SFS 2021 : Kulning - une création originale de/an original creation of Elke Schroeder
23 juin 2021
« The inspiration for Kulning came from wanting to create a ritual for these dancing women. [...] I was interested in offering the dancers the opportunity to inhabit a role, to bring from their own lives colour to their characterization, [...] and to go through the performance as a transformational experience. »
Entrevue avec Elke Schroeder, interprète en danse de Toronto qui signe la création originale Kulning des étudiantes de 2e année à la Formation supérieure en danse contemporaine de L’École de danse de Québec. La pièce est présentement à l’affiche dans le cadre du Spectacle de fin de saison 2021 (SFS 2021) de la Formation supérieure de L’EDQ.
L’artiste en danse Elke Schroeder signe la création originale Kulning, créée pour les étudiantes de 2e année dans le cadre du Spectacle de fin de saison 2021 de la Formation supérieure en danse contemporaine de l’École, disponible en ligne du 10 au 23 juin 2021 inclusivement.
Dans cette entrevue, elle nous partage ses démarches de création en tant que chorégraphe, sa source d'inspiration pour Kulning, ainsi que son expérience vécue à travers les défis et difficultés de la dernière année.
- When you teach future professional dance artists, what is the first thing you want to pass on to them?
I would like to pass on to them the ability to be fully themselves while still being able to answer the needs of a choreographer. To find this balance of holding onto themselves, while being able to adapt to as many creative possibilities as they can. I would like to offer them tools for physical and mental resilience so that they are able to continue dancing for a long time, but also the tools for deep sensitivity needed for them to work with longevity in mind.
- What inspired you in your work as a choreographer for Kulning?
The inspiration came from wanting to create a ritual for these dancing women. I looked to 4 female archetypes: maiden, temptress, mother, crone. I was interested in offering the dancers the opportunity to inhabit a role, to bring from their own lives colour to their characterization, their physicalized expression of the dance tasks, and to go through the performance as a transformational experience.
- How did you experience the past year and a half with all its challenges and hardships as a dance artist?
This year has been incredibly challenging for everyone, and as an artist it has been about pivoting. It was a dance of trying to find all the possible ways we can to continue making our art. We had to stoke the fire of our creative passion - often with very little energetic reserves, and we had to do it blindly, not knowing what was coming next, always having to be ready for another change of direction... I think this year has been about resilience, about embracing large-scale change, and about holding onto the things that matter to us most. We will come out of this and with new tools, new skills, new hunger for making and dancing - I look forward to seeing a kind of renaissance in our field.
- If you had to give one piece of advice to our students of contemporary dance, what would it be?
Go. Continue. Rest. Observe. Repeat.
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L’EDQ reçoit chaque année plusieurs artistes, chorégraphes et professeurs invités afin d’initier les étudiants-danseurs à divers processus créatifs.//
L'École de danse de Québec tient à remercier Elke Schroeder pour le partage de ces quelques pensées avec le public!
L’École de danse de Québec wishes to thank Elke Schroeder for sharing her thoughts with the public!
Each year, L'EDQ welcomes several dance artists, choreographers et guest teachers to initiate the contemporary dance students to diverse creative processes.
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Elke Schroeder is a Toronto-based dance artist. A graduate of The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, she has worked with Lucy Rupert /Blue Ceiling Dance, Alias Dance Project, TILT Sound + Motion, Frog in Hand, and with choreographers Jenn Goodwin, Amanda Acorn, Susie Burpee and Andrea Nann (among others). Currently she is creating solo works for her company One Animal, just finished a creation for L'École de Danse de Québec, and is dancing in new creations by Karen Kaeja.
Elke’s diverse movement background includes dance of many styles, floorwork, acrobatics, yoga (Octopus Garden Teachers Training and Mentorship programs graduate), functional movement and martial arts. Her greatest influence is the Fighting Monkey Practice, a task-based, longevity- driven practice created by Jozef Frucek and Linda Kapetanea (RootlessRoot). A close student of Jozef and Linda, Elke is a designated FM instructor. In addition, she owes much credit to her other main teachers: David Zambrano (creator of Flying Low), Iñaki Azpillaga (Ultima Vez) and Peter Jasko (Les Slovaks). A passionate teacher, Elke has taught for organizations such as Spirit Loft (Toronto), Toronto Dance Community Love-in, L’Artère Danse, L'École de Danse de Québec, The School of Toronto Dance Theatre, the University of Calgary, Ryerson University, York University, Jane Clapp/Movement for Trauma and GMD (Toronto).
Elke is known for her explosive performance quality and skills on the floor; she moves like, “an almost literal ball of effervescent energy, like a swiftly tilting planet falling out of
orbit” (Mooney on Theatre). She is an active creator and performer and travels her work throughout Canada and abroad.
VISIONNEZ KULNING
Kulning est disponible en ligne jusqu’au 23 juin 2021 inclusivement, dans le cadre du Spectacle de fin de saison 2021 des étudiant.e.s à la Formation supérieure en danse contemporaine de L’École de danse de Québec.
Étudiant.e.s de 2e année : Élisabeth Arsenault, Laurence Bécotte, Minerva Bonnabel, Noémie Chenard-Joe, Florence Côté, Maïna Darracq, Jessica Drouin, Rosalie Leblanc, Leticia Porto Gonçalves, Emmy Grégoire, Deya Lemière, Romane Picard, Léa Richard-Cormier, Sarah-Jane Savard, Laïny Trozzo-Mounet
*Le programme Danse-interprétation de L'École de danse de Québec est offert en partenariat avec le Cégep de Sainte-Foy.