A Rich and Inspiring Visit to One Dance Festival in Plovdiv
Written by Kinga Jaczewska
Weeks after coming back from sunny and vibrant Plovdiv, I am still feeling the radiating and generous energy running through my body. As for a first 'date' between the group of the six visiting artists coming from various parts of Europe and the welcoming team of One Dance Festival, we very quickly managed to get to the core of what it means to share, connect and stay open and curious. It is rare yet so empowering and hopeful to, in such a limited time frame and in the current geopolitical situation, feel such an openness, generosity and connection with one another.
The always awkward moment of small talk and shy ‘hello’s’ shared at the first meeting moment very quickly turned into a casual stroll through the beautiful town of Plovdiv which, guided by a fascinating historian who shared with us many anecdotes, secrets and historical milestones that form the city’s culture. It was a perfect start to the weekend which, both mentally and physically, placed us in the centre of the lively city of Plovdiv and One Dance Festival.
What followed were versatile dance and composition workshops with Lara Barsaqc, Zora Snake and Jaciel Neri, where we shared the floor with local dancers exchanging movement, laughter, sweat, anecdotes and experiences. These workshops were led by artists whose work we would watch later in the evenings, offering nice insight into their practices, processes and artistic visions.
The pitching session which followed allowed us to, in an informal way, have a peak into the individual paths, obsessions, artistic values and creative dreams of each of the visiting artists. Thjerza Balaj, Maya Oliva, Stanisław Bulder, Gaetano Palermo and Michele Petrosino, Eni Vesović and myself, have shyly yet surely shared our own ideas and approaches to dance, body, movement and art. A reflection that came to me multiple times during this weekend of exchange and which hit me hard while listening to all the pitches was: how many different forms, styles, approaches and aesthetics can “dance” – a word so well knows to us all – contain? It is as if this one word could encapsulate the entire world together with all its colours and cultures inside of it.
We danced, we watched performances, we discussed them, we shared thoughts and ideas, we played games, we asked questions and we got reminded, with the powerful and moving words of Mr. Jens Nymand Christensen, of the importance of our artistic attempts and processes. Of the importance of creating work that asks questions, that triggers friction, that doesn’t only confirm what we know or like – work which will continue to keep us alert, open and interested in each other’s stories.
Thank you One Dance Festival and thank you VAP – it was rich and it was inspiring.