Interviews with ArtsCross 2011 Choreographers
by LIN Yatin
Aug. 4–5, 2011 at TNUA
Transcripts Part II: Three UK choreographers
by Kevin Wang
Avatâra Ayuso (UK)
Q: What are your expectations of this ArtsCross/DansCross project?
A: I think to learn as much as I can from the dancers, from the people here at the university, even the administrators.
Q: I know you’ve been working with the dancers for two rehearsals so far. What has your experience been with them in the studio?
A: Very good. Considering I have 6 dancers from Taiwan, 1 from Hong Kong and 7 from Mainland China, I can see they have different training – it’s very evident – but they’ve been working very well together. Of course, right now they’re just getting to know each other, but I can see that they want to: they really want to learn, and they want to put themselves in unfamiliar situations, which is very good. That’s the main thing, because when you have the dancers try something, it takes many days and weeks to convince that person; but here they already want to. Right now I haven’t set any material; we’re just doing improvisation and contact. I need to know first what they’re good at, what they are and aren’t comfortable with. Once I know who they are as dancers, then I can go into one direction or another. Tomorrow I will start to set material, but up to now it’s been just getting to know each other.
Q: Do you have any specific goals to achieve through this piece?
A: Apart from the practice of choreography, not really. But now that I have 14 dancers, I know that I want to work in very complex structures, because in Europe we usually don’t get that many dancers. I’ve already known for two or three years what I want to do with those relationships, but I never got enough dancers to do it. So, choreographically, I’m going to try to work with complex structures and patterns.
(Aug. 4, 2011)
Recent Comments