The New Academic Year 2024/2025 is launched

Hallo Vorname, 

Since August, our secondary school and university have been bustling with activity and we are very happy to welcome the new pupils of Orientation Level 1 and the new students into our Palucca family.

On 26 October 2024, the secondary school and the university will open their doors for the public. In honour of Patricio Bunster’s 100th birthday, you are invited to a public talk with former pupils and companions. Films and archive documents about Patricio Bunster will be presented in the library in the villa. Viewing personal files on this day will unfortunately not be possible due to this event. Also, with the new semester, the planning for the 100-year anniversary celebration enters its final stages. The focus is on cooperation projects with other cultural institutions in Dresden. You can view the events surrounding the University’s 100-year anniversary here. The list of events will be constantly updated:

palucca.eu/en/current-events/100-years-palucca-university-2025

Please be sure and tell your former student colleagues who aren’t in the Alumni Network about our events. We would be thrilled to see many of you at the event “Palucca bewegt”. (Palucca moves). More information can be found on the next page. Wishing each and every one of you a fabulous start in the coming season and I look forward to receiving news from you for our Alumni News column in the newsletter.

Warmest greetings from the University

Minh Huyen Pietruske

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

“Palucca bewegt” - Invitation to Improvisation  | 01 February 2025

Experience an interactive day together with our students and those interested in the University. Our alumni are invited to improvisational units, podium discussions and will have the opportunity to take a look into personal student files.

Viewing personal documents is only possible with prior registration (atalumni@palucca.eu) and after presenting identification documents.

Further program contents will be made known soon. There is no need to register personally to participate in any of the events.

JOIN - a new creation by the DFDC with students from the HfMDK (Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts)

At the beginning of this season, the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company presents a new collaborative project that goes beyond the usual limits. A new work by Ioannis Mandafounis brings the HfMDK ensemble and 25 dance students on stage together.

"Join" makes a simple and yet difficult attempt: How can dancers come together at completely different points in their personal and professional trajectories? How can an ensemble of professionals working at the highest level dance together with a group of students?  How do people come together in their diversity? "Join" takes a step in this direction. Dance students, in each respective city where the performance takes place, dance together with the ensemble of the DFDC. Hence, in Frankfurt, the 25 students from the Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts will participate in the production.

The dramaturgy of the evening is determined by instant blackouts. This allows for quick changes between choreographic images, which work with the masses of bodies, and scenes which are characterised by Mandafounis’ improvisational method.

A production of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company in cooperation with HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts.

With the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels. 

Funded by the "Fonds ZERO" programme of the German Federal Cultural Foundation. Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. 

Please find further information at: 

NEW IN THE ARCHIVE - FINDINGS

Who still knows them - the “Insel” books?

At a time when digital media dominate everyday life and bookshelves are increasingly being replaced by e-readers, one institution of literature remains constant: the Insel books. The Insel books are characterised by their small format and carefully designed covers which make them immediately recognizable and desirable.  They are a symbol for consistency and remind one that true art and literature is timeless and never loses its value.

Gret Palucca was a great fan of this book series. Often, she gave the books as presents to her pupils especially on birthdays, anniversaries, or for outstanding achievements. The books, with her personal messages, have become historical documents and they elucidate the respect and appreciation that Gret Palucca showed her contemporaries.

The Insel-Bücherei was founded in 1912 as a book-series by the Leipzig Insel publishers. In addition to a cross-section of world literature, a large number of illustrated volumes about art and nature were published over its years of existence. Even back then, the extraordinary success of the series was due to the great renown of the selected authors and the unmistakable design of the books with cover pictures and individual typography. The low retail price of 50 pfennigs also helped the volumes to succeed.
 To this day, the Insel-Bücherei volumes still find their readers, also as coveted collector's items for those who love beautiful and sophisticated books.

Our heartfelt thanks for this donation go to Jutta Schnuphase and Petra Klapperstück-Brückner. The books will be added to the collection of our university library.

The Rather Serious Art of Comedic Choreography

The legendary editor in chief of Harper`s Bazaar and Vogue, Diana Vreeland famously said “The eye has to travel.” When I’m creating a choreography one of the things that has to be considered is where I’m pulling the focus of the audience and guiding that eye to travel. Despite being a silent art form, dance has the ability to communicate volumes in a way in which words cannot. A curated and well thought out concept of lighting, music, costumes and choreography all help to communicate a vision whether abstract, narrative, serious or humorous. The ability to predict and guide the eye of the viewer is imperative to accessing the mind and heart of the audience. The pieces I have choreographed for children over the last years are often humorous in nature which, contrary to what one might envision, is a rather serious and meticulous process. A successful story or idea transmitted through dance should be clear and is not unlike that of a good joke, consisting of the setup, the build, and the punchline.

The set up introduces the scene and context for the joke. It should be engaging and capture the audience's attention. The second part is the build up, where layers and details are added, building the tension and curiosity of the audience. The final part, the
punchline, delivers a surprising and humorous twist, leaving the audience laughing,
surprised, and maybe even a bit bewildered. Each individual part of a jokes, anatomy is
contextualized through costume, lighting, music, timing, how the dancers relate to one
another, and their expressiveness. The impact of costume, light, expressiveness, and timing on humorous choreography cannot be overstated. Costumes play a vital role in setting the tone and enhancing the comedic effect of a performance. A well-chosen costume can exaggerate characters' personalities, highlight absurdities, and contribute to visual gags.

Over the top outfits or unconventional uses of common clothing, such as those worn for my most recent choreography “Foot” can amplify physical comedy, eliciting laughter before the performers even move. Lighting, similarly, is a powerful tool in humorous choreography. Strategic lighting can create contrast, spotlight key moments, and disguise or hide what should not be seen in order to produce funny and even absurd visual effects.

For instance, in “Foot” the lighting was strategically used in tandem with the costumes to highlight the upper body and hide the lower extremities thereby exaggerating the illusion of arms as legs and helping to provide visual enhancements that complemented the performers' jokes and actions. Expressiveness is another cornerstone of comedic choreography. The exaggerated
facial expressions, gestures, and body language of the performers can communicate humor more effectively than words. The nuances of a raised eyebrow, an exaggerated smile, or a perfectly timed glance can turn a simple movement into a hilarious moment. Timing, perhaps the most critical element, binds all these aspects together. In comedy, timing is everything. The precise execution of movements, the synchronization with musical or sound cues, and the deliberate pauses can make the difference between a joke landing or falling flat. Perfect timing can heighten the anticipation, build up suspense, and deliver the punchline with maximum impact. It's the rhythm of the performance that keeps the audience engaged and the humor flowing seamlessly. In essence, the interplay of costume, light, expressiveness, and timing in humorous choreography creates a rich, multi-sensory experience that guides the eyes and ears of an audience and brings laughter to life.

Kontakt: mic.j.tucker@gmail.com

Anniversary year 2025 - 100 years of Palucca University

Since its foundation by Gret Palucca in 1925, we can look back on a rich history of dance and want to celebrate it in style!