Choreographic Territories – New Paths for The Avant-Garde is a multiannual project presenting Polish contemporary dance by some of the best Polish artists, educators and theorists of dance affiliated with the Polish Dance Platform 2017. It is planned for the years 2017-2021 and includes performances, workshops, meetings and debates organized in the most active centres of contemporary dance in Central and Eastern Europe: in Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Serbia, Bulgaria, and more.

The project is a continuation of the 2016 Choreographic Territories programme, the idea of which has been expanded to encompass propositions connected to the prominent figures of women artists of the 20th-century dance avant-garde who were of Polish descent: Pola Nireńska, Bronisława Niżyńska, Marie Rambert and Yanka Rudzka. Their artistic work and fascinating biographies constitute a starting point for constructing the project’s programme, based on a model of intercultural exchange and focused on real cooperation between local communities, presenting themes which emphasize the strong presence of women choreographers and dancers—both today and in the history of Polish dance in general. The idea of the project is to demonstrate that just like in the twenties and thirties, Polish artists can still be a source of inspiration and modern understanding of choreography.

The project is coordinated by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute operating under the Culture.pl brand, in cooperation with the Lublin Dance Theatre – the Centre for Culture in Lublin, the East European Performing Arts Platform (EEPAP), the Institute of Music and Dance and the Art Stations Foundation; within the international cultural programme accompanying Poland’s centenary of regaining independence – POLSKA 100. Financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme “NIEPODLEGŁA” 2017-2021.

Territories of Choreography – Eastern Partnership was a program of contemporary dance presentations, with the participation of artists, educators and dance theoreticians gathered around the Polish Dance Platform 2014. It was a travelling festival of dance in Eastern Europe: performances, workshops, meetings and debates in Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Implemented in consultation with experienced local cultural organisations, the project aimed to create a platform for the exchange of experience and dialogue between dance scenes in Poland and some Eastern Partnership countries. The leading desire of the project was to bring out of the margins, to “reclaim” the contemporary dance of Central and Eastern Europe in order to reinscribe it in the historical discourse and in the current circulation of contemporary art. The creation of the project was accompanied by the conviction that building a common dance scene across borders is not only about following the worn-out trail of international trends and fashions, but also about strengthening local histories and supporting the art of countries facing political and financial problems.

Presentations

Screenings within the framework of the Territories of Choreography included a representative part of the Polish Dance Platform 2014 program. These are the most interesting Polish contemporary dance performances of recent years, selected by experienced curators and jury members.

Workshops

Artists of the Territories of Choreography are also seasoned educators of dance techniques and movement composition. Their workshops, aimed at local dancers, choreographers and dance teachers, complemented the artistic offer of the project. This is the most effective way of direct transfer of techniques, knowledge and experience of Polish contemporary dance.

Meetings with artists, symposia, discussions

Meetings between viewers and artists, discussions between artists, confrontations of achievements and knowledge, framed in political and historical contexts – offer the opportunity to deepen and broaden the perception of performances. In a series of debates and symposia devoted to the local situation of dance, involving dance scholars, journalists and theoreticians in each country, we sought answers to questions about the ways of building one’s own cultural identity through dance, about the relationship to the tradition of national and folkloric dances, about the common heritage and the different paths of development of contemporary dance scenes in Central and Eastern Europe. Presentations of the rich experience of Polish institutions and programs supporting dance, such as the Cultural Centre in Lublin, the Institute of Music and Dance, the East European Performing Arts Platform and the Art Stations Foundation were devoted to the processes of creating original organisational models and a support system for artists and event organisers.

As part of the project, two Art Stations Foundation productions has been presented:

The best performance of the Polish Dance Platform 2014 “Nijinsky. Rite of Dreams” by the Godowska/Krawczynski duo and Janusz Orlik’s “Insight”, awarded for the best choreography.