Workshop with Florentina Holzinger

BoCA SUMMER SCHOOL
Workshop directed by FLORENTINA HOLZINGER

Inside the Octagon
A Transformatory Fighting Workshop

In this class we will recruit warriors, assuming that this will result in better artistry.
We use the preparation a fighter undergoes to prepare for our artistic work. We start from a place of physical challenge, taking inspiration from martial arts and boxing training. We will work on condition, on pads, with partners, and prepare ourselves for some sparring, the pas de deux of the ring.
Even though we want to spend time on obtaining actual fighting technique, our focus will be the act of pursuing it, of undergoing a training together and appropriating it for our practice.
How can we use the preparation for the ring as a preparation to make dance or art? What if the preparation of the fighter is an artistic process? We want to explore the exchangability of physical disciplines as a tool for dancers, makers and creative people. In that spirit we also investigate the performativity of the collaboration happening between trainer and trainee, coach and student, personal trainer and client.

“Fear is the greatest obstacle for learning in any area, but in particular in boxing. For example, boxing you learn through repetition. You do it over and over and suddenly you’ve got it… however in the course of trying to learn, if you get hit and you get hurt, that makes you cautious, and when you’re cautious you can’t repeat it and when you can’t repeat it, it’s going to delay the learning process…” – Cus D’Amato, trainer of Mike Tyson

In this Workshop we will transform our body into a weapon to serve our dreams.

BIOGRAPHY
Florentina Holzinger studied choreography at the School for New Dance Development (SNDO), the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten. Her Diploma solo work “Silk” was awarded the Prix Jardin d’Europe at the lmPulsTanz Festival 2012. She collaborated with Vincent Riebeek for a trilogy of pieces, Kein Applaus für Scheiße, Spirit, and Wellness(2011-2013). Her second solo work premiered in 2015 –Recoveryis an experimental consideration on a traumatic stage accident she had suffered and critically explores various kinds of female representation as well as the potential of female corporality. Subsequently, she started pursuing martial arts as a way to train for a life as an artist. Florentina is also a co-author and performer of the web seriesBody and Freedom, initiated by the Berliner Festspiele in 2016. In her latest work,Apollon (2017), the Viennese choreographer hacks George Balanchine’s eponymous gem of a ballet (1928). At the moment she works on TANZ a ‘misinterpretation’ of the ballet Les Sylphides, a performance that will bring together a cast of professional stunt actors and classically trained dancers. The work will premier in October 2019 in Vienna.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE
Students and professionals of performing arts and other creative fields

INSCRIPTION
You can submit your inscription in this form.

Production: BoCA
Partnership: Fundação GDA
Support: MAAT
Pictures: Bruno Simão