Performing Animalities – A Praxis is a dance-oriented study, open rehearsal, and a performance, which moves across notions of human and animal, bringing them closer to each other. It is a bodily event composed of touch, movement, sounds and words of two performers – an invitation to interspecies dialogue.
What will take place, when one ceases to define “human” as something that separates us from other animals? When instead we turn to animality as a fundamental part of being and recognize our belonging in the animal kingdom – one species in a spectrum of many. How can other kinds of animalities emerge from and inhabit the performing body?
The piece was always performed in the form of an open rehearsal, and it was never intended to be completed.
Choreography and performance: Matilda Aaltonen and Veli Lehtovaara
Sound design: Markus Tapio (2022->)
Dramaturgical support: sociologist Salla Tuomivaara
The project began in October 2020, initially under the title “Voiko eläintä esittää?”
On November 17, 2020, we held an open rehearsal at Maijansali, Oodi Central Library.
On May 18, 2022, we performed at the Traces of November 2022 program, part of the Moving in November festival, at the Pihlajamäki Youth Center.
On December 2 and 3, 2022, we performed at the Voiko eläintä kertoa? event at Puistokatu 4 in Helsinki.
The performance was part of the research projects “Speaking on behalf of the biospheric voiceless: the impact of language on the emotions and attitudes concerning non-human animals” and “Can animals be expressed? The challenges of conceptualising animals in sciences and arts”.
Supporters: Kone Foundation and Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
What will take place, when one ceases to define “human” as something that separates us from other animals? When instead we turn to animality as a fundamental part of being and recognize our belonging in the animal kingdom – one species in a spectrum of many. How can other kinds of animalities emerge from and inhabit the performing body?
The piece was always performed in the form of an open rehearsal, and it was never intended to be completed.
Choreography and performance: Matilda Aaltonen and Veli Lehtovaara
Sound design: Markus Tapio (2022->)
Dramaturgical support: sociologist Salla Tuomivaara
The project began in October 2020, initially under the title “Voiko eläintä esittää?”
On November 17, 2020, we held an open rehearsal at Maijansali, Oodi Central Library.
On May 18, 2022, we performed at the Traces of November 2022 program, part of the Moving in November festival, at the Pihlajamäki Youth Center.
On December 2 and 3, 2022, we performed at the Voiko eläintä kertoa? event at Puistokatu 4 in Helsinki.
The performance was part of the research projects “Speaking on behalf of the biospheric voiceless: the impact of language on the emotions and attitudes concerning non-human animals” and “Can animals be expressed? The challenges of conceptualising animals in sciences and arts”.
Supporters: Kone Foundation and Arts Promotion Centre Finland.
|
|
|
|
|
Photos: Joonatan Aaltonen and Outimaija Hakala
|
Drawing: Matilda Aaltonen
