DocuDans* (DocuDance)

The idea behind DocuDans was born during a school tour in Oppland County with Peer Gynt no. 371, the winter of 2006, as a result of the experiences the choreographer and dancers made in meeting with the pupils. We missed the opportunity to enter a dialogue with the pupils, and when we had it, we as well as the pupils found it useful and stimulating. Based on these experiences we wished to meet the students more directly in the performance DocuDans.

DocuDans was a performance continuously evolving as it was shown at schools, in the rehearsal studio and other informal settings.

All the solo parties in DocuDans were documentary in their content, springing out from the questions "Why do I dance?" and "Why did I start dancing?" Altogether the six solos covered a wide range of the dance’s inner and outer structures, reflecting different dance directions from classical ballet, modern dance and contemporary dance, to more popular dance. The aim was to raise the awareness among the pupils and to nuance their idea of dance in general, plus evoking discussion.

Every dancer had in cooperation with choreographer Øyvind Jørgensen developed his/her own movement material. All the solos were founded in the dancers’ own experience and background, giving them personal expressions and presence. The dance expression ranged from the abstract to the concrete. We took advantage of surprise and humour, for instance could the other dances at times interrupt the solo, and in short sequences dance along with or in contrast with the solo dancer.

In the solos a certain amount of text was integrated, based on personal subjective experience and background. The texts were documentary and biographical in their content, and all of it was created in collaboration between choreographer and dancer. Dance and text were performed simultaneously so that the solos could be regarded as a dancing lecture. At one level, DocuDans had a documentary and informative character. At another, it was personal and subjective. The performance appealed to the emotional and the intellectual at the same time, seemingly presenting the personal and the documentary as the same.

During the performance direct dialogue was approved of, for instance when spontaneous questions from the audience were raised. The dancers were given space to follow up on impulses in the situation, verbally and physically. This way the performance remained, to a certain point, flexible and continuously evolving.

About the music:

Choreographer Øyvind Jørgensen and composer Petter Wiik had collaborated in ten productions the last ten year, and a selection of excerpts from music accompanying these former performances was used in DocuDans. To create tension and development within the span of the solos we also utilised contrasting sound scores, music from all genres supporting the surprise elements and humorous aspects, music the pupils would recognise, music important to the dancers or music representing and reflecting different dance styles or the themes and content of the choreography.

Artistic review after 64 showings, April 2008 (Excerpt from report):

"DocuDans has appealed to the target group. The direct dialogue we have worked for has resulted in nice meeting points with the youth, opening for conversation and exchange of information and personal viewpoints.

The pupils have been remarkably responsive and surprisingly focused and concentrated during the performances, despite differing levels of interest in dance to begin with.

The performance has turned out to appeal to an adult audience as well. The feedback we have gotten from teachers and other adults expresses that the performance is seen as personal and moving, besides being informative and giving access to dance experiences."

Dancers Team I: Biniam Yhidego, Silje Høgaas and Øyvind Jørgensen

Dancers Team II: Nils Jakob Johannesen, Sittibancha Bamphen, and Kenya K. F. Parsons

Collaborative partners: Dansens Hus, Oppland County, The National Touring Network for Performing Arts and schools (level corresponding to Upper and Lower Sixth Form in UK) in Oslo and the surrounding area.

DocuDans by Øyvind Jørgensen Productions was supported by Arts Council Norway and The Fund for Performing Artists. The new run of performances is supported by The Norwegian Culture Fund, The Fund for Performing Artists and The Audio Visual Fund.

Source:

Øyvind Jørgensen, ojprod.com, 01.08.2010, http://www.ojprod.com/prod_07-09/DocuDans/omforestillingen.html

"DocuDans is a sincere educational project about scenic dance and dancers. The performers move with self-experienced stories and autobiographical movement." Sidsel Pape, 05.12.2007, Review titled Confident, spontaneous and true, Scenekunst, 01.08.2010, http://www2.scenekunst.no/artikkel_4182.nml