Dancing Together, Again! Creative Residencies Programme

Becoming sick after not even one day after arrival to Napoli felt a bit surreal. Aligning with topic of inclusivity, it became a personal challenge to include my frustration, anger and powerlessness. The topic of inclusivity which I applied with was about the movement language we create to be communicable for a broad audience. This can mean starting research from pedestrian action and transforming them - I managed to try that with a group during first morning session, based on walking. I kept working on it conceptually while recovering and I propose what is presented below. How the character walks? Try to answer through process described below. Change one aspect at a time. After each change ask yourself a question: “How does this change my internal weather”* Variate aspects such as: rhythm  length of the step tension legs upper body arms swing posture body part positions what is the protagonist? relationships between eyes and lips gaze head position weight center pathway pressure T...

Colorful Neaples welcome us, stimulating the senses, the suggestions, many emotions. A week already passed, of dance, of comparisons, of poetry of body and mind. A fabulous and electrifying Babylon of languages and souls, pure richness.  By Valeria Geremia

Open minds and hearts What I like about international residencies is the possibilities to meet and work with people you would never have the possibility otherwise.  We met in a city unknown to most of us, in a new dance studio and were given the time to do what we do best, create… with openness and inclusion.  We have our ideas, we have skills and experiences and with that we meet and find commonalities. The second part is to accept our differences and work together.   The eagerness to work together, to enjoy dance and music, to participate and share practices, to get to know each other, to be open and friendly was present from day one and is forming in friendships and future collaborations and partnerships.  We found the joy of dance in togetherness.  By Tena Bošnjaković 

Before March 4, I had explored only a few research traces. I had absolutely no idea what to expect and intentionally I did not want to develop anything previously, just so that I would not close myself off and have a way to approach this theme, that is inclusion, as a real creative approach, as a possibility. A way to get out of the solitary mode of creation and leave room for something unexpected. The research perspective that I was interested in investigating is that of the relationship and dialogue between audience and performer, and connections naturally arose, particularly around the leading idea that everyone can dance. I've been getting carried away with new perspectives and a creative richness is slowly emerging that I haven't felt in a while. It is tiresome, but I find it so refreshing to step out of comfort and be challenged to find new ways to deepen and share.  acceptance meeting shame curiosity interest listening novelty diversity          ...

Overgrowing limits While arriving at the new place of artistic research in Napoli, I was simultaneously slowly arriving in my own body, shifting the focus from everything else finally to myself. While being really excited about this rare opportunity to share my space, artistic thinking and my moving body with colleages from different countries, I was becoming aware of my boundaries being pushed off the limits in my everyday life. Thinking about the theme of Inclusion my thoughts were occupied first by what do I feel I need to include in my personal experience and what of this personal experience may be common theme of other people? What is at the edge of my awareness but needs to be seen and heard, who or what is pushed to the corner and should come to the centre? My mind is occupied by a box as a metaphore of isolation, clasified and labeled to cathegories of emphasized boundaries and suppression... but how to use a limit as a potential and an opportunity to transform and grow? What d...

Life is especially interesting and sad because what happens for the first time will never be repeated, so for me the first sensation and first experience is always real. I've seen and heard a lot of interesting things this week, but this is what caught my eye and what i saw first time when i arrived and as always i prefer to tell what i want to say with my music and with my body By Mikeil Zakaidze

While working on an inslusive group score, in the process we are exploring the idea of creating a common experience: for the performers, for the audience, for other possible participants. Common social situation doesn’t necessarily mean common experience as each individual copes with it and relates to it on a different level. This brought the question: What does it mean: to be together? to be present to listen (to yourself and to others) to be gentle and respectful to give space (to yourself and to others) to be open to touch (emotionally and physically) to be connected to be engaged If we change the phrase ”to be together” for „to be inclusive” it happens to fit in the same way. It feels organic.  By Michał Przybyła

Sounding the dance. Dancing the sound. Observing the dancing sound. I am in a group with 2 other fascinating people. Michel and Ola. We’ve been entering a series of sessions with 3 different stations: music, moving and observing. We found out that our bodies “match”. I feel supported very often in many different ways by both of them. And it is beautiful to observe and experience. I feel lucky about that. Also, of course, the first weeks of rehearsals are always most fun. Let’s see how it will unfold when more clear decisions will have to be made. Will our artistic visions match too?  By Isadora Tomasi

  “Napule è mille culure”  “Naples is a thousand colors”- it’s one of the first refrains comes to my mind as I walk through the streets of this wonderful city, full of shades, contrasts of shapes and warm, always helpful people around, curious and ready to come and ask if you need some help, with a smile that melts your heart.  Am I romanticizing? Of course, I am. Because the stories about Naples are those collected since my very childhood:  Vesuvio's eruption and devotion to San Gennaro;  Caravaggio's years of exile;  Films with Toto and my favorite productions directed by Paolo Sorrentino;  Great waves of emigration and stories of Italians departing from the port of Naples (which recalls the current situation in Georgia and gives some hope).  Smooth, nostalgic voice of Enrico Carruso and the overwhelming passion of Riccardo Muti.  Maradona and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (which gives joy and hope as well).  These stories are endless, but now...

What if there is an eternal existence of spirits and we are an endless substances / energies in universe, but now and here only with limited understanding and knowledge of our entity. So, on our way of discovering let’s think of beginning… with the simplest movement of impulse... Photo: From a wall of the agency to our way to Movimento Danza By Anna Nikolashvili

Naples’ journal of personal pleasures, vol. 1 Naples’ haiku: Espresso, gelato,  Pistacchio , macchiato Margharita, marinara Maradona, Twoja stara … Other pleasures:  - bathtub in my room makes me feel like Cleopatra - embracing the chaos gave ma a permission to be guided by it, whatever it is  - street map has no sense, so let’s dance - Blind unisono or Blind unicorns or Blind & the unicorns or All at once - a statue of Venus with a lot of stuff and when I was nearby, a lantern light came out of her buttocks - a beautiful couple on the subway - a girl had such a tiny head and face, so you can’t blame the guy for wanting to hug her all the time - touch is good, but it is also nice if someone chooses not to do it - be ready instead of being polite - best winemaker of all time with the best taste (fingers crossed he will comes for the performance!) - cigarette with the view - a guy in Ambrosino who tought me new Italian words: pane, birra, andare.  I jeszcze:  ...