This is a note about the way I see my collaboration with artistic director
Andrea K. Schlehwein in relation to the production Dark Fog Rebel and
some insights about Netzwerk AKS philosophy.
To
start with, I could very easily say that - besides all agreements
carefully written on contracts, non-stop exchange in person during
the summer and on-line, during the time of Andrea’s work and stay
in Korea - the most important thing for me is that through
the numerous Netzwerk AKS productions I had the pleasure to
participate as a dancer, Andrea and me have developed some artistic
communication and trust, which I consider on-going and not limited
only to this particular project. I see "Dark Fog Rebel" as
part of a bigger world Andrea has created over the years. This bigger
world is what continually nurtures and supports all creative attempts
of Netzwerk AKS members.
The
new role and responsibility to stage the new NETZWERK AKS production
that was handed to me by AKS, is an honor and I am grateful for the
trust and opportunity to further develop interests that kept growing
inside previous productions of Netzwerk AKS. The ideas of this new
project, are ideas that developed through exchange, not only this
summer, but over years of collaboration, which I see as a slow
cooking process that has been transformative.
The
beauty of working at Netzwerk AKS in the past years, is also the
chance to develop oneself and interests by taking on different roles
and responsibilities. In this way the members gather new skills to
support the collective work in the long term future.
I
feel, the care for each individual member and the thought about
sustainability of Netzwerk AKS as a whole organization is part of the
Andrea's broad vision which becomes more and more visible, also by the choice to spread responsibilities differently among the
members. Such are the visions which keep teams alive and the work
inspiring.
Andrea,
as an artistic director, is somebody who tries to carry these visions
through the many risks they entail – it is not a piece of cake to
hand over responsibility of something you carefully nurtured over
time-. Yet this is the kind of artistic choice that shows a good
artistic director. The ability to offer the space.
This
is also the choice that, at the end of the day, can tell whether an
artistic vision is strong and communicates to others, no matter if
the director is physically present or not.
What
I hope to be able to carry through the staging of this new
production, is also the sense I get from Andrea’s direction over
the years > to sustain a good fertile ground, to trust and to find
freedom within the many layers and complexities of a very demanding
work.
