I’ve been up two nights in a row obsessing on finishing up my dance film project. Here’s a frame from this project titled “STILL”
Backhausdance had their 10th anniversary performance earlier this year. It’s a fantastic company that I’m proud to be part of for the first 7years of my dance career. If you don’t know who they are, this video does a great job in summing up who they are.
This year… I decided to celebrate my birthday and Howie’s with this formula: Dancers + cakes/sweets + 90s music. And the result was strangely fun.
I’m taking the week off from dancing. So I took along my dancer friends on a bike ride from Rotterdam to Delft. It was a great day for cycling.
Splitting: the 2013 edition of ‘planking’
SPLITTING is the new planking. 1) Choose a RANDOM location 2) Make a split (full, no half splits) 3) Take a picture 4) Post it here. Join & WORK IT!! Also: ADD more and more dancers to this group!!
Join the movement of the new 'planking'.... SPLITTING! :)
SPLITTING is the new planking. 1) Choose a RANDOM location 2) Make a split (full, no half splits) 3) Take a picture 4) Post it here. Join & WORK IT!! Also: ADD more and more dancers to this group!!
the worst rejection letter a dancer could get ‘MUST READ’
I recently met a wonderful and talented dancer visiting the Netherlands. She was kind enough to show me this email she received after applying to an audition for a brand new company in the Netherlands, ‘de Theater Company.’ In some ways I do think this ‘director’ meant well, but it came across uneducated-ly rude and personal. I ask my new friend to forward this email to me, so I can share it to the world as a example how dancers are occasionally treated.
As an artist who hold auditions myself, I always have the highest respect for dancers who put themselves out there and apply for my auditions. It blew my mind when I read this email. How this woman can write such ignorant email? I even think it’s border-lining sexist and racist. When many businesses are held responsible for how the treat their employers/ workers, I think dance companies need to do the same. Often I find dancers being treated poorly by choreographers or artistic directors. The whole world is getting better on their ways of treating people. Dance world needs to catch up.
I really hope no other company directors write as awful as this. I’m really tempted to send a copy of this email to the editor of Dance Magazine as a sample of ‘what not to write’ for all the artistic directors out there.
I have included her email address on here, because I think she needs to be responsible of what she puts out there. But please, if you do decide to respond to her… do it nicely and with respect. DO NOT do it the way she did to the 130 dancers she rejected.
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From: ahm.holthuizen@xs4all.nl
To: ahm.holthuizen@xs4all.nl
Subject: Unfortunately you are not invited for the audition of DTC
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2013 11:13:48 +0100
Dear performer,
Unfortunately, you are not invited for the audition of DeTheaterCompagnie (Netherlands). You are one of the 130 people who gets this disappointing message.
So this message is not specifically for you. This mail goes to all.
There are different reasons for declining and rejection. I’ll mention here only some of them:
1. Some of you only sent me their CV and their pictures. But we want to see you moving ‘live’.
2. Some of you did send a youtube, but were, in the film, part of a group. So for the one who has to judge you, this is terrible, because first you are busy finding the person that has to be judged, going back to the ID picture, back to the film, back to the ID picture … this irritates and takes too long. So that doesn’t work in your advantage.
3. When I see a dancer who is not awake in his spine and in his back… and is using most of the time only his limbs… then for me, you are not a dancer.
4. Sometimes I saw people who are so severe or harsh for themselves … then I only saw tied muscles which never recuperate, muscles which do not breath or relax in between… I saw no joy in their faces. This might be related to a belief about your dance style, your stage discipline, or an unconscious cultural may be gender belief, which has settled down into your body. (This applies to all stage disciplines.). This is also relating to being able to open and to close … like a cell in your body, which is longing to .. or scared.. and again longing .. but oeps, scared again, defending..
5. And here last but not least: Please always add your motivation for this particular group, company or project you are applying for. Take responsibility for what you really want, what you are really looking for in this company. Just applying for a job… then you degrade your own identity or soul, and the company you are applying for as well.
All these reasons are things you can work on.
Remember: you are all that you have in this life. For you, you are the most important, beautiful and wonderful creature, and note, a changing thing. Nourish yourselve. Take care of yourselve. And get ‘on the move’.
I wish you the best.
Sincerely,
Antonia Holthuizen
DeTheaterCompany ‘in foundation’
Tilburg, Netherlands
Stemallure.nl
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"With dancers, I look for people who look passionate about their dancing, because for me … it’s the beginnings of wanting to give to an audience"
- Matthew Bourne
While I’m planning for my next film project that will start filming on the 11th of May, Pauline and I are collaborating to create a solo specifically for our beloved friend, Zoë. There will be a film portion as part of the installation. I’m still researching and playing with how I want the film to look. So I started to experiment a bit.
It’s far from how the final product will turn out. We are generating movements from personal memories and journal entries from her childhood. It will be a long process but it has been very rewarding journey.
I thought I would share a bit of it from what we had during our rehearsal. She was not dressed for filming and so… Zoë, I’m sorry for posting this. ;)
Some people are just born with with a natural talent
my nephew not even fully stretched at 16 months old. I found him in this position this morning.
Zoë Wijnsouw - W2 & Dancers, Netherlands
It’s been a few months since I last taught… and I’m glad that I taught this past Friday at the Circle Rotterdam. I’ll be back teaching there again for the next 3 Fridays.
Just baked a Red Velvet cake from scratch for our premier tonight. First time decorating a cake… Not too shabby I think.
