Humans | Bodies | Images

Despre body shaming prin dans contemporan.

“Deviza mea e ‘cu cat mai slaba, cu-atat mai bine’ asa ca va dati seama foarte usor ca am o motivatie foarte puternica sa dau atentie acestui subiect” Ioana Marchidan

Ne gandim la dans ca la o forma fizica in miscare abstracta, capabila sa contina si sa transmita idei si emotii. In acest sens nu ne putem gandi la dans fara sa ne gandim la corp. La estetica si pregatirea lui. Ce inseamna aceasta pregatire? Ani de zile de antrenamente intense, de sacrificii imense si nu de putine ori, de body shaming in cantitati insuportabile. Estetica corporala a dansatorilor in miscare reprezinta o mare parte din aprecierea pe care o avem fata de acestia cand ii vedem performand. Cu ce costuri vine aceasta estetica si ce inseamna sa faci performanta? Cu ani de devotament. Cu zeci de restrictii. Cu o trauma care se instaureaza insidios si ramane acolo, agatata in minte. Ani de zile de voci care condamna, care ridiculizeaza, care cearta se transforma in ani de zile in care acele voci devin fara sa stim propria voce din interior care continua sa ne condamne, sa ne ridiculizeze, sa ne certe.

Conceptul spectacolului “Humans | Bodies | Images” a fost dezvoltat pornind de la experienta personala a coregrafei in anii de pregatire in scoala de balet si extins catre o perspectiva mai larga care cuprinde impactul pe care il are body shamingul in prezent. Performance-ul nu urmareste o poveste anume ci este compus din momente distincte inspirate de povestile reale ale unor oameni care au dorit sa-si impartaseasca experienta proprie in cadrul etapei de cercetare din proiect. 

Pornind de la aceste istorisiri, dramaturgul Mihaela Michailov a creat o serie de texte ce completeaza unele momente coregrafice si transmit mai clar intentia Ioanei Marchidan de a atrage atentia asupra gravitatii impactului negativ pe care il are body shamingul in dezvoltarea noastra, mai ales in perioada copilariei si adolescentei. 

O parte importanta a rezultatului final consta in abordarea performerelor Mariana Gaviciuc, Simona Dabija si Teodora Velescu si implicarea acestora in constructia spectacolului printr-o atitudine creativ-colaborativa si prin adaugarea unor fragmente reale din propria experienta cu subiectul body shamingului. 

Esenta momentelor identifica si portretizeaza raportarea noastra la corp in arta, in fashion, in mass media, in educatie si in familie, marcand diverse diferente in functie de varsta sau gen. Spectacolul este creat astfel incat sa poata fi usor interpretat si urmarit de o varietate larga de spectatori dar ne dorim cu precadere sa fie accesibil adolescentilor pentru ca stim ca varsta aceasta este una din cele mai vulnerabile. 

“Imi doresc ca oamenii sa devina atenti si sa chestioneze de ce se simt nepotriviti, incompleti, prea mult sau prea putin. Vreau ca spectacolul acesta nu doar sa atraga atentia asupra impactului negativ al body shamingului dar si sa ii ajute pe cei care il vad sa isi dea seama ca nu sunt singurii afectati, indiferent de cum arata, ce varsta sau gen au si ca e momentul sa ne acceptam si apreciem noi pe noi si unii pe altii. Sa ne dam seama ca vocea aia care ne spunem ca nu suntem ‘cum trebuie’ nu e a noastra si mai e si gresita.” Ioana Marchidan

Coregrafie si concept: Ioana Marchidan

Performere: Teodora Velescu, Mariana Gavriciuc, Simona Dabija

Dramaturgie texte: Mihaela Michailov

Asistent coregrafie: Arcadie Rusu

Muzica si Sound design: Alexandru Suciu

Concept Lighting design: Hermina Stanciulescu

Graphic design: Hermina Stanciulescu

Durata: 50 min

Spectacolul face parte din proiectul “Humans | Bodies | Images” co-produs de Asociatia Dance Spot si Linotip Centru Independent Coregrafic, co-finantata de AFCN. Mai multe detalii despre proiect aici.

Linotip

Linotip is an Independent Coregraphic Center launched in 2016 by a well known team of 4 artists as founding members.

 The venue is located in the heart of Romanian capital, Bucharest, and has a capacity of 60 seats with a stage of 120 sqm.

Here the main activities are: dance performance productions, artistic rezidencies, dance educational programs, dance film projections and so on, 

while constantly  trying to support emerging choreographers and dancers. 

Linotip has become  shortly a reference in contemporary dance and theatre, since its launch fsix years ago,. Because of its numerous productions, workshops, rezidences and collaborations with local and international artists and institutions, Linotip was awarded with distinctions such as Cultural Entreprenorship Prize, Promoter of Dance – Theater Scene and many others. 

Doing its activities with an open approach, while working close with many local structures of dance community, Linotip now may be considered a cultural link between artists, institutions and public.

The concept of the Humans | Bodies | Images performance was developed based on the personal experience of the choreographer during her years of training in ballet school and extended to a broader perspective that includes the impact that body shaming currently has.

The performance is inspired by the real stories of some people who wanted to share their own experience during the research stage. Starting from these stories, the playwright Mihaela Michailov wrote a series of texts that complete the choreographic discourse of Ioana Marchidan. The show questions the way we relate to the body in art, in fashion, in the media, in education and in the family.

An important part of the final result consists in  involving the performers Mariana Gavriciuc, Simona Dabija and Teodora Velescut in the construction of the show through a creative-collaborative approach by adding real fragments from their own experience with the subject of body shaming.

“I want people to become more careful and question why they feel inadequate, incomplete, too much, too little.

I want this show not only to draw attention to the negative impact of body shaming, but also to accept and appreciate ourselves and each other.

Let’s realize that the voice that tells us that we are not as we should be is not ours. “ Ioana Marchidan

Ioana Marchidan

Born in 1982 in Romania, Ioana is one on the most well known Romanian based performers, as for more than 15 years she has been working with established choreographers and theatre directors. While performing, Ioana likes to challenge herself in relationship with the problems of the world that surrounds her. While choreographing, Ioana likes to speak about contemporary feminism and the influence of education in the way women are perceived in SE Europe.

Ioana started her career as dancer for the National Opera House and Orion Ballet. Later on, she became one of the first members of Gigi Caciuleanu Romanian Dance Company, a collaborator of subsTANZ/Massimo Gerardi, Linotip Dance Company and Tangaj Collective. She has danced in pieces created by Ioana Macarie, Chris Simion and Dragos Galgotiu, showcased at The Place (UK), The 16th Keochang International Festival of Theatre (KR), Cairo Experimental Theatre Festival (EG), Aichi Worldwide Exhibition (JP), The Francophone Festival (AU, JO, IT, PT), Festival d’Avignon (FR). In 2013 she was one of the performers of “An Immaterial Retrospective of the Venice Biennale” (Alexandra Pirici & Manuel Pelmus, Venice Bienalle, IT).

Lately Ioana has started to choreograph her own dance pieces, based on a feminist view on the world, she likes to challenge herself with delicate topics that represent the political and social views on the world. 

Her first show, ”Two Contemporary Women” is a feminist contemporary dance performance/show, inspired by the woman’s condition in today’s society. 

“Stabat Mater” is made as collaboration with director Amalia Olaru, addressed in contemporary dance the story proposed by Pergolessi’s concert, Mary’s sufferance (Awarded Best Performance at Undercloud International Festival, RO). 

“Reverse Discourse” is her 3rd performance that began as part of an E-MOTIONAL Residency at Forum Dança Lisbon. This show is a body politics piece created in remembrance of the unilateral impact of power on the bodies of generations of people whether it was about dictatorship, religion or a rockstar.  

“Humans | Bodies | Images” is a contemporary dance performance created in collaboration with the dramaturg Mihaela Michailov and addresses the impact that body shaming has in performing arts but also in our culture and society in general. A show inspired by real facts. 

“Are we human or are we dancers?” is a dance piece created at MStudio in Sfantu Gheorghe in collaboration with the local performers. It’s a piece on the act of being seen, observed on the stage, admired. A show about the artists and their existence on and off the stage and the balance in between questioning where the artist starts and the person ends and vice-versa. 

She is the president of Dance Spot Association and Artistic Director at Linotip – Independent Choreography Centre, since 2016.