Europe in Motion is a travelling talent development programme and acts as a battleground and meeting place for young choreographers. What is urgent in dance is discussed for a week to encourage dance makers in their artistic development. This second edition, with partners Dance4 (Nottingham), iDans (Istanbul) and Imagetanz (Vienna), ends in Utrecht. Springdance previously featured dance from high-tech laboratories in Israel (Batsheva Dance Company) to be seen. It is now time for movement from European low profile work by dance workshops.
The stage is a white, stripped-down tank. By Bahar Temiz from Turkey, in 1+ a dancer half on stage and walks to the centre. An effective silence falls. Projection of the space can be seen on the back wall. As soon as music starts, contemporary movement begins, which changes into dance halfway through. The solo stems from previously created group work and because of the absence of the dancers, the choreographer focuses on used and unused space. This solo is primarily a study by a trained dancer.
At Vimmaa (frenzy) by Satu Tuomisto, a boy and a girl start laughing out loud. There follows dance of which exciting pictures can be made: alternating jumps with hair in the air or a roll on the floor. The boy keeps running half a circle backwards, here there is more talk of choreography. The maker explains afterwards that an assignment at the Finnish National Ballet gave an urge to break out of a pattern of dance. That happens with a heartbeat that drives her two dancers into a rhythmic eroticism. As in real life, it can seem nonsensical movement, but if it goes along with it, can last a long time.
Two bored correspondence friends Inge van Bruystegem and Veronika Zott are in correspondenz with faces painted on a table. On a tape, their correspondence is read out in English with a bold accent. The dance makers have a background at the London School of Contemporary Dance but little of that was seen. Veronika danced in works by Ivo Dimchev (to be seen at Springdance). This all-rounder is of an entirely different calibre and will remain so. Enter correspondenz months on location non-stop and it can have artistic value.
Canan Yucel lays in My Motto eggs on the floor, walks to the centre and looks angrily into the audience. She starts modern dance moves on the floor wearing blue socks and stops for a disclaimer about the performance: it will not be the best we have seen. Canan turns out to be an entertainer in addition to being an ex-law student and knows healthy self-reflection. She asks if we would like to see a piece of dance to music to start immediately and waft it away again. She begins a discourse on the effects of the Dutch tax system on relationships and concludes, "If you don't have a partner, I think it's okay". With My Motto Canan asks whether mediocrity is a way of life.
None of the pieces have the pretence of being finished. 'Nothing can be the best' was the message that dance dramaturge Robert Steijn and choreographer Maria Hassabi wanted to mentor the young makers.
Europe in Motion can still be seen (with other talented creators) on 24 and 25 April.
Ruben Brugman
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