Thomas Vantuycom

Jazz, through composition and improvisation (Rosas)

 A shared sense of groove and energy

Set choreography and improvisation might seem like opposites. But what happens when they meet and merge into a seamless whole? This question guided the choreographic process behind A Love Supreme, a Rosas piece from 2005 set to John Coltrane’s eponymous jazz album.

In this workshop, we’ll take a one-day deep dive into this repertory work. We’ll start by learning one of the set phrases from the piece—a recurring movement motif, like a musical refrain. From there, we’ll use this phrase as a springboard to develop tools for improvisation.

Much like jazz musicians, we’ll walk a delicate tightrope between structure and freedom, continually returning to the melody. Together, we’ll ask: what is the core of something that changes every time? Like a musical ensemble, we’ll work collectively to create a shared sense of groove and excitement.

Teacher

Thomas Vantuycom operates at the intersection of dance and music. After a detour via economics studies, he found his way to P.A.R.T.S.. He worked at Rosas for four years and did a lot of freelance projects. In 2021, he made his choreographic debut with Electric Life, a large-scale creation based on Stravinsky’s Petrouchka, which was received with acclaim. He is also active within Y-Collective and feeds his curiosity outside the studio with web design, mathematics and other geeky passions.

Accessibility

• The workshop is physically demanding
• The workshop is accessible to wheelchair users
• The ability to memorise long phrases or structures is a requirement