Newsflash October 2024
Expanded Contemporary Dance presents in the newsflash October 2024:
News from students

Photos: Raymond van Mil
ECD4 students Yukino Abiko and Kofi Boanyah have performed during the AfroVibes festival in Fake News by Nelisiwe Xaba on 2, 3,4 and 10 October 2024. We spoke with Kofi and asked her a few questions on the project.
What inspired you to perform in Fake News?
I didn’t know Nelisiwe Xaba before. I met Nelisiwe because we have a friend in common called Silvana Pombal who recommended me to apply for the creation. That sounded promising because Silvana is the production manager of an amazing piece called Vagabundus by the intriguing choreographer Idio Chichava, whom I met in Mozambique this year. So, after meeting some inspiring people in different places, I ended up working with Nelisiwe Xaba - the dance world is so small.
What have been the challenges working on this project?
We only had eleven days to get into the practice, research, and restage the piece. That was very little time to get acquainted with it.
What excited you most about the project?
Everything we do is on the floor, on the horizontal axis, with a camera filming us and its video is projected on the wall so that it looks like we are standing. Therefore, you need to learn how to position your body on the floor to create the illusion of walking upright, climbing a rock, balancing on a tight rope, etc. That was quite interesting because it is like learning how to move in a world with completely different rules.

Photo: Mahmut Cinci
ECD4 student Uhr’lice Rosaria is touring with JAH! by Dalton Jansen, produced by Theater Rotterdam, and he is now performing in Frascati. JAH! by choreographer Dalton Jansen is a powerful ode to the black man in a western world and a profound celebration of fatherhood. Six performers move through collective traumas in search of inner freedom. Which traumas do you carry forward and which do you let go of? And how is this transmitted from generation to generation? If you missed the performances in Amsterdam you can still go and see the performance at many other venues! Visit the following link to book tickets: https://www.theaterrotterdam.nl/agenda/11586/theater-rotterdam-dalton-jansen/jah
and ENJOY!
ECD2 student Esila Esma Mayadag won the Red Bull Dance Your Style Turkey 2024! She will go to the world finals in Mumbai on 9 November 2024 where she will compete with 45 other dancers and we are so proud of her. Good luck, Esila

Blauwbaard | Holland Opera
ECD3 student Ditte Toppet and ECD alumni Salya Berraf and Doville Krutulyte performed in Bluebeard from Holland Opera and choreographed by Melvin Fraenk from DOX. Bluebeard is the blood-curdling opera about a stone-faced, mysterious man. He is both attractive and dangerous and carries a dark secret with him. Young Judith is looking for a deep experience, for intensity. Bluebeard piques her curiosity. She falls for him like a log. When he has to travel unexpectedly, he hands her the keys to his cathedral. He allows her to enter all but one room. Judith is fascinated, her desire to penetrate the secret behind the forbidden door fuelling her hunger for knowledge and wisdom
News from Teachers

Photo: Sjoerd Derine
ECD teacher Kalin Morrow won an award at the Nederlandse Dans Dagen. She was awarded the Zwaan for Most impressive Dance Performance for her role in The Previous Owner by Dunja Jocić/BIRD Productions. From the jury report: ‘Kalin touches the jury deeply with the purely human, physical fight through which she makes known how she wants to hold on to who she is.’ We are very proud of her and want to congratulate Kalin with the award!

Photo: Robin Rusch
ECD teacher Jodi Gilbert performed from 23 September until 6 October in New York in Indra’s Net by Meredith Monk. Therefore, we have asked Jodi a few questions on her time in New york working on the performance:
What has inspired you to perform in Indra’s Net? I have worked with Meredith Monk several times in the last 40 years, first at Carnegie Hall for her 20 year retrospective, and then in 1985 in the revival of Quarry at LaMaMA Theater in NYC and Kennedy Center in Washington DC. When the world premiere of Indra's Net was produced at the Holland Festival in 2023, Meredith asked me to join the Mirror Chorus, and to put together the other 7 singers in the chorus, to augment the 8 member vocal Ensemble, of which she is one.
Indra's net is a metaphor from a traditional Hindu and Buddhist story that describes a vast, infinite net of jewels, The net is intricately woven and stretches out in all directions. Each knot of the net has a jewel attached to it. The jewels are infinite in number and dimension, and each jewel reflects all the other jewels in the net. The net is a metaphor for interdependence of all phenomena.
What have been the challenges working on this project?
The Mirror Chorus is on stage the entire time. There is a lot of meditative sitting, and then standing to move to another place. The main challenge was to stand, regain balance and walk on legs that have fallen asleep. In my "backstory" we are the lens through which the audience views the Vocal Ensemble, who are the travelers in this magical world that is created in the piece. We are the guardians, the protectors, the observers. The piece is very meditative, with vocal vingettes, that are held together in a very associative way. We augment the Vocal Ensemble, sometimes sing unison with them, and sometimes interact on stage with them. Our presence is very important, and our main work, besides singing, is to be very aware and present.
What excited you most about the project?
It is a priveledge to perform with a creative, visionary artist, in a piece that has a humane and profound impact, with the goal of the performance being to move and inspire thought and feeling
What do you want the audience to take with them after seeing the performance?
The piece is wordless, the communication is in a vocalise that communicates beyond words. Meredith's work is known for this, and for some audience members this is challenging, as they want to know with it all means. The meaning is beyond words. A sense of connectivity, of slowing down thought, and allowing feelings to evolve without necessarily needing to understand. The music is gorgeous and is a wash over the the senses. It shimmers, and sometimes surprises. There are few moments of laughter, with surprising extended vocal techniques, which is typical Meredith Monk.
News from Alumni
ECD alumni Bryan Nurhakim is performing with Cheroney Pelupessy in her latest work, a duet “Nasib Katong Dua”. Originally created with Jefta Tanate, this vulnerable duet revolves around the search for identity and recognition. The two dancers use their similarities and differences to meet and support each other in their journey. The fate of the new generations of Indonesians and Moluccans is far from home. Fate has determined that we do not know our future. When will we see our own country? The fate of our ancestors has ensured that we can live well in someone else's country. Will we find our home here? Fate will determine. He is performing in October at the Felix Meritis in Amsterdam and more performances will come soon. The dates will be shared soon!
ECD alumni Rowan van Sen is still touring “From England with Love” with Schechter II company, and she just had her 50th performance. What a milestone! We are so proud of all our alumni shining in the work field! The tour continues until the end of 2024, check Hofesh Shechter company website for more dates near you: https://hofesh.co.uk/scheduled-events/touring/
ECD alumni Amisha Kumra is part of VierxVier, talent development platform, from Theater aan de Rijn in Arnhem. Chose along three other makers from many applications, Amisha developed her project _peeling my purple onion! Into a performance. Premiered on 26 September and saluted buy the press, the VierxVier is on tour now. https://www.theaterkrant.nl/recensie/vierxvier/theater-a-d-rijn-de-nieuwe-oost/
To buy ticket and get more information please visit the following link: https://www.theateraanderijn.nl/residentie/vierxvier/
We are so proud of her and wish all the best!
Open Call
ECD will host the second ECD Sneak Preview Winter Course from 9 to 20 December 2024. Participants will learn from ECD faculty, dance with ECD students and prepare themselves for the audition. For registration please go to: Winter School
