Still Dance for Nothing (2020)
by Eszter Salamon created in collaboration with Vânia Doutel Vaz
“The desire to revisit my artistic past to transform, extend, or re-appropriate already existing works or some of their aspects follows a critical approach to thinking about choreography as a practice of disseminating knowledge. In this context, I initiate various collaborations, one of which relates to “Dance for Nothing” (2010), a solo work that used John Cage’s “Lecture on Nothing” (1949).
Dance for Nothing was based on the simultaneous performance of two (choreographic and textual-musical) scores presented in a form of a dance-lecture. My goal was to challenge dancing and speaking at the same time instead of playing the music for the dance. Using music composed of words and performing a choreography as an autonomous temporality aimed to create interaction with non-interference.
Lisbon-based choreographic artist Vânia Doutel Vaz has accepted my invitation to collaborate on creating the very first work of the coming series Still Dance for Nothing, for which I invite performers to create a new choreographic score based on the open score composition of the original solo and develop, through interview practices, a text that will replace Cage’s lecture.
The current Covid-19 situation has rendered timely a methodology that I have used in the past, namely developing a performative work at a distance by Skype. In the case of this collaboration with Vânia, working together physically will take place only in the final week to complete the creative process.”
Concept, methodology and artistic direction Eszter Salamon Choreography and performance Vânia Doutel Vaz Text developed in collaboration by Eszter Salamon and Vânia Doutel Vaz Dramaturgical advisor Raquel Lima Production Botschaft GbR/ Alexandra Wellensiek, Studio E.S/ Elodie Perrin Coproduction Alkantara
Funded by Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe, the Regional Directory of Cultural Affairs of Paris – Ministry of Culture and Communication Thanks to Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar
by Eszter Salamon created in collaboration with Vânia Doutel Vaz
“The desire to revisit my artistic past to transform, extend, or re-appropriate already existing works or some of their aspects follows a critical approach to thinking about choreography as a practice of disseminating knowledge. In this context, I initiate various collaborations, one of which relates to “Dance for Nothing” (2010), a solo work that used John Cage’s “Lecture on Nothing” (1949).
Dance for Nothing was based on the simultaneous performance of two (choreographic and textual-musical) scores presented in a form of a dance-lecture. My goal was to challenge dancing and speaking at the same time instead of playing the music for the dance. Using music composed of words and performing a choreography as an autonomous temporality aimed to create interaction with non-interference.
Lisbon-based choreographic artist Vânia Doutel Vaz has accepted my invitation to collaborate on creating the very first work of the coming series Still Dance for Nothing, for which I invite performers to create a new choreographic score based on the open score composition of the original solo and develop, through interview practices, a text that will replace Cage’s lecture.
The current Covid-19 situation has rendered timely a methodology that I have used in the past, namely developing a performative work at a distance by Skype. In the case of this collaboration with Vânia, working together physically will take place only in the final week to complete the creative process.”
Concept, methodology and artistic direction Eszter Salamon Choreography and performance Vânia Doutel Vaz Text developed in collaboration by Eszter Salamon and Vânia Doutel Vaz Dramaturgical advisor Raquel Lima Production Botschaft GbR/ Alexandra Wellensiek, Studio E.S/ Elodie Perrin Coproduction Alkantara
Funded by Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe, the Regional Directory of Cultural Affairs of Paris – Ministry of Culture and Communication Thanks to Atelier-Museu Júlio Pomar
