“Evocation: something, flesh emerges from voice”
— Michel Serres
The International Festival of Contemporary Dance ARC FOR DANCE FESTIVAL is ringing in the second decade of its existence in a vibrant polyphony, focusing on the multiplicity of ‘voices’ that are created, propounded and broadcasted by the bodies of dance, and the ways in which such voices resonate with the viewers. The festival is invoking a variety of dance idioms and highlighting their ability to articulate assertions, express demands, and fashion landscapes made up of complex rituals and multifaceted stimuli.
How does dance ‘heed’ the world and how does it facilitate our shift from per-ception to con-ception?
How does dance capture rhythm as it relates to time, repetition, movement and pause? How does tempo fit in with the extemporaneous? And to what extent does dance embody the ‘noise’ – the non-sensical voice of the random?
What does digital reality sound like and how does it reverberate in the ‘real’ world through our physical bodies?
Is memory auditory or somatic? What triggers it and what determines its syntactic structure when expressed?
Building on the main theme and premises of its previous, 10th anniversary edition, which focused on the multidimensional co-formation of the contemporary, ARC 11 tunes in to the ‘noise’ produced by dance as it constructs its own language, rhythms, tonalities, and volumes. It tunes in to the articulation of movement and calls upon us to comprehend the new dimensions that result from such polyphony.
The International Festival of Contemporary Dance ARC FOR DANCE FESTIVAL, with artistic director Frosso Trousa at its helm, has been organized since 2008 by the non-profit DAN.C.CE Unitiva. Since 2018, it enjoys the support of the Greek State and the European Union through the Operational Program “ATTICA 2014–2020.”
ARC FOR DANCE FESTIVAL 11 consists of the following events and performances (in chronological order):
ΑRC_dialogues
04 & 05/ 05
Choreographers Sofia Mavragani, Fotis Nikolaou, Fouad Boussouf and Flora Détraz reveal their ‘raw material’ and influences by means of screenings and an open discussion with the public, coordinated by Chrysanthi Badeka.
ARC_hood
10 & 12/ 05
ARC goes out in the city and Satchie Noro and Silvain Ohl transubstantiate a 40-foot container into a dance origami in progress in Athens and Elefsina.
ARC_prime movers
18 & 19/ 05
Young creators enjoy the opportunity to present their work and their particular kinetic language, and gain valuable field experience, getting into contact with a wide international audience. Presented will be works by the following choreographers (alphabetically): Nantia Gogoulou, Int.P dance company (Maria Papakonstantinou, Marianna Karavida, Nicolas Chatzivassiliadis), Alexandra Kostopoulou, and Alexandra Rogovska.
ARC_loop
18 & 19 & 23 & 24 & 25/ 05
Despina Lloyd Goula is presenting a loop of vertical dance in integral discourse with the building of OLVIO Theatre (venue of ARC_prime movers) and the building of Cosmote e-Value opposite KIVOTOS Theatre (venue of ARC_main fest).
ARC_main fest
23 & 24 & 25 & 26/ 05
The nucleus of the festival features eight performances of new works of contemporary dance, five of which are presented in their world premiere in Athens. These works cover a wide array of expression, revolving around the sound of movement, the polyphony of bodies and, ultimately, the language articulated by dance today. More specifically, staged at KIVOTOS Theatre will be works by the following creators (alphabetically): Ioanna Antonarou & Natasa Sarantopoulou, Stefanos Bizas, Fouad Boussouf (Morocco-France), Flora Détraz (Portugal-France), Xenia Koghilaki, kóka&panú (Konstandina Efthimiadou & Panagiotis Manouilidis), Sofia Mavragani, and Fotis Nikolaou (Cyprus).
ARC_flow
25 & 26/ 05
Web live streaming of the festival’s core performances staged at KIVOTOS Theatre.
ARC_hothouses
23 & 24/ 05
Training workshops for dance professionals focusing on the latest developments in dance techniques, international trends and new dance idioms.
With ARC FOR DANCE FESTIVAL 11, the event that spearheaded the effort to bring new trends and choreographers to the forefront is reaffirming its faith in the open dynamic of dance as this is reflected in its continuous interaction with other art forms and expressions.
It is insisting on fostering the appropriate environment that allows for the emergence of innovative creative trajectories and a substantial experimentation on the language of dance by novice and seasoned choreographers alike.
It is broadening the contribution of Greek artists in the global discourse on dance by facilitating their participation in international networks and inviting to Greece dance professionals, programmers and specialists from around the world.
It is enhancing the presence and visibility of dance in the public sphere and proposing new approaches to comprehending and relishing the movement of the human body.
