting, projections, projective identifications – as we call it – and are mostly unconscious.
To dare a look forward: If the project should go into a third year, again with the experiment of putting students of so different backgrounds together – perhaps, in a step further – with groups of students with a migrant background connecting with native German students, it might be wise to have some new setting: to accompany the student´s workshop by a “connecting group” with teachers and dancers to communicate differences as much as points in common. But, of course, this group would need a group-dynamic leader, neutral, not engaged in the project itself.
Don´t forget: What I said here means: Carmen and all participants, organizing committee, dancers, students, teachers did a terrific job. And Carmen worked along and worked out the conflicts, “contained” them to such a fabulous result.
Though not foreseen, we can understand better afterwards that Carmen's group showed the new challenge of this year´s project: to merge students from different schools into one group. It was known in advance that this was an experiment, but not what that experiment implied. Now, after the fact, we are wiser.
Though Dancing to Connect is the theme, we don´t have to connect what is equal or identical. In so far as the term “connecting” implies that there are parts, (individuals, or groups that are different from each other) in some ways, this was more drastic in Carmen's group than in the others. The students of the “Sehbehinderten Schule Waldkirch” are, by their visual handicap, physically different from the others. And those of Waldorf Schule come from a philosophical background that demands to be different from others.
When they all met on the Tuesday, they came together quite naively and merged in an astonishing way; you could think, they had already found their choreography after one day. But then the second day showed the hidden dynamical conflict. Simply merging neglects the differences. This must lead to an emphasizing of the differences and the “inconnectibility”. So the differentiating impulse had to break through on Wednesday to a point that it might have seemed that these groups were not able to dance and perform together.
But your (and the teacher´s and student´s) ability to “contain” this, i.e. to hold and deal with it, and to digest it, lead to a solution in connecting the differences. Your idea, shared with the teachers and Jonathan, to let the Waldkirch students start with their dance, then to bring in the Waldorf students to intermingle with them for a real “dancing to connect”, and then again let the Waldkirch students leave the stage to the Waldorfs, digested the conflict to a real dialectical solution.
Dialectical in the sense, that the contradiction (if not antagonism) of being so different was “aufgehoben” (i.e. German past participle of “aufheben”). The German “aufheben” means all of the following: solve and abolish – lift to a higher level – and keep. In so far, the title of Waldkirch-Waldorf-Dancing could be: We – Connected – You.
What I am pointing at is not a mere problem of the students. The outlined dynamics were already existing when they met, in our society, organizations, the teachers, etc.. The groups merely reflected and mirrored the conflicted dynamics. This happens by mechanisms of splitting, projections, projective identifications – as we call it – and are mostly unconscious.
To dare a look forward: If the project should go into a third year, again with the experiment of putting students of so different backgrounds together – perhaps, in a step further – with groups of students with a migrant background connecting with native German students, it might be wise to have some new setting: to accompany the student´s workshop by a “connecting group” with teachers and dancers to communicate differences as much as points in common. But, of course, this group would need a group-dynamic leader, neutral, not engaged in the project itself.
Don´t forget: What I said here means: Carmen and all participants, organizing committee, dancers, students, teachers did a terrific job. And Carmen worked along and worked out the conflicts, “contained” them to such a fabulous result.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Dancing to Connect Veterans have their say
Hannah and Fatima, who took part in the DTC "Veterans" workshops last year at Kepler Gymnasium in Freiburg, are participating again this year in a different role - that of Student Mentors. They are assisting Sean and Mayuna in working with 22 students from three Real Schules. Here is their journal entry:
When we arrived on Tuesday at the Weiherhof-school, we were first a bit confused, because we didn't know which role we were going to play or if the students were ready to work with us. So at the beginning we stayed in the background and started slowly to go towards the students and to help them doing the exercises. The students were very open, friendly, motivated and they accepted us soon. We also mentioned on the second and third day that they built up trust in us and that they did not fear going towards us and asking for help or ideas. So that was great for us, because at that moment we knew that they like us and really wanted us to help them. It was great to experience how the whole choreographies developed and how many new things also we could learn from the students. All the students, no matter if they had dance experiences before or not, tried so hard to show their feelings and to put all their energy into the project. It was a great feeling to see how we, as the veterans, could support them and also witness how they got better in knowing how to move their bodies and how to express their feelings. While watching the students we observed a lot of similarities to our own workshop-experiences in 2006 and 07.
We really do think that this whole project is an amazing thing and we are really happy to have the chance to be still involved. We are also proud and very thankful that we got the possibility to reach a new level by teaching others and working together with professionel dancers.
When we arrived on Tuesday at the Weiherhof-school, we were first a bit confused, because we didn't know which role we were going to play or if the students were ready to work with us. So at the beginning we stayed in the background and started slowly to go towards the students and to help them doing the exercises. The students were very open, friendly, motivated and they accepted us soon. We also mentioned on the second and third day that they built up trust in us and that they did not fear going towards us and asking for help or ideas. So that was great for us, because at that moment we knew that they like us and really wanted us to help them. It was great to experience how the whole choreographies developed and how many new things also we could learn from the students. All the students, no matter if they had dance experiences before or not, tried so hard to show their feelings and to put all their energy into the project. It was a great feeling to see how we, as the veterans, could support them and also witness how they got better in knowing how to move their bodies and how to express their feelings. While watching the students we observed a lot of similarities to our own workshop-experiences in 2006 and 07.
We really do think that this whole project is an amazing thing and we are really happy to have the chance to be still involved. We are also proud and very thankful that we got the possibility to reach a new level by teaching others and working together with professionel dancers.
Friday, July 11, 2008
What Gwendolyn has to say about Dancing to Connect
Today the workshop started at 8.30. We rode to Pestalozzi-Real-Schule and went into the Assembly room. The pupils changed and Bafana and Robin, the Trainers from New York started worming-up:
Everybody squatted in five rows and stretched together their necks, shoulders, arms, backs and bellies. "Flex and point and flex and point" called Robin and everyone described a circle with their toes. At next "Plié, relevé, plié, relevé…" the pupils did knee bends and tip toed. Then they did sit-ups, press-ups and some jumps across the whole room.
After a short break the young dancers chose a partner. They had to pull her or him and the partner stayed in a pose until he or she pulled the other partner. First in groups of two, then three and ten. That wasn`t easy,
So in a little break Bafana and Robin cut 30cm-long strings. I couldn`t wait to see what will happen next: They committed it on some pupils` hands and their partners pulled them like puppets. Now the young dancers had to dance completely free.
Sometimes it looked really funny, but nobody laughed at someone other. After this they had to stand in two rows and moved to the middle like a level. The trainers asked for ideas for the choreography, wrote them down and told, that everyone could go outside for a half hour.
I rode back to school, but I really wanted to stay and needed to dance with them. For everyone who will ever have the chance of joining to "Dancing to Connect" do it!!!
Gwendolyn Zeuner
Everybody squatted in five rows and stretched together their necks, shoulders, arms, backs and bellies. "Flex and point and flex and point" called Robin and everyone described a circle with their toes. At next "Plié, relevé, plié, relevé…" the pupils did knee bends and tip toed. Then they did sit-ups, press-ups and some jumps across the whole room.
After a short break the young dancers chose a partner. They had to pull her or him and the partner stayed in a pose until he or she pulled the other partner. First in groups of two, then three and ten. That wasn`t easy,
So in a little break Bafana and Robin cut 30cm-long strings. I couldn`t wait to see what will happen next: They committed it on some pupils` hands and their partners pulled them like puppets. Now the young dancers had to dance completely free.
Sometimes it looked really funny, but nobody laughed at someone other. After this they had to stand in two rows and moved to the middle like a level. The trainers asked for ideas for the choreography, wrote them down and told, that everyone could go outside for a half hour.
I rode back to school, but I really wanted to stay and needed to dance with them. For everyone who will ever have the chance of joining to "Dancing to Connect" do it!!!
Gwendolyn Zeuner
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Freiburg Challenges and Victories
Several stories to share today:
First, the story of the student who participated in DTC last year, but who has since changed schools. Her new school is not one of those that are part of the project this year. She wrote twice to Wolfgang Borchardt, coordinator of the schools, to request an exception -- that she could join one of the workshops. Wolfgang sadly responded that the workshops were full. On the first day, this passionate young dancer appeared at the door of one of the workshops, and said, "Can´t I at least join the warm-up???" Long story short: she is in the workshop at Pestalozzi - Kepler and will perform with the permission of her (new and very tolerant) principal!
Next: The merging of two schools presented certain dilemmas for BDC Teaching Artist Carmen Nicole. Students were in conflict yesterday over different speeds and styles of learning. However, as of today, we saw that the students from Waldorf and Waldkirch schools could find a way to collaborate and the piece is now firmly on the tracks! Great job to all involved! Brava Carmen!
And finally: the 16 kids at Hebel Schule had been a bit much even for BDC Teaching Artist Paul Blackman. Noise factor was over the top and concentration was down. However, as in the case above, the students found their focus today and the piece is shaping up beautifully! You go Paul.
Much more to come.... SOON!
First, the story of the student who participated in DTC last year, but who has since changed schools. Her new school is not one of those that are part of the project this year. She wrote twice to Wolfgang Borchardt, coordinator of the schools, to request an exception -- that she could join one of the workshops. Wolfgang sadly responded that the workshops were full. On the first day, this passionate young dancer appeared at the door of one of the workshops, and said, "Can´t I at least join the warm-up???" Long story short: she is in the workshop at Pestalozzi - Kepler and will perform with the permission of her (new and very tolerant) principal!
Next: The merging of two schools presented certain dilemmas for BDC Teaching Artist Carmen Nicole. Students were in conflict yesterday over different speeds and styles of learning. However, as of today, we saw that the students from Waldorf and Waldkirch schools could find a way to collaborate and the piece is now firmly on the tracks! Great job to all involved! Brava Carmen!
And finally: the 16 kids at Hebel Schule had been a bit much even for BDC Teaching Artist Paul Blackman. Noise factor was over the top and concentration was down. However, as in the case above, the students found their focus today and the piece is shaping up beautifully! You go Paul.
Much more to come.... SOON!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Freiburg!
We´ve arrived in Freiburg, the third city of our German odyssey, and this small City/large town is, of course, a singular experience for us.
Dancing to Connect was born here last year out of our 2006 project, Dances for the Blue House, and thus we are working with local partners who know us well. Alfred Rogoll is our Project Manager; Wolfgang Borchardt has coordinated the schools (and there are 8 this year) and Eva Manske and the Carl-Schurz-Haus have provided the project´s institutional auspices.
Last night, we gathered at the Carl-Schurz-Haus with the teachers who are serving as liaisons with each school. We also met with the 9 so-called "veterans" who are our teaching assistants this year. The veterans are senior students, and some graduates, of the Kepler-Gymnasium who have participated in the past two years of our Dancing projects here in Freiburg. They are so mature and responsible and talented that we have asked them to take a step up into the position of student mentors for the younger first-timers.
The teams have formed and this morning they are off and running with the first day of workshops. I look forward to hearing their reports after the first 6 hours of this intensive project!
Dancing to Connect was born here last year out of our 2006 project, Dances for the Blue House, and thus we are working with local partners who know us well. Alfred Rogoll is our Project Manager; Wolfgang Borchardt has coordinated the schools (and there are 8 this year) and Eva Manske and the Carl-Schurz-Haus have provided the project´s institutional auspices.
Last night, we gathered at the Carl-Schurz-Haus with the teachers who are serving as liaisons with each school. We also met with the 9 so-called "veterans" who are our teaching assistants this year. The veterans are senior students, and some graduates, of the Kepler-Gymnasium who have participated in the past two years of our Dancing projects here in Freiburg. They are so mature and responsible and talented that we have asked them to take a step up into the position of student mentors for the younger first-timers.
The teams have formed and this morning they are off and running with the first day of workshops. I look forward to hearing their reports after the first 6 hours of this intensive project!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Bafana Matea Shares His Thoughts on Teaching in Berlin
So Berlin...
Big city, one of my favorite in Europe.
The kids were tough as expected and the first day was very disappointing. We were all in low spirits after a very exhilarating experience in Stuttgart. My partner Robin and I had to go back to the drawing board in order to attack the second day. Second day really went a bit better and by the third day we almost had the kids in the palm of our hand. What I realized about this experience with urban kids is that they are all kids at the end of the day. And once we understood that, we started to penetrate in to their minds and heart much easier, and we started to have lots of fun. I realized that by pouring more love towards them, we got an opening out of them. I am proud to say that by the end all the kids were friends and they all connected and they were all working together as a team, family and as a company and were very much proud of their accomplishment.
Big city, one of my favorite in Europe.
The kids were tough as expected and the first day was very disappointing. We were all in low spirits after a very exhilarating experience in Stuttgart. My partner Robin and I had to go back to the drawing board in order to attack the second day. Second day really went a bit better and by the third day we almost had the kids in the palm of our hand. What I realized about this experience with urban kids is that they are all kids at the end of the day. And once we understood that, we started to penetrate in to their minds and heart much easier, and we started to have lots of fun. I realized that by pouring more love towards them, we got an opening out of them. I am proud to say that by the end all the kids were friends and they all connected and they were all working together as a team, family and as a company and were very much proud of their accomplishment.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Auf Wiedersehn Berlin
The Berlin students brought down the house with their compelling performances last night at the Berliner Festspiele. The large and highly professional stage was a grand frame for the five student groups who had created their very diverse choreographies over the past week, expertly guided by the teaching artists of Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action.
Seeing the proud parents, teachers, family members and friends greet the young dancers after the performance was a treat.
We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Embassy and Department of State, as well as Cerberus Deutschland and our wonderful hosts at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel for sponsoring the program in Berlin. Heartfelt thanks to the Berliner Festspiele for donating the gorgeous theater, and to Barbara Tennstedt and Fippe for handling the selection of schools and carefully and thoughtfully coordinating the workshops.
To all of the teachers, schools and most especially the students, we say congratulations, thank you, and hope to see you again next year!
Seeing the proud parents, teachers, family members and friends greet the young dancers after the performance was a treat.
We gratefully acknowledge the U.S. Embassy and Department of State, as well as Cerberus Deutschland and our wonderful hosts at the Courtyard Marriott Hotel for sponsoring the program in Berlin. Heartfelt thanks to the Berliner Festspiele for donating the gorgeous theater, and to Barbara Tennstedt and Fippe for handling the selection of schools and carefully and thoughtfully coordinating the workshops.
To all of the teachers, schools and most especially the students, we say congratulations, thank you, and hope to see you again next year!
Friday, July 4, 2008
The Students Speak...
I have learned team spirit and how to be confident
Maria Angela
I have learned to speak with my body
Alvira
I have learned that mistakes mean you try again, and not to be upset. I have loved it!
Ajit
I had fun. I have danced too
Theresa
I have learned to speak with my body. I will miss the dancers and hope they return next year
Nadine
Students from Steigschule Sonderschule, Stuttgart
Carmen Nicole and Sean Scantlebury, Battery Dance Company Teaching Artists
Maria Angela
I have learned to speak with my body
Alvira
I have learned that mistakes mean you try again, and not to be upset. I have loved it!
Ajit
I had fun. I have danced too
Theresa
I have learned to speak with my body. I will miss the dancers and hope they return next year
Nadine
Students from Steigschule Sonderschule, Stuttgart
Carmen Nicole and Sean Scantlebury, Battery Dance Company Teaching Artists
Performance in Berlin - Tickets Available -- 5 pm at the Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Saturday, July 5!
Come one, Come all: See 100 students from Berlin High Schools perform their own choreography at the prestigious Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Also, see Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action of New York in their Berlin debuts. Students and teaching artists, neophytes and professionals -- share their passion for the art of dance on one of Berlin's best stages!
Come to the theater at 4:30 p.m. to pick up your free tickets! Schaperstrasse 24 near Unter den Linden
Come to the theater at 4:30 p.m. to pick up your free tickets! Schaperstrasse 24 near Unter den Linden
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Stuttgarter Zeitung Feature (in English!)
Stuttgarter Zeitung
June 25, 2008
By Matthias Ring
Dancing Ambassadors
American Professionals and their work with students
You don’t always have to use language to get to know each other, the expression of the body says so much more. That is what young people are learning from professional dancers from New York in the time leading up to the American Days.
“Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Those are strange commands sounding in the small auditorium of the Königin-Olga-Stift in Stuttgart’s Westend. They are directed at 14 girls and two boys. “Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Paul Blackman and Mayuna Shimizu ask you to dance, to “Dancing to Connect”
One can translate this unusual project as “connecting through dance” and it is presented as the kick-off to the American Days in Stuttgart. For this, ten teaching artists and two choreographers from two New York dance companies came to Germany and are currently working with five schools in the Stuttgart Region. The program is sponsored by Stuttgart, the Robert Bosch foundation, the state foundation of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the German American Institute.
The students will be performing at the opening ceremony. “This is about expressing what the students feel,” said Technical Director David Bengali. Bengali is the one with the overview of what has been developed in the five days of practice at the different schools. He is everywhere: from Königin-Olga-Stift he drives to Schickhardtrealschule, after Cannstatt to the Steigschule and still farther out to the Luginslandschule in Untertuerkheim. The farthest outpost of the project is the Oscar-Paret-Schule in Freiberg am Neckar.
It looks as if the students at Königin-Olga-Stift are already quite well “connected.” The movements are flowing and falling into place after the onomatopoetic warm-up. In the beginning however, there was a bit of a misunderstanding: “We thought of Hip Hop dancing,” said Isabel. This is how Jacob and Felix, who do break dance in their free time, could ultimately be convinced to participate. Most of the other students dance outside the school: Jazz dance, Standard, und Erna was even for 7 years at the Stuttgarter John Cranko School.
But both of the New York-based companies do neither classical Ballet nor Hip Hop, rather Modern Dance, a style that Erna from the Cranko-School is familiar with. So it’s no wonder that Paul Blackman is full of praise and already on the second day speaks of a a “breakthrough” so to say, a “Durchbruch.” This is due to the fact that at the Olgastift dance is an important component of physical education – for the girls, of course. Uli Christin Voelker, who teaches French and Sport and is herself a passionate “half professional” dancer, chose it for the teamwork. “What could be better as international exchange?!”
Over this the opinions diverge. At the school there are not only good connections. “It is somewhat contradictory: on the one hand projects of this kind and voluntary assignments are desired, on the other hand there are difficulties to convince the other teachers to give the students time off for these activities,” said the teacher. The student Franziska noted, “three kids from my class would like to participate, but the other teacher discouraged them from doing so.”
The American teaching artists are impressed with the German discipline.
Thus, only 16 from 20 possible spaces in the course are taken. Preparing for the performance means six days of missed classes and a double burden for the young participants aged 13 to 18, because despite this, exams have to be taken, before or after the rehearsals that are scheduled from 10am to 3pm.
However, the students benefit in another way. “We learn to be responsive to one another” says Jenny. “Without making fun of the other one,” added Jakob, even if some movements cost quite an effort. But Jakob said, full of pride: “All that we dance, is from us.” And that is exactly the goal of “Dancing to Connect” - now in its 3rd year in Germany. “So far, no one has had any queasy feelings on the stage because the movements come from the students themselves,” says Jonathan Hollander. He is the Artistic Director of the Battery Dance Company and can look back on at least a quarter century of positive experiences on all continents, and on how different backgrounds can be. “What could be more foreign for us New Yorkers than the culture of Cambodia?” he asks and then enthusiastically reports how dancers and school children in Phnom Penh became so close that there were tears on both sides when it was time to part.
Likewise, it happened at the beginning of the year in Taiwan, where the Company encountered one of the oldest cultures in the world: Aborigines who are being taught in a school. And even in India, where there is a strict tradition of dance and eight different classical styles, completely new and original ways of expression have been developed and conventions were overcome. When Jonathan Hollander calls his dancers “ambassadors,” he emphasizes that it is less about spreading their own culture, but rather more about taking home with them what they have learned from others.
And his impression of Germany? “Hard workers,” he calls the students and is impressed with their discipline. In his work in the melting pot of New York, one always has to remind the students to concentrate and focus, because the pulse of the city is commonly faster. His two ambassadors have seen a good example of typical German discipline, when they joined the group for a public viewing of a soccer game of the German national team, an event that encouraged team building.
Mayuna Shimizu asked about the meaning of the German flag. What the students associated with the colors Black, Red, and Gold, is written on a flipchart in the rehearsal room “Night-Sun-Aggression” or “Sadness-Wealth-Power.”
It is early afternoon. A trio dances “death” which is, for the students, the meaning of black. “ The beginning is good, but the ending is still not clear enough,” says Paul Blackman and demonstrates his version, ending the dance lying on the ground. “Regardless of what he does – it always looks good,” said Jakob. Although the dance project is part of the American Days, one question does not have to be asked at the Königin-Olga-Stift: How has the communication in English gone over? „No problem, we are a bilingual school,” answered Jakob. Only the accent poses difficulties sometimes, said his classmates.
It’s not that easy for everybody
In other schools the exchange is not so easy, for dancing and communicating is not only for Gymnasium students, but also for students with special needs. The standard of the language of the body is also different. Technical Director David Bengali sees it positively: “Every school has its own unique character.”
At the gala performance, the five schools will not dance together, but one after another. The size of the stage does not permit all that much “Dancing to Connect.” „Clearly,“ says Lisa, „we really want to be good. But this is not a competition. This is about each individual.” And that is exactly what the American dancers are trying to communicate in the rehearsals, in which not many words are needed. “Uuuh!” – “Wusch!” “Bang!”
June 25, 2008
By Matthias Ring
Dancing Ambassadors
American Professionals and their work with students
You don’t always have to use language to get to know each other, the expression of the body says so much more. That is what young people are learning from professional dancers from New York in the time leading up to the American Days.
“Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Those are strange commands sounding in the small auditorium of the Königin-Olga-Stift in Stuttgart’s Westend. They are directed at 14 girls and two boys. “Uuuh!” “Wusch!” “Bang!” Paul Blackman and Mayuna Shimizu ask you to dance, to “Dancing to Connect”
One can translate this unusual project as “connecting through dance” and it is presented as the kick-off to the American Days in Stuttgart. For this, ten teaching artists and two choreographers from two New York dance companies came to Germany and are currently working with five schools in the Stuttgart Region. The program is sponsored by Stuttgart, the Robert Bosch foundation, the state foundation of Baden-Wuerttemberg and the German American Institute.
The students will be performing at the opening ceremony. “This is about expressing what the students feel,” said Technical Director David Bengali. Bengali is the one with the overview of what has been developed in the five days of practice at the different schools. He is everywhere: from Königin-Olga-Stift he drives to Schickhardtrealschule, after Cannstatt to the Steigschule and still farther out to the Luginslandschule in Untertuerkheim. The farthest outpost of the project is the Oscar-Paret-Schule in Freiberg am Neckar.
It looks as if the students at Königin-Olga-Stift are already quite well “connected.” The movements are flowing and falling into place after the onomatopoetic warm-up. In the beginning however, there was a bit of a misunderstanding: “We thought of Hip Hop dancing,” said Isabel. This is how Jacob and Felix, who do break dance in their free time, could ultimately be convinced to participate. Most of the other students dance outside the school: Jazz dance, Standard, und Erna was even for 7 years at the Stuttgarter John Cranko School.
But both of the New York-based companies do neither classical Ballet nor Hip Hop, rather Modern Dance, a style that Erna from the Cranko-School is familiar with. So it’s no wonder that Paul Blackman is full of praise and already on the second day speaks of a a “breakthrough” so to say, a “Durchbruch.” This is due to the fact that at the Olgastift dance is an important component of physical education – for the girls, of course. Uli Christin Voelker, who teaches French and Sport and is herself a passionate “half professional” dancer, chose it for the teamwork. “What could be better as international exchange?!”
Over this the opinions diverge. At the school there are not only good connections. “It is somewhat contradictory: on the one hand projects of this kind and voluntary assignments are desired, on the other hand there are difficulties to convince the other teachers to give the students time off for these activities,” said the teacher. The student Franziska noted, “three kids from my class would like to participate, but the other teacher discouraged them from doing so.”
The American teaching artists are impressed with the German discipline.
Thus, only 16 from 20 possible spaces in the course are taken. Preparing for the performance means six days of missed classes and a double burden for the young participants aged 13 to 18, because despite this, exams have to be taken, before or after the rehearsals that are scheduled from 10am to 3pm.
However, the students benefit in another way. “We learn to be responsive to one another” says Jenny. “Without making fun of the other one,” added Jakob, even if some movements cost quite an effort. But Jakob said, full of pride: “All that we dance, is from us.” And that is exactly the goal of “Dancing to Connect” - now in its 3rd year in Germany. “So far, no one has had any queasy feelings on the stage because the movements come from the students themselves,” says Jonathan Hollander. He is the Artistic Director of the Battery Dance Company and can look back on at least a quarter century of positive experiences on all continents, and on how different backgrounds can be. “What could be more foreign for us New Yorkers than the culture of Cambodia?” he asks and then enthusiastically reports how dancers and school children in Phnom Penh became so close that there were tears on both sides when it was time to part.
Likewise, it happened at the beginning of the year in Taiwan, where the Company encountered one of the oldest cultures in the world: Aborigines who are being taught in a school. And even in India, where there is a strict tradition of dance and eight different classical styles, completely new and original ways of expression have been developed and conventions were overcome. When Jonathan Hollander calls his dancers “ambassadors,” he emphasizes that it is less about spreading their own culture, but rather more about taking home with them what they have learned from others.
And his impression of Germany? “Hard workers,” he calls the students and is impressed with their discipline. In his work in the melting pot of New York, one always has to remind the students to concentrate and focus, because the pulse of the city is commonly faster. His two ambassadors have seen a good example of typical German discipline, when they joined the group for a public viewing of a soccer game of the German national team, an event that encouraged team building.
Mayuna Shimizu asked about the meaning of the German flag. What the students associated with the colors Black, Red, and Gold, is written on a flipchart in the rehearsal room “Night-Sun-Aggression” or “Sadness-Wealth-Power.”
It is early afternoon. A trio dances “death” which is, for the students, the meaning of black. “ The beginning is good, but the ending is still not clear enough,” says Paul Blackman and demonstrates his version, ending the dance lying on the ground. “Regardless of what he does – it always looks good,” said Jakob. Although the dance project is part of the American Days, one question does not have to be asked at the Königin-Olga-Stift: How has the communication in English gone over? „No problem, we are a bilingual school,” answered Jakob. Only the accent poses difficulties sometimes, said his classmates.
It’s not that easy for everybody
In other schools the exchange is not so easy, for dancing and communicating is not only for Gymnasium students, but also for students with special needs. The standard of the language of the body is also different. Technical Director David Bengali sees it positively: “Every school has its own unique character.”
At the gala performance, the five schools will not dance together, but one after another. The size of the stage does not permit all that much “Dancing to Connect.” „Clearly,“ says Lisa, „we really want to be good. But this is not a competition. This is about each individual.” And that is exactly what the American dancers are trying to communicate in the rehearsals, in which not many words are needed. “Uuuh!” – “Wusch!” “Bang!”
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Berlin -- Wilkommen Dancing to Connect!
The Dancing to Connect workshops that started in five high schools here in Berlin on Sunday (yep, the students showed up on the weekend!!) are off to a fantastic start.
The schools are flung out across this very expansive city, in the neighborhoods of Wedding, Hellersdorf and others, giving us the opportunity to reach students who are not often in the spotlight.
From the evidence which was displayed in rehearsals today, the students are engaged in challenging work. According to the teaching artists, the first barrier to overcome was, "No, this is not a hip-hop workshop!" and second was "You are going to choreograph a dance, your OWN dance -- not something that we've imported to teach to you!" The teaching artists have persisted and the students have given in -- and seem to be realizing that the stakes are high (a performance in the illustiours Haus der Berliner Festspiele) and the rewards are similarly high.
Students asked whether there would be talent scouts in the audience! (The American Idol mania is everywhere, I guess.) I'm not sure if I convinced them when, asked whether there would be "important people" in the audience, I shared the lesson that all professional performers must master: every audience member is a VIP.
Photos and personal reflections will be added to the blog tomorrow, I PROMISE!
The schools are flung out across this very expansive city, in the neighborhoods of Wedding, Hellersdorf and others, giving us the opportunity to reach students who are not often in the spotlight.
From the evidence which was displayed in rehearsals today, the students are engaged in challenging work. According to the teaching artists, the first barrier to overcome was, "No, this is not a hip-hop workshop!" and second was "You are going to choreograph a dance, your OWN dance -- not something that we've imported to teach to you!" The teaching artists have persisted and the students have given in -- and seem to be realizing that the stakes are high (a performance in the illustiours Haus der Berliner Festspiele) and the rewards are similarly high.
Students asked whether there would be talent scouts in the audience! (The American Idol mania is everywhere, I guess.) I'm not sure if I convinced them when, asked whether there would be "important people" in the audience, I shared the lesson that all professional performers must master: every audience member is a VIP.
Photos and personal reflections will be added to the blog tomorrow, I PROMISE!
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