Folk dance – Renate Graziadei & Arthur Stäldi

This workshop utilizes a straightforward and simple choreographic process to collaboratively create a movement material. Participants are asked to contribute individual movements to the group, and from this pool, we will craft one or two specific dance sequences – a sort of folk dance.

We will work intensively and rigorously with the material that we develop together as a group. Each time we dance it, we will question, affirm, and approach it anew. Our folk dance will develop and transform through the dancing of it, observing, and objectively discussing it. Finally, we will “perform” this collectively developed material in duos, trios, or in unisono formations for each other.

Austrian Renate Graziadei completed her dance training in Switzerland and New York. She has worked with various companies and choreographers such as Nina Wiener Dance Company, Rui Horta and S.O.A.P Dance Theatre Frankfurt, COAX, Sasha Waltz and David Hernandez. In 2010, the magazine ballett international/tanz aktuell named her the best dancer of the year. Together with Arthur Stäldi, she founded laborgras. The collective explores contemporary dance, interdisciplinary experimentation and movement research. Stäldi worked for several state theaters in Switzerland and Germany. He has realized numerous international projects with laborgras as well as with other artists and choreographers, including David Hernandez. He has worked as a dancer, teacher, choreographer and dramaturg for more than 20 years.