Modul-dance experience. By Ioannis Mandafounis & May Zarhy

[modul-dance]

Developing our piece Pausing within the context of modul-dance has been a significant experience for us. As in our work, we are always interested in sharing voices through collaboration, we found this context of modul-dance somehow corresponding to this desire - a group of dance houses collaborating in order to bring forward an idea and allow creation to emerge.

Specifically for us, during the creation we went through the residencies in the Duncan Center in Athens and Graner in Barcelona- places which without the frame of modul-dance would be difficult to get to. The two houses were extremely inspiring and rich for the work - the space in Duncan center as well as its amazing surrounding and atmosphere which Penelope nurtures had an essential impact on the process. Also the possibility to meet other artists and share like our meeting with the other residents at that time - Marcos and Pablo has been super inspiring and simply joyful.

The time in May 2012 in Graner has been just before our premiere and we felt we had to "wrap up the piece". Time was short but exactly this constraint of time allowed a concentrated and focused time of radical decisions when the piece finally got its shape - it was the 4th version of the piece already- and its structure today remained the "Barcelona version" after a tour of around 20 shows by now.

In terms of coproduction, we were supported by Hellerau in Dresden which also hosted us for shows in October. Again a very different house allowed the piece to evolve and adjust itself to the beautiful space of Nancy Spero in the theater. Last April we were invited to show the piece in Toulouse, during a modul-dance reunion which has been interesting for us - for the directors of the dance houses to see the work finalized more than a year after the first encounter in Barcelona and many shows.

It has been an interesting experience to be a part of this frame of modul dance, a different feeling than the "regular one" of independent houses supporting the piece. Somehow this feeling of connection and network feels like a new way that should be explored further. There is great potential in this way as a mode of functioning, a mode that can support more the contemporary dance field as it is today, than the so called standard mode of function of theater/festival and artist.

Picture: © Emmanuelle Bayart