Open Weekend for Professional Dancers
Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September 2008
Ursula Laeubli and Steve Batts, Co-Artistic directors of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company invite professional dancers and dance students in professional training to participate in a FREE two-day open workshop.
This will be an opportunity to visit the home studio of Echo Echo Dance Theatre Company in Derry and to be introduced to the unique creative and technical approach of the company.
It will also be an opportunity to get to know each other with a view to possible artistic collaboration on future projects.
Background Information:
Steve and Ursula have been creating and teaching dance together for nearly twenty years and have developed a unique approach to movement art. They both research and collaborate with dance artists around Europe, Russia and the Middle East.
The main concerns in the company's working methods are communication and kindness. Echo Echo doesn't think of dance as primarily a design art but rather a discursive, communicative one. Interest in developing a resonant movement practice has led to the understanding that competitiveness and overwhelming concern with sculptural body shape, which are common in the world of dance, are very unhelpful.
Steve and Ursula have developed gentle, playful, technically demanding working methods, which are rooted in a respect for the natural and intuitive forms of the body/mind in movement.
These Co-Artistic Directors share many ideas and methods, but one of the special things about working with Ursula and Steve is that their different rhythms, personalities and interests complement each other.
Steve says that his work is characterized by "a gentle playful approach blended with rigorous exploration. This is grounded in a highly analytical approach to human movement based on observation of the structure and grammar of communicative movement."
Ursula introduces her approach: "Every movement has its own power and meaning within the context that it is placed in. Our practice develops detailed body-mind understanding of this process. There is no aesthetic hierarchy or athletic competitive subtext attached to the process; it is rather a subtle expression of the performer.
"The listening to and following of the instantaneous "movement-voice" can have any rhythm or melody. The range is limitless and perfectly matching the performers discovery. The guidance, processes, scores and compositional journeys lead the dancer towards improvisation or set choreographic work.
"In both cases the process stays true to a clear understanding of connectedness of creativity as an ensemble and respect for individual freedom, joy and playfulness. The results are ever surprising and satisfying to be in and to watch."
As well as their Derry based projects; Ursula and Steve both work internationally as teachers, performers and creators.
The variety of their work is remarkable ranging from projects with parents and pre-school children, working with young people in Palestine, and teaching dance students in professional training, to touring medium scale productions and collaborating on cutting edge "improvisation in performance" projects.
Workshop Information:
During this two-day event, Ursula will lead the morning sessions, which will involve an introduction to elements of Echo Echo's movement technique integrated into movement exploration, development and composition.
Steve will take over in the afternoon and will introduce some approaches to improvisation that will focus on interactive movement and compositional attention.
The work will be physically and intellectually demanding, mindful and intuitive.
There will be an opportunity to share work and ideas on Saturday with a private performance evening in the studio. Participants are encouraged to perform a short piece of work.
If you are interested in attending this weekend or would like to find out more, contact Echo Echo via email at info@echoechodance.com or call the office on +44(0) 28 7134 2266.
Echo Echo can help with travel and accommodation requirements if necessary.
