Peer learning workshops in Portugal

The realization of the Up2DANCE Project (Project code: 2019-1-IT01-KA202-007609/ Project National ID (CUP): G85G19000110006) proceeded with the organization and conduction of two more Peer Learning Workshops held by Companhia de Danca de Almada (Portugal) in July and in October.

From July 4th to July 10th the partners from the consortium were welcomed in Almada, Portugal for one week long workshop consisting of classical ballet and contemporary dance classes, as well as discussions in relation to the state of art.

All the participants were welcomed to Almada by Maria Franco, Ana Macara and Carlota Machado. Тhe workshop was dedicated to classical ballet and contemporary dance classes given by the representatives of each partnering organization as well as discussions.

• Hereby is a short overview of the important conclusions in terms of the profession of the contemporary dancer:
• The dancer can commit to the performance and give meaning to choreographic work from a personal perspective.
• The dancer can demonstrate in his/her performance imaginative power, inventiveness, and individual color.
• The dancer develops a personal signature in the interpretation of a dance piece.
• The dancer can place his/her work in a broader intercultural, societal, and international perspective. 
• The dancer knows how to prepare and warm up by himself for a class, rehearsal, or performance.
  What is more, a vibrant attention was given to the role of the rehearsal director/repetiteur.

It was commented that this role corresponds to a kind of “superhero in the shadow”. It concerns a fundamental role in the presentation of a dance piece that is quite frequently forgotten by those who are not deeply involved in the process of putting a dance on the stage. It is especially important that this role is assumed by someone with a lot of experience dancing on stage, but also has a good understanding of the each of the dancers as well as the choreographer. He/she needs to get the trust of both, and serve as a coach, knowledgeable of training methods and necessary rest periods in order to bring out the best of the dancers’ potentiality. He/she needs to have a particularly good relationship with the dancers, the choreographer, the technicians, and the company’s direction, and serve as a contact between all the entities involved in the presentation of the work. The repetiteur receives the tension from all the parts and needs to work a problem solver, contributing in an extreme manner to the well being of the whole company.

The second Peer Learning Workshop lead by Companhia de Danca de Almada was held between September 30th and October 2nd and was incorporated withing the International Dance Festival Quinzena de Dança de Almada. The Up2DANCE Project partners who attended the workshop were: Derida Dance Center, Balletto di Roma and ICK Dans Amsterdam.

The main aims of the activity were:

• To review the different training methods and the documentation of artistic work related to those training methods exchanged during the online training activities.
• To exchange practices and acquire new competences about digital approaches to contemporary dance.
• To disseminate project results at the local level in Portugal.

WHAT NOW?
What comes next in the realization process of the Up2DANCE project is one final meeting in Rome, Italy, hosted by the project leading partner – Balletto di Roma.
Discussions in relation to the progress of the dissemination events and activities will be held, as well as matters regarding the organization of the final event.
The Memorandum of Understanding will be officially signed amongst partners and they would brainstorm about the future of the work group.
For more information about the workshops, please follow: (link to the website with full text)

FOR UP2DANCE

Up2DANCE (2019-2021) is an Erasmus+ project aimed at harmonizing knowledge, competencies and skills in the dance profession and dance education at European level. The aim is to increase the mobility of contemporary dance professionals in Europe.

The project is implemented in partnership between Balletto di Roma (Italy), Derida Dance Center (Bulgaria), Polish Dance Theater (Poland), ICK Dans Amsterdam (Netherlands), Companhia de Danca de Almada (Portugal) and Magenta Consultoria Projects (Spain), and is co-financed by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union.

For more information, please follow the official Facebook page of the project, @up2danceproject or the official website: www.up2danceproject.eu