video ...

part 1

to see in hiqh quality, please go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka4LX7ATllM&fmt=18

part 2

to see in hiqh quality, please go to
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3BKPNTiLEw

second performance
recorded July 17th, 2008

thanks for conversion-help to Janine Brall, Károly Tóth / zeroglab, and Ina Olthaar

we did it !!

photographs
©2008 by Konrad Szymański

against the ongoing bursts of rain in Rotterdam and our energy-dip after a euphoric first day, we worked through.
the first performance at 16.30 was timid, on a very wet Schouwburgplein, but for the second one the dancers completely went for it, they took their time to get in touch with themselves and each other, and the slippery ground, not minding to get wet, even going down to the ground, even as it started raining again... making beautiful and intricate compositions of movement in time and the large space into a very playful finale and a wonderful group-end in stillness.

the performances were very well visited, certainly given the weather:
as many as 15 invited people came to see the first performance and there were about 60 passers-by, about 10 stopped by to look at what was going on. for the second we had as many as 35 invited guests and about 70 passers-by, 10 of which stayed almost to the end of the piece (also seeking shelter from the rain, but nevertheless, they stayed)

a great bravo to all the dancers, filmer, photographer, and helpers who made this event possible. very grateful thanks to Café Floor who let us temporarily park our chairs & anouncement boards, all at Dansateliers, the Rotterdam Municipal Council of Arts & Cultural Affairs, and all generous sponsors.

as mentioned before, C was made in the spirit of Elaine Summers' "Energy Changes" and I am proud to have been allowed to realize my own response to this historical piece of American postmodern dance. grateful respect as well to Pauline de Groot who came to see, her wisdom and kindness, and her continuing work in the Netherlands over the many years to make dance a more balanced and connected human affair. finally, a thankful nod to Mary O'Donnell-Fulkerson and all my teachers at Dance Unlimited who helped me affirm my own way & how to translate it to others more directly.

but last but not least a very big thank you to every one who despite the rain has taken the time and effort to come & see the performances, and everyone who took the time to generously give us feedback on what they experienced & thought. we couldn't have done it without you, really...

very cordially,
Thomas Körtvélyessy

first photos

© 2008 Konrad Szymański.

performances confirmed to happen tomorrow

the weather forecasts are good enough & we'll give it a try!
looking forward to see you there.

directions:
the Schouwburgplein is a 10min. walk from Rotterdam Central Station. just exit to the main front with all the construction work and walk straight forward until you come to a big crossing, turn left and you'll find the plaza on your right hand side.

tram stops: just about every tram in Rotterdam (Kruisplein) Metro: Stadhuis or Centraal Station

cars are not a good idea, you'll loose plenty of time trying to find a parking space (there is a parking house right underneath the Schouwburg) and you cannot pay cash, only by the infamous "Chipknip", not even a normal ATM-card.

announcement

a new piece by Thomas Körtvélyessy
Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam, Netherlands

July 16th
public rehearsal at 4pm

July 17th
1st performance at 4.30pm
2nd performance at 8pm


dancers:
Elisabetta Consonni, Jan Misker, Johnny Schoofs,
Wilma van de Hel

video-registration:
Paul Sixta

photography:
Konrad Szymanski

with special thanks to Amy Gale / Dansateliers, Rotterdam
dedicated to dance & intermedia pioneer Elaine Summers
C is inspired by Summers' "Energy Changes" from 1971 and its historic performance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in 1973


this project is made possible thanks to a studio-grant from Dansateliers Rotterdam and through generous funding from the Municipality of Rotterdam, office for art & culture as well as private sponsors.

the score

C is an experiment in the public area of the City Hall plaza, architecturally designed to be a meeting place for the population of the city or Rotterdam.

the score for the performance sets the places of action and the basic action, as the group of dancers moves from inward & group-oriented to outward and environment oriented, but still with an undercurrent of group-awareness and collaboration.

it can be seen as an experimental wheel going through every gradation between private & public expression, individually and as a group of participants/performers.

an important influence has been Elaine Summers' seminal piece "Energy Changes" which guided the performers through all levels of dance and performance, back in 1971 and a.o. performed at the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1973 as an intermedia piece


>> I am interested in HOW the single phases will be realised by the dancers each time, how will the public react. etc.
>> also, I am interested in strategies that will involve the public more closely as co-creators of the resulting dance. after all, we are asking for a part of public space, so what does the public get in return?

previous work

con·sens·us double impact - NL/Japan 28 juli 2006

a simultaneous improvisation by Janine Brall (Tokushima Beach, Japan) and Thomas Körtvélyessy (Schouwburgplein, Rotterdam, NL - filmed by Károly Tóth/zeroglab

walking con·sens·us 3 mei 2006

during a research-afternoon with Janine Brall, Stefan Hoffmann (camera), and Willem Besselink