WoW

Description

The performance "WoW" is an expressive choreographic duet, based on the concept of dance artist Marta Wołowiec and performed by Marta Wołowiec and Tomasz Pomersbach, created as part of the Przestrzenie Sztuki TANIEC project at the Wrocław Pantomime Theatre. In times of darkness and anxiety, the artists wonder what is pleasure in life, the pleasure of dancing or watching dance. They balance on the border of pop, kitsch and endless trance. Their bodies absorbed in choreomaniac dance, bounce off the ground, simultaneously lifting them into a state of bliss and perdition. The performance in the visual and dramatic layer is co-created by the artists: Janusz Orlik - dramaturgy, Wojciech Kiwer - music, Klaudia Kasperska - lighting direction, Dominik Więcek - costumes. The starting point for working on the show was the phenomenon of choreomania and the latest album by Florence and The Machine titled with the same name. Choreomania was a dance plague that has appeared in various places in Europe for over ten centuries. The street dancing mania gathered hundreds of people in a joint crazy dance to exhaustion, to loss of consciousness, and sometimes – to death. To this day, the causes of these ecstatic movements are associated either with the unconscious use of psychedelics, in the form of poisoning with ergot, a fungus that feeds mainly on grass and grains, or with a disease called chorea. One theory also states that the incessant dancing was the result of a nervous breakdown, the cause of which was a specific time full of plagues, wars and natural disasters. "Dancing in this context appears as a mechanism of release, a natural, unbridled instinct (after all, no one invented dancing, and everyone knows how to dance). It is a dance for everyone, however pathetic it may sound. The musical repertoire points to spontaneous dances with friends, when we switch between radio hits. Suddenly, shame disappears, and ecstasy appears." Weronika Nagawiecka, DIDASKALIA

Artist's/band's artistic biography

Marta Wołowiec is a distinguished choreographer, performer, and dancer. She is also an experienced curator and initiator of dance events. Her multifaceted career spans creating original works, collaborating with numerous institutions in Poland and abroad, and leading cultural initiatives. She works as a freelancer, is the founder and president of the Łagodnie Foundation, and a member of the Dance Forum Association. Artistic Practice & Performances Marta Wołowiec is the author of numerous solo and collective performances, developed in collaboration with Polish and international artists. Her notable works include: "WoW," "Lil," "Tens," "Light Darkness," "Guppy 13," "TYTUM," "Naturgemalde," "Wyspiański's Women," "Hold on," and "spectral layers of movement." Her original projects have been showcased at festivals in Poland and internationally, such as TANZWERKSTATT EUROPA in Munich, New Baltic Dance Festival in Vilnius, and MILANoLTRE Festival in Milan. As a performer, she has graced stages across Poland and numerous European countries (Germany, Netherlands, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Norway, Sweden, Romania, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Italy) as well as in Lebanon. Beyond her own creations, she also develops choreography and stage movement for dramatic theaters and puppet theaters. Awards & Recognition Her performance "Naturgemalde" earned her a Special Award in the Stanisław Wyspiański Theater Award Competition. Her latest work, "WoW," has been selected for an international tour as part of the Poland Dances Tournée project. Marta Wołowiec was also commended by Anna Królica in Teatr Monthly (2021/2022 season summary) for her "distinct choreographic language" and "intriguing" creations, noting her as an artist "increasingly asserting her presence on the Polish dance scene." Collaborations & International Projects Marta has extensive experience collaborating with renowned institutions, including KORZO Theatre (Netherlands), Dancehaus piu (Italy), the National Stary Theatre in Krakow, Wrocław Contemporary Theatre, Capitol Musical Theatre, Grotowski Institute, Groteska Theatre in Krakow, and Banialuka Theatre. She participated in the international project Crossroad – inhabiting the world, undertaking artistic residencies in Lebanon, Belgium, and Italy. She also served as a producer for the international collective iCoDaCo 2018-2020 (Creative Europe), which included residencies in Sweden and Hong Kong. In August 2024, thanks to the international Culture Moves Europe scholarship, she completed a two-week study visit in Berlin with Swedish choreographer Jefta van Dinther, observing his work on the performance "AUSLAND." In 2025, she will participate in the international choreographic program ATLAS during ImpulsTanz in Vienna. Organizational & Curatorial Activities For a decade, she co-created the Krakow Choreographic Centre, serving as its director from 2018 to 2023. She was a curator and initiator of numerous local, national, and international dance and choreography events, including the Krakow Dance Festival. ARTISTIC STATEMENT In her own choreographic works, Marta Wołowiec explores the theme of energy and progressive-trance movement. Dance and choreography is for her the experience of VISIBILITY, a space which enables to create mutual attentiveness of the viewer and performer and to contact with their own and collective bodies.

Full performance recording

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Trailer

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Release date:
20/09/2023
Duration:
60
  • Choreography
    Marta Wołowiec
  • Dramaturgy
    Janusz Orlik
  • Direction
    Marta Wołowiec
  • Musical Direction
    Wojciech Kiwer
  • Lighting Direction
    Klaudia Kasperska
  • Scenography
  • Kostiumy
    Dominik Więcek
  • Production
    PRZESTRZENIE SZTUKI TANIEC 2023, WROCŁAWSKI TEATR PANTOMIMY