Dance 001 (2015)
Dance 001 (2015) was first performed by Efrat Stempler during the Month of Performance in Berlin in 2015. This choreography is part of the archive Sculpture as Writing. The project explores the intersections of language, translation, and movement.
The work examines language as a code that directs movement, emphasizing the potential for personal interpretation and autonomy in translation. The choreography is guided by a score composed of diagrammatic drawings and written text, serving as prompts for the dancer. The performer’s individual interpretation becomes a central aspect of the piece, subtly resisting the textual code from which it originates.
By focusing on the fluidity of translation within the body and the inherent openness of textual language, Dance 001 highlights how language can both guide and restrict, exposing the gaps and possibilities within its structure. Throughout the performance, the dancer repeatedly returns to the script, reminding the audience of the playwright-like setup and the interplay between predetermined structure and experimental expression.
Dance 001 transforms the dancer’s body into a site of interpretation, idiosyncrasy, and dialogue between text and motion, offering an investigation into the dynamic relationship between choreography and language.
Dance 001. (2015) Print on Paper. Performed in Berlin in 2015 and 2016.
Dance 003 (2020)
Dance 003 (2020) is an unperformed choreography and a continuation of the explorations initiated in Dance 001. This work further investigates the intricate relationship between language and movement.
Like its predecessor, Dance 003 employs a choreographic score consisting of diagrammatic drawings and written text. The score consists of 16 acts, this time based on directions—north, west, east, and south—along with spatial entities such as walls, tables, floors, and more.
Through its conceptual focus, Dance 003 continues to challenge the boundaries of language’s ability. It explores the gaps between manual/score and performance, revealing the performer’s idiosyncrasies within the act of translation.
Dance 003. (2020) . Print on Paper. Not yet performed.