Soile Lahdenperä
The use of Inhibition to create dancer’s spontaneity in improvisation
In the presentation I introduce my artistic doctoral research about the use of the Alexander Technique in choreographic process. I do my post graduate study at the Theatre Academy in Helsinki, Finland. The research consists of two parts; the written part which I’m working on (in Finnish) at the moment and four choreographies created in 2003 to 2006. One of the dance works is choreographed by Deborah Hay, danced by me and three are my own choreographies for four to eleven performers.
Some of the questions during these processes have been:
How to apply Alexander Technique in making choreography?
How much time do I use for individual hands on work for the dancers during the practice of the dance piece?
How to make choreography without setting everything beforehand?
How to keep the structure and material of the piece alive?
How free can the improvisation be left?
In the presentation I shall show fragments of the performances by some DVD material. In the demonstration part of the participants have the possibility to experience practical work of using inhibition as the starting point of improvisation. You don’t need dance experience to join in.
Soile Lahdenperä is a renowned choreographer, dancer and pedagogue. She is a founder member of Dance Theatre Hurjaruuth, Zodiak – Center for New Dance and Suomussalmi Group. She has studied and performed dance in Finland, USA, Holland and England since 1970’s. Soile’s broad combination of different contemporary dance techniques and the Alexander Technique results in her distinct movement style, which unlocks the possibilities and strengths of body and mind. She did her Alexander Teacher Training in Brighton 1992-95. Currently Soile is doing her artistic doctoral research about the use of the Alexander Technique in choreographic process at the Theatre Academy in Finland.
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