Transforme, Space (2008-2009)

As of 2008, the Programme for Choreographic Research and Composition (ex CRCC) proposes a new training program for choreographers called Transforme under the artistic direction of Myriam Gourfink, choreographer.

To have detailed information, please go to:

Transforme, write down (2011-2012)
Transforme, se prolonger (2010-2011)
Transforme, perception (2009-2010)
Transforme, space (2008-2009)

Transforme : see the video here

Transforme

Transforme has been designed as a humanistic academy, a place for exchange where people come to expand their knowledge and fuel their intellectual and artistic production. Learning is based on the driving theme of research on writing and composition methods in the fields of dance and music.

Every year, twelve choreographers are selected to participate in a training course consisting of three consecutive weeks in August and three nine-day sessions between October and February. During these sessions, they stay as residents at the Royaumont Foundation.

Every morning, the participants attend a technical course focused on understanding the body percepts, the relationship of the dancer with space and awareness (Feldenkrais, Alexander, Pilates, Body-Mind Centering, various forms of yoga and martial arts).

During the three first weeks in August, a range of learning opportunities are provided on the course's core issue as well as on the relationships between dance and music, dance and new technologies. Artists, scientists and philosophers of international renown are invited to share their knowledge in the form of conferences, discussions, workshops or theory classes. The aim is to encourage students to formalize their language, to develop a personal choreographic environment that they can test in the real world by composing short essays governed by specific constraints. From the practical standpoint, the students are in turn dancer-interpreters or choreographers.

At the end of this first session, each choreographer must develop a project that reflects the issues raised during the course and that examines the dance-music relationship.

Between the end of August and the month of October, and between each of the three remaining sessions, Myriam Gourfink will be available at the Royaumont Foundation, to address the artistic concerns of the students. During these consultations the schedule for the weeks to come is set in accordance with the singularity of the artistic projects and to facilitate their implementation.

During the last three sessions, the participants shape their ideas in the workshop to produce a preliminary version of about ten minutes. They have ten dancers and four musician-composers chosen by the CCRC at their disposal.

At the end of each session, in August, October, December and February, a "Fenêtre sur cour[s]" ("window on the course") showcases the work stages.

At the very end of the Transforme course, the CCRC, in concert with its artistic and financial partners, may offer extensions to some of the choreographers:

- Three or four of them will be invited to develop their outline to produce a 20-minute piece. All the pieces will form a program that will be presented in the Royaumont autumn musical season, in the Val d’Oise and elsewhere depending on the partnerships forged by the CCRC.

In the Val d’Oise administrative département, the partner theatres are: L’apostrophe in Cergy-Pontoise and Val d’Oise (a national theatre), the Théâtre Paul Eluard in Bezons (a subsidized theatre for dance), the Centre des arts d’Enghien-les-Bains (a subsidized theatre) and the Jacques Brel Theatre in Gonesse.

The CCRC will produce and present this program for one season.

- Some choreographers will be invited to lead teaching workshops within the scope of the Territorial Action of the Royaumont Foundation.

- Finally, others will be offered help to obtain research grants or residencies.

The CCRC is backed by the Ministry of Culture-DRAC Ile-de-France, the Département of Val d’Oise, the region of Ile-de-France and Europe (European Structural Funds). Transforme is AFDAS-approved training course.

Transforme 2008: Space

The 2008 edition of Transforme proposes an examination of space.

From 27 July to 17 August, the interventions will first aim to analyse the concepts of space at work in the dance pieces with technological components. Clarisse Bardiot, senior lecturer and associate researcher at the CNRS, will be in charge of charting the background and will get the discussion going by proposing forays into architecture. Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stopiello, founders of the Troïka Ranch Company based in New York City, will offer hands-on workshops exploring the interactive tools that they have been developing for twenty years.

Then, through the vision of space proposed by Rudolf Laban, the participants, under Noëlle Simonet, professor of choreographic notation at the Paris Conservatoire (CNSMDP), will study the spatial referents at the root of western choreographic thinking. The workshop will offer a well-rounded look at cinetographic notation and the deciphering of partitions "by the body" using compositions by Hanya Holm, Doris Humphrey, Kurt Joos and Alwin Nikolaïs. Next, Ananda Ceballos, lecturer and Indian dance interpreter (Bharatanatyam, Odissi), will address the notion of "dynamic order" which, according to Vedic tradition, gives structure to Indian dances.

Under Frédéric Neyrat, Program Director at the International College of Philosophy (CIPH), the participants will examine the codes that usually establish our relationship with space. This theme will be approached on the basis of the teachings of Gilles Deleuze and Peter Sloterdijk. Myriam Gourfink will present her attempts to formalize space, and will initiate the production of very short pieces by directing a workshop outlining the elements of composition examined since the beginning of the course. This exercise will be enhanced by the presence of four musician-composers selected with Marc Texier, Artistic Director of the Voix nouvelles Department of Contemporary Music of Royaumont.

Finally, the choreographers will be invited to organize their own vision of space by formulating a composition project that will be produced between October 2008 and February 2009 (see dates below in "applications and audition").

During the residencies in October, December and February, each day will start with a two-hour technical course given by yoga teachers Gianna Dupont and Ananda Ceballos, or by Myriam Gourfink. The work will focus on awareness of internal spaces.

Applications and audition

To apply to the Transforme training course, please send

- a detailed motivation letter

- a CV

- an identity photo

- the application form (please ask for it if you do not have it)

- a DVD or a video of your choreographies

to CRCC / Fondation Royaumont - 95 270 Asnières-sur-Oise, France

Tel. +33 (0)1 30 35 58 22   Fax +33 (0)1 30 35 39 45

Applications must be sent before 31 January 2008.

Myriam Gourfink will invite some candidates to take part in the audition that will take place at ANPE, located 50 rue de Malte, 75011 Paris on : 25, 26 & 27 February 2008.

All the selected participants formally accept to attend the whole course for all the residency periods at the Royaumont Abbey, that is to say:

- from 27 July to 17 August 2008

- from 25 October to 2 November 2008

- from 11 to 21 December 2008

- from 21 February to 1st March 2009

Conditions and fee

To receive an estimate and have all information about the course's fee, please call the CRCC : +33 (0)1 30 35 59 90.

The fee may be covered by :

- l’Afdas for French artists,

- private foundations,

- embassies' cultural services or institutes,

- companies or private societies employing a participant.

Every participant has to send requests by his/her own. The CRCC's manager can help them to formalize their request and find contacts.

Some stipends may also be available on request to:

- the Association The Friends of Royaumont, for those who are under 26 years

- the Center for Choreographic Research and Composition (CRCC)

More information available at CRCC : 01 30 35 59 90 - crcc(at)royaumont.com

In addition, registration fee, for all participants, is 150 euros.

All participants have  to join the Association des amis de Royaumont (25 euros in 2007) as well.

This association helps young artists to participate in the Royaumont training courses.

Once selected, every participant signs a training contract specifying his rights and obligations, and those of the Royaumont Foundation.

Each participant must attend all residency periods at the Royaumont Abbey.

To validate his/her registration, every participant has to send 150€ within 8 days after receiving his/her contract.

Contact

Programme for Choreographic Research and Composition (PRCC)

Fondation Royaumont
95270 Asnières-sur-Oise
France

Tel. +33 (0)1 30 35 59 90
Fax. +33 (0)1 30 35 39 45

prcc@royaumont.com