Sphere of Movement: Nowa Sól 2019 | Ośrodek Praktyk Choreograficznych

Two days full of dance, rich in various forms of movement. Workshops, presentations of performances, talks with the audience. What more could a viewer thirsty for dance sensations want? The Movement Sphere in Nowa Sól perfectly satisfied them.

I rediscover dancing in the region of western Poland all the time. When I went to Zielona Góra for the first time in May 2018 for the premiere of the Dance Theater Studio, I did not think that I would want to come back to watch Marek Zadłużny's band again. The occasion arose during the Sfera Ruchu festival in Nowa Sól, which he organized.

I didn't get to know the sphere of the Movement until this year, but this is not its beginning. It is worth noting that the initiative, which dates back to 2010 and the SPACE Festival of Anna Piotrowska and Marek Zadłużny), was created as an idea of three artists working in three centers, independently of each other. In this way, three points on the map of Poland (Słupsk, Toruń, Zielona Góra / Nowa Sól) were connected with invisible energy, the basis of which is dance. Joanna Miś-Fudali, Gabriela Keller-Janus and Marek Zadłużny - each of them organize the festival at their headquarters, however, by joining forces, they create a network of events that give dancers and choreographers a chance to present themselves in various regions of Poland and confront a diverse audience.

This year's Sphere of Movement - or rather its first edition in 2019 - took place in Nowa Sól, located near Zielona Góra. The slogan was "Tribute to impro" - which draws attention to the traditions of Zielona Góra related to improvisation, but also to its contemporary face. How much improvisation in the presented performances, and how much codified choreography? While browsing the festival program, I found a few names and groups that I knew, which I had the opportunity to see on various stages in Poland. I am all the more glad that Sphere of Movement works and gives me the opportunity to confront different points of looking at dance, various techniques of work, and finally - various concepts of creating choreography, relationships with a partner or with space.The title of the festival definitely reflects its extraordinary character - even though I was in Nowa Sól only during one of the two days of the show, I felt that I was in a sphere where movement is the most important. In a sphere where people - both artists and viewers - establish relationships with each other through movement and through movement. Therefore, the conversation ending the first day of the presentation became very important. To this day, I have a question in my head, why actually dance? I started watching shows with drama theater, and dancing came much later. However, it is he who gives me much more emotions, allows me to feel his physical states with the dancer, focuses on the body and what happens to the body when it moves. I guess this is compassion - emotionality and physicality - that is crucial for me.

Coming back to the festival presentations themselves, which became a pretext to start many interesting discussions, I must say that Marek Zadłużny surprised me. Of course, you can divide the invited artists according to any key, but in this case they were very well selected. Longer works were intertwined with longer ones, group works with smaller forms, more famous dancers with even debuts. And thanks to the festival's programming, it was possible to draw attention to each work. Unfortunately, I did not have the opportunity to stay throughout the festival, so I did not have the opportunity to see all the works. I wish I had seen the choreographies of those I already know (such as Marta Kosieradzka, Agnieszka Sterczyńska or the Enza Dance Theater, whose technical and artistic level I am convinced of) and new ones,yet undiscovered bands or soloists. However, during one day in Nowa Sól, I had the opportunity to see: TRANS Group, Dance Theater Studio, Mufmi, Contemporary Dance Studio, Konin Dance Theater, 3D, Anna Haracz | Variatino Cinema, Pryzmat Dance Studio, Joanna Miś-Fudalej & Marta Pańka. It's a really nice set.

The TRANS team in the choreography "Niepokój" presented a choreography based on partnerships. More than a dozen dancers in black and white costumes travel through the space, interact with each other, descend to the ground floor, thus proving that everyone can be accompanied by the title state of anxiety. In reference to these emotions, the dancers of Pracownia Tańca Współczesnego danced. "Farewell" is both anxiety that the other person will not be there in a moment, as well as sadness because of this and the surrounding war. A serious mood was introduced through the use of Margaret's "Christmas Carol" and symbols: white and red bands or covering the eyes of one of the dancers. Watching "Farewell" you can reflect on your own identity and roots. The work of Koniński Dance Theater "Oj Ty Rzeko", in turn, alluded to them and to nature.I was very surprised by the use of traditional songs performed by the Song Laboratory. The mood evoked by the band, combined with a subtle movement evoked peace, allowed us to stop for a moment, reflect on our origin, existence, nature.

The hosts from the Studio of Dance Theater in Zielona Góra presented two choreographies by Marek Zadłużny: "Stamina" and "9.81" [1], proving the high technical and artistic level. The second such good group was definitely Pracownia Tańca Pryzmat. The duo "zeSTROjeNIE" is primarily a great technique, mutual feeling of the dancers, organic. Two bodies on stage in search of the perfect configuration, but also in search of each other. At times they dance synchronously, as if they were one organism making the same movement; other times they are related to each other - when one goes, the other moves along the floor with her, they also rise many times and put themselves in unusual positions, as if they themselves were looking for a good point to become one. The triad of my favorite works that night ends with Mufmi. In "Out Of Structure" three dancers choreographed by Anna Piotrowska are also looking - so much,that these searches oscillate between eras. One can get the impression that we are somewhere between modernity and the baroque, which the performers remind about both through their clothes and behavior. It is definitely a clear spectacle, referring to the opposition and their complementarity (rationalism-empiricism, wealth-avant-garde, seriousness-laughter). At times it can be quite balanced, but most of the sequences are presented in a humorous way and with a distance to ourselves.however, most of the sequences are presented witty and with distance to ourselves.however, most of the sequences are presented witty and with distance to ourselves.

I place 3 subsequent works in the context of references to femininity. "Mijanie" by Joanna Miś-Fudala and Marta Pańka is a short choreography about a relationship between two women. The lightness of movements was emphasized by the costumes - the dancers put on another airy skirts, partnering at the same time. At times they moved away from each other to come closer to each other again. In this case, touch was an important element, it built a movement narrative, it allowed to focus on individuality and the problem of coming into contact with another person and noticing him. The whiteness of the costume was also characteristic of Anna Haracz, who in "The white resonances" refers to the processing of events, the very process of creating choreography, but also to the opposition: suffering-happiness, weakness-strength, suffering-pleasure.This solo can also refer to the dance itself and the dancers' struggle with their own bodies or limitations to be able to dance on stage. Attention is paid to the Haracz costume - a white tricot, ballet shoes in which she does not dance, or ballet tutu made of plastic bags. And although we do not deal with ballet phrases in the performance, but with contemporary choreography (however, it is a very subtle movement), it can be treated broadly: as a story about the artist herself and her journey through many movement workshops. We saw a completely different face of the female body in "Body" 3D. It is a spectacle on the border of movement performance and feminist manifestation. The role of women and its contemporary perception, submission and liberation from the traditional framework are shown. This is a very strong voice in the discussion about the role of women today and her body.

The Movement Sphere in Nowa Sól is over, but that does not mean that we have to wait a year for the next meeting. Toruń and Słupsk are now waiting to host various artists, from professionals who have been present on the stage for a long time, to debutants, just like Nowa Sól. It is worth emphasizing once again the extraordinary potential of the festival, which proves that apart from the main dance centers in Poland, there are also places where dance develops all the time. Therefore, we should not limit ourselves only to Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków or Lublin - there are many places where talented people create and dance. So we are waiting for the next editions of Sphere Ruchu - already in Słupsk and Toruń.

[1] I wrote about the performances last year: https://martaseredynska.wordpress.com/2018/11/02/zielonogorska-pracownia-teatru-tanca/

SPHERE OF MOTION - Tribute to IMPRO

March 22-23, 2019

Artists who performed during the festival:

Agnieszka Sterczyńska - g-force

Anna Haracz - Kino Variatino - The White Resonance

Eliza Kindziuk - SEE ME

Joanna Bear-Fudali & Marta Pańka - Passing

Klaudia Janus & Martyna Majewska - KA-BA

Konin Dance Theater - Oj Ty Rzeko

Marta Kosieradzka - The doubts and reflections of Eve

Mufmi - Out Of Structure