photo: Oliver Look

Living stories

My inspiration comes from everyday life. A new work for me always starts from something that I connect to personally. And in the work process I find it important to invite the dancers to do the same. Our personal living stories reflect todays’ society. And through the work of making a dance performance, we give expression to ideas and experiences that are alive today. Dance is an artform that embodies the Now.

The dancers are the movement

I see myself rather as a director of movement than as a choreographer. I value the aspect of collaboration when working with dancers. I’m not always writing or creating the steps on my own, because I’m more interested in seeing their personality than seeing a copy of myself. While the creative process goes on, I slowly start altering the steps and injecting my personal movements. The dancers are the movement. They embody and give shape to each transition in space in their own unique way.

In the studio we search for the expression of a specific feeling. The choreography develops to its final shape as soon as I sense that we are meeting on the same emotional level and intensity.

I always know what I want to see, say and feel before I start creating a performance and, in this process, working with the unique qualities of each dancer becomes my priority while the precise steps or shapes become secondary.

Like in a Dalí painting

I like to pull things to extremes, and explore where the tension between two contrasts can take me. Like in a Dalí painting I find it exciting how something familiar can suddenly be distorted and made surreal. This process opens up a multitude of surprising outcomes.

Dance can work as a magnifying glass on actions that we recognise. Dance can extend the time before we find the words to speak. And dance can reduce time, letting the worlds of two people collide when a duet starts in just a split second.

Choreography is just one part of the puzzle when making a dance performance. As important as the dance are the music, the scenography, the costumes, and the light. Each of these elements bring you into a precise atmosphere.

(text: Fabienne Vegt after an interview with Francesco Vecchione)

photo: Varvara Kandaurova

photo: Varvara Kandaurova