Dance and Dramaturgy: Practices in 20th Century Performing Arts

November 02, 2010

Monday November 29 at Scotiabank Dance Centre

The PuSh Festival is proud to support the lecture and to sponsor two participants: Alex Ferguson (theatre artist, writer and part of the International Theatre Journalism Exchange Program) and Julie-anne Saroyan (Artistic Producer, MovEnt).

Writer, curator and dramaturge Guy Cools is one of Europe’s leading experts on dance dramaturgy. He will give two stimulating lectures offering a glimpse into the diverse and often complex journey and roles of the dramaturge and the choreographer in the process of dance creation.

Session One: On Open Dramaturgy (9.30am-12.30pm)

A brief historical overview of the practice of the dramaturge in 20th century performing arts, and a discussion of his own practice based in a variety of experiences having worked with many internationally acclaimed artists and contexts.

Session Two: The Intercultural Body (2-5pm)

Focusing on the question of an intercultural identity – not so much a question of geography (where I was born or live) but a question of time, having to negotiate between different traditions (the body memory) and contemporary aesthetics and forms (the body present), with illustrations by excerpts of current dance works.

The lectures will be of interest to theatre professionals interested in or already working with dance artists; dance artists who are keen to explore the role of dramaturges in the creation of works; dance and theatre writers; critics; presenters; and audience members interested in learning more about contemporary dance today. This will also be an opportunity to meet and network with dance and theatre practitioners.

After having trained as a dramaturge, Guy Cools became involved with the new developments in dance in Flanders from the 1980s, initially as a dance critic and from 1990 onwards as theatre and dance director of Arts Centre Vooruit in Ghent. He has curated dance festivals and events in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Venice and Montréal, and initiatied international networks including Dance Network Europe, European Dance Film Network, and Aerowaves. In 2002, he left Vooruit to dedicate himself full-time to production dramaturgy with amongst others, Les Ballets C. de la B., Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Danièle Desnoyers, Akram Khan, and Christopher House. With Lin Snelling and Ginelle Chagnon, he developed a series of workshops to support the creative process of artists, choreographers in particular. He is currently house dramaturge at Dance House Station Zuid in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and regularly gives lectures and publishes in Belgium, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Holland and Greece.

How To Register:

Advance registration is required and spaces are limited.

To register, call 604.606.6416 or email members@thedancecentre.ca

Dance Centre and PTC Members: one session $40/two sessions $50 plus HST

Equity/CADA Members: one session $70/two sessions $100 plus HST

Non-Members: one session $100/two sessions $150 plus HST

For more information visit thedancecentre.ca