Hello Vorname, 

Many greetings from the Palucca University of Dance Dresden. I am very pleased to be sending you the new issue of our Alumni Newsletter!

With this issue you are cordially invited to the events happening at our University during the summer semester.

In addition to the public performances of this year’s Bachelor presentations, I would also like to announce the events “Soirée”, “Tanzwoche Hiddensee”, and “Tanzwoche Sylt”. Using the QR code on the backside of the newsletter, you can access information pertaining to these events. You can also find information regarding the events directly on our homepage under “Calendar” 

Coming soon - next year, the Palucca University will celebrate its Centenary! One hundred years full of unique successes, unforgettable moments and important stories will then lie behind us. But for our celebration, we need your support!

What are the qualities that make the Palucca institution special for you? What has it meant or does it mean to you personally? What extraordinary experiences have you had here? Whether stories, anecdotes, interviews, thoughts, sketches, poems, images, songs, or mini-performances - we would like to collect your contributions of mementos and memories and then create a “Palucca Geschichte” from them.

Please submit your personal contributions to Angela Rannow at a.rannow@palucca.eu.by 30 June 2024. We are looking forward to a great number of responses!

I hope you have fun reading and that you will send us your news for the next Alumni Newsletter!

Minh Huyen Pietruske

Department of Strategic Development/Communication
Student Marketing & Alumni Coordinator
alumni@paluccca.eu | +49 351 25906-45

„DEFINING ZERO“ - Öffentliche Präsentation der Bachelorarbeiten
Tanz

Defining zero is to attempt to define something indefinable. To give value to something that is initially invaluable. Art has no value. No one can set a piece of art in stone, the creator nor the viewers, its message is forever undetermined, unidentified. Value is only given upon each, individual viewer’s first encounter with the creative work. Without the power of the spectator, the art is just art, without its value, it is zero. Simultaneously it is a starting point, a clean slate perhaps.

‘Defining zero’ symbolizes the moment dancers engage with their art, identities, and artistic vision in a fundamental way. It’s the moment of redefining the dancing journey, setting the starting point, and simultaneously confronting the infinite possibilities of dance.

Tickets:
17. May 2024 - 7 p.m. 
18. May 2024 - 2 p.m.  
18. May 2024 - 7 p.m

Place:
Grüner Saal
Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden
Basteiplatz 4 | 01277 Dresden

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Massimo Gerardi appointed Director of Dance

As of next season, Massimo Gerardi will be the director of dance at the G.H. Theater Görlitz-Zittau.

Currently lecturer and ballet master at the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy, he was chosen from among more than 40 applicants, having impressed the management team and company with his experience and inspired work.

Theatre Director Daniel Morgenroth is looking forward to working with a talented choreographer who unites classical ballet with a contemporary language of dance.

Website: https://massimo-gerardi-substanz.de/

THE LIBRARY’S NEW ACQUISITIONS

Body Images: vom Sinn der Sinnlichkeit / by Norbert Servos. – Munich: e-podium Verlag, 2024. – 279 pages: illustrations. – EUR 29.00

“Body Images” is a very personally motivated book about the history of German modern expressionist dance up to dance theatre. Dance is not presented as a single discipline, but rather within a social and cultural context. 

Based on personalities in literature, film, fine arts and dance, dance expert and choreographer Norbert Servos explores the question of how our body image has changed over the last 100 years. The author is well known for his books about Tanztheater Pina Bausch, Susanne Linke, and Reinhild Hofmann. 

Norbert Servos places body images in a relationship - for example the tortured body in Franz Kafka’s stories and Vaslav Nijinsky’s liberated dancing body. Another example is his analysis of the choreographic works by William Forsythe based upon Rudolf Laban’s theories of space.

The work and contributions of individual artists are based on the author's own earlier texts, which he has adapted for the book.

NEW IN THE ARCHIVE - FINDINGS

Time Capsule

A time capsule is a container that is placed within the foundation of a building at the laying of its cornerstone. The contents of these capsules are usually coins, banknotes, current newspapers, chronicles or statistical information about the area.

The time capsule presented here originated in 1980. More specifically, on 31 October 1980 - the day on which the cornerstone was placed by the VEB Bau Radebeul, a former GDR publically-owned enterprise, for the annex on Wiener Strasse with its planned five new dance studios. On 28 August 2004, due to the fact that a further annex, the present glass annex, was planned, the former cornerstone was opened and the time capsule was removed. It originally contained a set of GDR coins and an edition of the Socialist Unity Party’s daily newspaper “Neues Deutschland” from 31 October 1980. The newspaper didn’t survive. Only the coins can be found among the Archive’s inventory.

Embracing Constraints: "Choreographing with Kids"

In the world of dance, choreography is a delicate balance of creativity and structure.

It’s a form of expression where movement becomes a language, communicating stories, emotions, and ideas. Yet, within this realm of boundless creativity, there exists a paradox: constraints are not inhibitions,

but rather catalysts for innovation. Constraint creates the necessary environment for movement, resourcefulness, creativity and progress to flourish and if not for the pressure by which constraint produces there would be little need or motivation for innovation and advancement to occur. Understanding and embracing constraints is paramount for any choreographers seeking to find both clarity and creativity in their work.

Constraints in choreography can take various forms, from limitations in space and time, thematic or conceptual boundaries as well as limitations produced by costume and set design. Over the past couple of years I have produced numerous choreographic works on children and adolescents. Choreographing a dance with children is a unique and rewarding experience and comes with its own set of challenges and constraints.

From working within the limitations of youthful energy and attention spans to coordinating costumes and music suitable for young performers, I have learned to navigate various constraints to create engaging and memorable performances. As mentioned above, one of the primary constraints when choreographing with kids is their boundless energy and limited attention spans.

This is both a blessing and a curse. Unlike adult dancers, children may have difficulty maintaining focus for extended periods. Rather than viewing this as a limitation, I have learned to embrace and hone the energy and enthusiasm of young dancers, through my own pedagogical strategies and practices as well as by weaving playful movements and content into my choreography. When I choreograph on children, I have to be both aware of the individual student and the group, take time to explain but also keep the rehearsal moving forward, I have to play the part of the clown to let them release their inhibitions and show them how far they can stretch their expression and sometimes the part of the police to set limits and guidelines to their work and behavior.

It is a never ending balancing act of chaos and constraint, structure and freedom and silly but serious. Another significant constraint in choreographing with kids is selecting music that is age-appropriate and suitable for their skill level. While certain genres or styles may afford me more inspiration as a choreographer I have to always choose accessible music that reflects their technical and musical abilities, taking into account factors such as tempo, rhythm, and content. By engaging children in the creative process and allowing them to express themselves authentically within a creative structure and selecting music that inspires and motivates young dancers, I have been able to create pieces that are vibrant, dynamic, and reflective of the joy and spontaneity that comes with childhood.

contact: mic.j.tucker@gmail.com

„Es Reicht!“ Choreography by Michael Tucker