Movement Episodes
Three pieces, three choreographers, five years: laborgras brings with Movement Episodes three new short dance pieces to the stage. The show features works by Keith A. Thompson, Renate Graziadei and David Hernandez.

David Hernandez examines what happens when things collide. Not necessarily a physical collision, but an interpersonal contradiction driven by the question of whether people simply co-exist or enter into true relationships. “Collision” is an underriding metaphor for human activity and human existence in itself, a phenomenon that begins with the collision of an ovum and sperm cell.

David Hernandez was born in Miami, Florida where he studied ‘studio music & jazz’ and opera at the University of Miami and dance at ‘New World School of the Arts’. Subsequently he moved to New York to work as an apprentice with the Trisha Brown company and begin researching with Meg Stuart. He left New York to follow Meg Stuart to Belgium to help begin the company Damaged Goods where he worked for almost seven years as a dancer and collaborator. David remained in Europe basing himself in Brussels where he continued creating his own work in the form of dance performances, installations, happenings and many other sorts of multidisciplinary projects for over twenty years. Next to his own projects he continued performing and collaborating with many other artists such as laborgras, Brice Leroux, Anouk Van Dijk, Michel Debrulle as well as directing, performing and researching as an improviser with artists such as Steve Paxton & Katie Duck, among many others. He was one of the three initiators of the improvisation project ‘Crash Landing’ along with Christine Desmet and Meg Stuart. David participated in a choreographic collaboration with Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker for many years for several projects and danced and sang in the production “Cesena” which premiered at the Avignon Festival in 2011. As a pedagogue, David gives classes and workshops worldwide while maintaining a position as a main teacher at PARTS since 1995. Previously he developed and managed his own education program, ‘PEP’ (The Performance Education Program) for several years in the framework of Klapstuk festival in Leuven, Belgium where he was also in residence. David continues to work as a singer and joined the early music vocal group Graindelavoix, led by Bjorn Smelzer and Reve d’Elephant Orchestra jazz band, performing in concerts, recording discs and touring with several different projects as a musician. David continues creating his own work within dh+, whose most recent performances, “For Movement’s Sake”, “Hullabaloo” and “Sketches on Scarlatti” are presently touring. In addition he is doing commissioned work as a guest choreographer for several companies including Zagreb Dance Company, Susanna Linke’s Company in Trier, Germany and a new creation for Skanes Dance Company and the Malmo Opera in 2018.

The laborgras collective, was founded by dancers/choreographers Renate Graziadei (A) and Arthur Stäldi (CH) in Hamburg in 1994 and has been based in Berlin since 2000. Their work is anchored in contemporary dance, with a focus on collaboration with artists of different genres, movement research and interdisciplinary experimentation. laborgras continuously investigates dance as an independent art form and language, developing their own signature while remaining open to other artistic currents and aesthetics. This process is made available through an independent, artistic format designed to encourage an ongoing discourse with dance professionals and the public.

Studio laborgras, located since 2002 in Berlin-Kreuzberg, operates as a research, production and performance venue for contemporary dance. The studio is used by laborgras as well as by national and international guests to develop and present work. Daily Open classes on a professional-level and international workshops create regular opportunities for encounters and exchanges. These exchanges are also ac- companied by workshop presentations, open rehearsals and performances. laborgras recognises the dialogue between artists and audience as an important necessity for artistic improvement and further development. The audience is the necessary counterpart and must therefore be taken care of.
laborgras.com

[Source: play bill]

TFB Nr. 1118