Amsterdam
June 23- July 13
6/23:
~
We arrived after lots of travel stress...went to get the
key on one side of town, and attempt to get on a tram with
all of our luggage...yeah right, so we took a taxi to the
apartment only to find a winding, narrow, and steep
staircase. We had four flights to go up that seemed to get
smaller the hiigher we went (like in Alice and Wonderland)
with luggage that wasn't exactly light as a feather.
~ So...we basically unpacked the suitcases and put things
in plastic bags and a laundry basket, and began to schlep
these smaller bags up the stairs...It took forever, but it
was definitely the better than breaking our backs with one
big bag. The last thing we need is to throw our backs out
before Anouk's workshop! haha.
~ We unpacked and got settled into our tiny one bedroom
apartment with a bathroom and shower in one...Yes, that
means that the showerhead is directly next to the sink with
no separation whatsoever...locker room style. We have an
old stove on top of a mini refrigerator, and enough space
to barely turn around and not bump your head or elbow on
something. (although, don't worry, it has already
happened).
Our view from the roof...
~ Heather, the dancer who we are renting the apartment
from, left us a long and detailed explanation of everything
you could possibly think of. It explained all the quirks of
the apartment and how to deal with them...from where to eat
(on the floor with a towel or out on the roof), to how to
figure out the locks (quite complicated let us tell you).
It was a bit overwhelming at first, but I am sure we will
adjust soon enough.
~ The weather is MISERABLE...Only cold and rainy. We are
hoping it clears up soon, or the next three weeks will seem
soo long.
~ We do not have internet in the apartment, making it
somewhat of a hassle to update the website. So we apologize
in advance for the delays, but promise to stay ontop of it
as much as we can. We miss everyone back home! ...and we
miss the sun, so enjoy it for us! <3
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6/24:
train to Groningen and back
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6/25:
~ Our first visit to the Henny Jurriens Foundation (where
we will be spending the most of our time for the next two
weeks...or so we thought...All paper work related to the
workshop with Anouk alluded to the fact that it would take
place at the Henny Jurriens Foundation...but nooooo...the
day before the workshop started we received an e-mail
telling us otherwise)
~The ground floor has a desk area where they sell food and
take care of the reception. There is also a studio right
there with a waiting area. You go up one flight of stairs
and there is another studio and bathroom with showers etc.
(what we will be using for our daily showers considering
ours is a bit complicated to use). Then you go up one more
flight of stairs to find a small warm up studio and a
computer area with a cushioned seat, posters, and bulletin
boards as well. Then you go up one more flight of stairs to
find the grand studio they saved for last for a reason...It
is absolutely breathtaking. Windows all around...rather low
ceilings, but still a sense of openness. We can't wait to
dance in there!
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6/26:
~
Walked around in search of a bank for Nicole to pay for the
workshop. It is amazingly difficult to find a bank that
will allow her to withdraw money (without a ridiculous
charge). We found one, but it only allowed her to withdraw
a certain amount, so we have to wait until tomorrow to get
the other half.
~ Then we went grocery shopping for yogurt, cheeses, bread,
meat, butter...the usual. We are trying to save money by
eating at home most of the time.
~ Went home, worked on the website, went to a nearby coffee
shop to finish our work and upload everything...We feel
like we have gotten pretty behind. But the good news is we
are caught up now and ready to take on the next few weeks
here in Amsterdam! Stay tuned :)
(we are beginning to choreograph a no-rain dance to make
the sun come out and play... )
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6/27:
~
Stopped by the bank to pay for Anouk's workshop
~ Lunch at Gary's Cafe...a cute little lunch place with a
loft-like area upstairs. (and right around the corner from
the studios!)
~ Walked around and did some sightseeing...
- De Nieuwe Kerk- Protestant Church on the Dam, and is now
used to house exhibitions.
- Church of Saint Francis Xavier "De Krijtberg"- built at
the end of the 19th century by the architect Alfred Tepe.
It came in place of a secret church, from which remains
still exists behind the present presbytery. Rich interior
illuminated with colourful stained-glass windows.
- Braggiotti Gallery of
Contemporary Glass: Effie Halkidis. Singel 424. Website:
www.braggiotti.com E-mail: glass@braggiotti.com
~ "Meaning and content often come to us in split seconds.
We understand a small subtle gesture, a look, a facial
expression, that momentarily interrupt the continuous
stream of things happening. We hesitate, try to find the
connection to other meanings. For an instant we experience
vertigo, and time seems to stand still, then rushes on.
Sometimes the ground beneath our feet gives way, we float
or seem to fall. What we understand 'colours' everything
that happens" (Split Second- on advertisement).
~ We stopped to take a picture, the wind was blowing
angrily...and Nicole's Strippenkart (the public
transportation card we had bought maybe a half an hour
before) blew away- into the canal. This was going to be our
only way of getting around town for the next three weeks.
We watched it drift for a little while, and just as we
turned around to walk away, a boat passed by. Nicole ran
back across the street and started waving her arms,
pointing to the floating 20 euro ticket, but he rode right
by :( We lost our only chance. So we decided to let it go,
and keep plodding along.
~
Pilates/Stretching class (with Maartje Braun) at the
Amsterdam Dance Centre/Henny Jurriens. Bellamystraat 47-49.
Tel: 0206262885. Website: www.amsterdamdancecentre.nl
- Classes are pretty
expensive though, (11 euros/class). If you take the morning
professional classes that are associated strictly with
Henny Jurriens Stichting Foundation, those are cheaper
(more like 6-7 euros). Ask about student discounts
too...Just in case.
- It was a great class to get back into the swing of
things. Mixture of pilates, yoga, stretching, meditating to
work on the body/mind balance.
~
Dinner at an Indonesian Restaurant called Bojo. Lange
Leidsedwarsstraat 49-51.
~ Alto Jazz Cafe- the oldest jazz club in Amsterdam...crazy
packed, smoky, and no live music. We pushed our way to the
stairs, used the restroom, and left.
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6/28:
~
Lyrical Jazz class @ 12:30 with Tara...originally from
Colorado, but lived in NYC for five years. She has been in
Europe for about a year and half (lived in Germany, Paris,
and is currently working in the Netherlands).
- fast paced, technical, stylized, and fun. She emphasized
the importance of dancing to your fullest
~ Showered at the studios (better than the one at home...)
~ Internet/Phone cafe (that doesn't serve coffee- odd...)
Nicole had to make some important phone calls. 20 minutes
later...She was finally helped with what she was looking to
do. She withdrew over the daily limit (and had attempted
this at various ATMS...some wouldn't take her card), so her
bank sent an email saying they would put a security hold on
her debit card, making the account frozen. Big
problemo...but after some frustrations due to this
difficult situation, everything was taken care of. We left
relieved and needing to relax.
~ Walked around and stumbled across Rembrandt Park... the
softest green grass, streams, breathtaking willow trees,
flowers that could be from a painting. We stopped at
various places that screamed, "Dance here!"...Here are some
photos of us being silly.
~ To
relieve our coffee craving, we decided to stop for a cup
around the corner from where we live...Great success.
~ Up the narrow stairs of our apartment again...not an easy
task considering our bodies are achey.
~ Took some random pictures in the apartment; we were
exploring small spaces.
___
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6/29:
~
Our original plan was to go to a performance at 4 pm, but
somehow we slept most of the day away...We rushed to try to
get there, and ended up mozying around the Leidseplein area
a little bit.
~ A dance floor was set up in the middle of the square with
a DJ and some dancers doing some fun and goofy partner
work. We asked what this event was going to be. It is
called Bal Moderne- an activity set up for the community to
learn a few cool moves. After speaking with some of the
company members (based mainly in Brussels) and watching
them demonstrate what we were about to learn, we hopped
onto the dance floor in the rain. So much fun!
~ We had
read about the film museum at the north end of Vondelpark,
so we went to check it out. There was a premiere of the
french film "Cesar & Rosalie." Unfortunately the
subtitles were in Dutch, so we decided to wait until next
week to see what else is to be shown.
~ Next stop... Overtoom 301 for a music and dance
improvisation event. 5 euros entrance fee to hang out with
cool intellectual artists interested in dance (hard to
believe right?)
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6/30:
~ Nicole
woke up early
for an audition at Danswerkplaats (DWA 107b Arie
Biemondstraat)
~ Giulia Mureddu is looking for a replacement female dancer
to continue work on a piece that has already premiered
Sept-Oct 2007 as a work-in-progress.
~The audition was from 11-15, then she made a cut from 15
dancers to 5.
~ We began with a luscious floor warm-up, stood up and
whirled in and out of the ground, tendus, plies, improv
with the specific tasks of exploring all parts of the foot,
then interjecting the ideas of the pelvis and the hands; we
also did an exercise in which there was one conductor and 5
choir members which made sounds according to the conductors
gestures; we then added these sounds to our improv across
the floor.
~ We then learned two other combinations that were deep,
flowy, and lots of falling to the ground (maybe that's why
I can barely walk today!). She then had us individually
improv with these two combinations in a small space for
about three minutes each. It was amazing to see each
person's style! Everyone who auditioned originated from all
corners of the earth: Canada, the UK, Indonesia, France,
Belgium, Spain, Italy...crazy!
~Well..yes..I was cut...but that's ok because it was a
great experience and I couldn't really take the job anyway
because the tour is May through April 2008 :( She was
actually looking for a very specific body type to fill the
previous dancers movement. Apparently, this girl was very
skinny and short and half naked for most of the piece, but
because she is so petit she appears endrogynous (I would
definitely not fit this bill!).
~Aline
went grocery
shopping and met Heather's boyfriend to pay the rent. Then
she began walking to a music and dance improvisation jam at
Solebay Studio - Livornostraat 22 at Bos en Lommer. In
comparison to the area we live in, this area has more of a
big city feel...making it a bit overwhelming at first. She
asked several people how to get to this street, and no one
knew where it was. About an hour and a half later, she
finally found it. Luckily she leaves way too early for
things (it is for a reason ).
~ Anyway, the improv jam consisted of about five dancers
who entered an exited when they wished. A guitarist and
pianist accompanied the jam, improvising with the dancers.
The majority of the dancers were from the Overtoom improv
event we went to the night before.
~ Marala Griesche (one of our new friends) was born in
Germany, but grew up in the states. She graduated from Ohio
State one year ago (and knows Tim Glenn!!) What a small
dance world. She moved to Amsterdam after school to involve
herself in several projects around town. She is even
interested in filmmaking for dance, and will be working for
Amsterdam's Cinedans festival starting next week!
~ It was challenging to work with new movers after three
years of working with the same group. Most of the time I
was so intrigued by their movement, that I just stood back
and watched/mimicked. Everyone had such distinct movement
qualities and 'habits' that became more apparent as the
time progressed. Aline participated for 2 hours, and left
at the lunch break to meet Nicole back at the apartment.
~ Our evening was relaxing...walked through the Erasmus
park.
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7/1:
~ Laundry at a wash-o-matic (10 min. walk with lots of
plastic bags!)
- It was a quite complicated process, but the people there
were kind enough to guide us along. After we finished
folding, we decided to take a lunch break at a
Chinese/Indonesian restaurant called Golden Pauw.
~ Internet Cafe for
updating and making some phone calls.
~ Early to bed...Big day tomorrow!
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7/2-
7/11: Anouk van Dijk's Workshop, "One Body, One
Career"
9:30-11:00 Alexandertechnique/ Contertechnique Theory
11:15-12:45 Countertechnique Class with alternating
teachers Anouk van Dijk and Nina Wollny
12:45-2:00 Break
2:00-3:00 Yoga
3:15-6:15 Ballet Improv by Daniela Graca (week one)/
Repertory and Instant Composition by Anouk van Dijk (week
two)
‘BALLET/
IMPROV’, by Daniela Graça.
This
workshop is meant to apply principles of the
Alexandertechnique and Countertechnique into regular ballet
training and to use these findings in improvisation.
Departing from a ballet class, the second half of the
workshop takes you into your own personal movement, having
as starting point the qualities, anatomical parameters or
specific directions given in the ballet class. How can a
technical focus point become a source of inspiration for
improvisation and creating your own movements? And how can
that be informed again by new information received in the
ballet class? And how do you take the created material into
composition, while maintaining the initial technical focus
point? The aim is to find inter-connectedness between
training and creation, and that this is available to you at
all times.
Daniela
Graça After having completed her
training at the Brasilia Ballet Academy and
the Tanzschule der Staatsoper Hamburg (direction John
Neumeier) she danced the great classics like Gisele and
Nutcracker at the Brasilia Ballet Company. Later
she moved to Europe to work at the Lisbon Dance Company in
Portugal and in Holland with the Rotterdamse
Dansgroep. She has danced in works by a.o. Mark Haim, Igal
Perry, Amanda Miller, Rui Horta, Merce Cunningham, Ton
Simons, Paulo Ribeiro, Roland Schankula, Michael
Schumacher, Paul Selwyn Norton, Marcelo Evelin, Anat
Geiger, Leine en Roebana and with Peter Sellars on his
productions of John Adam's El Nino
and on
Stravinsky's Biblical
Pieces. Daniela has worked for
many years with Anouk van Dijk as one of the first experts
in Countertechnique. She has choreographed for the Lisbon
Dance Company, performed her own solowork and collaborated
with other choreographers. Daniela Graça has taught for 7
years at the Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Amsterdam
and has been a regular teacher for HJS, Dansgroep
Krisztina de Châtel, Galili Dance, Charleroi Dance,
Danceworks Rotterdam, Gulbenkian Ballet and others.
Currently Daniela lives in Munich and teaches at the
S.E.A.D in Salzburg and Tanzproject Münich.
‘REPERTORY
AND INSTANT COMPOSITION’, by Anouk van Dijk
Anouk van Dijk will depart
from teaching choreographic material of recent work.
Through assignments the material will be modified,
personalized and intensified. Instant composition tasks
will be implemented into the choreographic material. We
will work on building a strong sensitivity towards decision
making inside a group. Are you taking on the role of
instigator or reactor, anarchist or problem solver? All are
valuable in developing a vibrant communication. Working in
small groups compositions will gradually be developed. In
the process the Countertechnique classes will be referred
back to, both in how to execute the choreographic material
and what to focus on while making instant decisions.
Anouk van Dijk graduated from the
Rotterdam Dance Academy in 1985. For almost a decade she
was a lead soloist with amongst others the Rotterdam Dance
Group and Amanda Miller's Pretty Ugly Dance Company. Having
started to make choreographies already as early as 1989,
since 1996 Anouk van Dijk dedicated herself exclusively to
the creation and performance of her own work. She has been
running her own dance company since 1998 and has by now
created fifteen full evening works and more than twenty
shorter choreographies, receiving critical acclaim from
international press and audiences.
~ So the workshop kept us very busy… Everyday we were
taking in so much information, and reforming our mind and
body connections that we were exhausted at the end of each
day!
~
We did find some time to go out on the town and see
performances, museums, and films
~
In no specific order here are some things we did:
-
2/7 Monday Match Music/Dance Improv Jam Session at Bimhuis
(Piet Heinkade 3)...free! :)
o There were four dancers and about five musicians with a
range of talents: percussion, sounds from atypical/found
objects, voice manipulations/gibberish.
o The group determined a method to the madness by creating
a series of signals/gestures which instructed a specific
person(s) to lower/dwindle away, get louder/increase, to
meld with another player, stop, start, etc. This layer of
information added a fun visible interaction between the
players. I loved how the musicians and the dancers were
equally involved.
- 08/07 Bjork live in concert at Cultuurpark
Westergasfabriek Amsterdam…AAAAAHHHHH so much fun, and so
unexpected…it was a last minute decision. We bought the
tickets one hour before the concert began from the central
station for 39 euro!
- 05/07 Saw a performance of Akram Khan’s
third
catalogue at
Stadsshouwburg, part of a performance series called Juli
Dans. Five musicians accompany Khan on traditional
instruments. He attempted to bridge the gap between modern
western dance and the 500-year-old kathak tradition.
- 07/07 Went to Club 8 for a 60’s party called Beat
Boutique with DJ’s Betty and Billie. The first floor of
Club 8 is a huge billiard room with a lovely bar, café, and
restaurant. The second floor is the club with disco balls,
couches, stage, and a large projection screen, which played
old cartoons and TV shows from the 60’s. Many people were
dressed in 60’s gear, so much fun!
- 13/07 Explored the Van Gogh Museum (Paulus Potterstraat
7, open daily 10-18, F 10-22), entrance fee 10 euro. It is
located in museumplein, which includes a lovely park with
many vendors selling food, souvenirs, and art. The museum
includes over 200 paintings, 500 drawings and more than 700
letter from the artist. Obviously we did not get to
everything!
- 13/07 Stumbled upon a small antique jewelry store with
amazing pieces ranging from 100’s to 15 euro. La Finestra,
Antiek & Curiosa, Leidsegracht 96 souterrain, 1016 CS.
Tel. 0031 (0) 20 626 33 63. Open M-F 12-18h, S-Sun 12-17h.
- 13/07 Melkweg Galerie (the Milkyway), a gallery, café and
bar, hosted an exhibition by Katharina Mouratidi
entitled The Other
Globalisation. 15 simple
portraits of ordinary people filled the gallery. Each was
accompanied by a lengthy explanation of each characters’
participation in the fight against globalization, each from
different parts of the world with issues related to their
region. Extremely informative but a bit too much to read.
- 13/07 Walked through the beautiful gardens of the Rijks
Museum= free!
*************************
-
07/07 Attended the International
Dansfilmfestival,
Cinedans, which is also connected with Juli Dans.
o
Coffee with Pina/
*Dutch premiere/ Israel 2005/ Director Lee Yanor/
Choreography Pina Bausch/ 52:00 minutes
“A
mixture between documentary and fiction. The filmmaker set
free her intuitions and visual associations and created a
film which can best be described as filmed photographs.
Intimate moments in Pina’s universe in the studio are mixed
with footage of the performances
Agua and
Rough Cut.”
- Jury Shorts III- short international films that are
selected for the Cinedans Award.
o
As You Are/
*World premiere/ The Netherlands 2007/ Director Weijke
Koopmans and Ronald de Boer/ Choreography Julyen Hamilton
and Weijke Koopmans/ 7:00 minutes
“In
an environment where nature meets concrete, two worlds
converge. A man and a young girl express their own language
of movement. Their innocence and wisdom merge together in
pure simplicity and beauty.”
o
Breathe Me/
*Dutch premiere/ USA and the Netherlands 2006/ Director
Carmen Rozestraten/ Chroegraphy Carmen Rozestraten/ 9:00
minutes
“A
sensual woman awakes on a sun-drenched beach by the touch
of her ex-lover. She breathes her past and dances with the
little girl she once used to be.”
o
Pork/
The Netherlands 2006/ Director Gido Leytens/ Choreography
Kristel van Issum/ 10:17 minutes
“A
short film adaptation of the stage production
Pork-in-Loop by
Dutch dance theatre company T.r.a.s.h. Pork offers a
disturbing keyhole view on ambiguous, explosive characters,
struck by a loss of memory, meaning and the ability to
react.”
o
Het Grote Gebeuren/
The Netherlands 2006/ Director The Good Guys (Marcel Prins
and Leon Giesen)/ Choreophy The starlings/ 6:38 minutes
“A
cloud of starlings is something natural and of every day
life. In this music film they perform a magical dance. Hand
in hand with the music these small birds are gathering
together and form a supernatural creature.”
o
Will Time Tell?/
*European premiere/ Australia 2006/ Director Sue Healey/
12:30 minutes
“While
traveling, one’s sense of time is often altered. A lady is
involved in all sorts of short scenes far away from home.
Will time tell her what she needs to
know?”
o
Timensional/
China 2007/ Director Yan Yao/ Choreography Ya’nan Liu/ 5:00
minutes
“A
woman moves literally in time. Digital time codes move
rapidly and light up her body for just a moment. Although
time touches her, it remains intangible.”
o
Tiago Sequenze/
United Kingdom 2006/ Director Lizzie Sykes/ Choreographer
Lizzie Sykes and Tiago Gambogi/ 2:00
minutes
“Tiago
films himself, spinning, jumping, taking us close to him
and then pulling away again. The audience point of view is
like a child in his arms, being whirled around, thrown into
the air and caught again.”
o
Insyn/
*Dutch premiere/ Denmark 2007/ Director Klara Elenius/
Choreography Klara Elenius/ 14:51 minutes
“The
atmosphere amongst the three characters in the film is
intense. We meet them dancing through each room of a dark
and quiet house somewhere in suburbia, looking for
confrontations.”
o
Shake Off/
European premiere/ Netherlands 2007/ Director Hans
Beenhakker/ Choreography Hans Beenhakker/ 9:00
minutes
“A
dancer immerses himself into another world without being
able or wanting to stop. Hans Beenhakker used a motion
control camera to make a complete film in one cut. The
smooth camera shows a continuous movement between outdoor
and indoor scenes.”
****************************
- 14/07 We finished
packing, somehow got all of our luggage down the stairs and
headed for the tram.
- We only had
enough cash to pay for the two tram
tickets!
- We had to switch trams, people were
staring at us because we had sooooo much stuff, but
actually,
there were tons of people traveling that day!
- I left the luggage with Aline outside of the train
station to get back on the tram, to go three stops in order
to drop off the keys to the apartment with a friend of
Heather’s
- Back to the train
station, chilled, headed to our track, and off we went to
Frankfurt on the ICE, the faster, better quality long
distance train…with reserved seats…ahhhh, so nice!
- So, you know how you always hear what a big bike town
Amsterdam is? Well it's true, all over the city you can
find these huge bike parking garages. Here is one
small-scale example:
