What is dance actually? How to grasp, name and experience dance that connects us all, universally, across temporalities, traditions and cultural codes? These were the questions underlying The Romeo, Trajal Harrell’s performance presented at Holland Festival last year.
This year, inspired by the open nature of Welcome to Asbestos Hall, we go further in exploration what dance can be. Under the hashtag #radicalmovement we invite several dance artists, operating at the cross-section of choreography, visual arts and fashion to share their work both at Frascati and at Welcome to Asbestos Hall in Likeminds. What connects their work is the energy of contestation and non-compromising look at the edges of choreographic practices.
Trajal Harrell argues that dance is a spirit that animates the movement. What makes dance come alive is not technique, a sequence of learned gestures and poses but the spirit.
Dance programme at Frascati, built around a phrase ‘’spiritus movens’’, opens a field for various expressions of body. For forms that position body in a relationship with a machine, sound and repetition, that are embedded in a monumental space, that address the heritage of butoh or individual bodily connection with a greater planetary body. Spirit is something we share, as humans. It is the source of energy, motivation and determination to move – to make a statement, to react, protest, connect and create.
Five performances at Frascati correspond with evening and late night guest performances at Welcome to Asbestos Hall. Therefore the audience can see two different works by makers such as DD Dorvillier, Takao Kawaguchi, Geumhyung Jeong or Marc Vanrunxt – some of them performing in late night strand of the programme (11 pm) and presenting work conceived especially for Welcome to Asbestos Hall. Most of the projects are solo’s or they place a body of a solo dancer/mover in the centre.
Dance is about presence: taking time and space to be and to act. The intertwined programme at Welcome to Asbestos Hall and Frascati is an invitation to experience dance in an open, non-dogmatic way.
