The terrible meeting
2017-07-10
Facts:
Name: It is in the meeting that it happens
Choreography: Joakim Stephenson
Author: Florence Montmare, Marie Bergman, Joakim Stephenson and Sara Sjöö
Ensemble: A multi-national ensemble with newly arrived dancers and dancers from the Royal Opera.
Location: Bergman Week at Fårö, Gotland (26 / 6-2 / 7) 2017
Inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s films and the sagely magic nature of Fårö with their shots, the choreographer Joakim Stephenson has created a choreography for dancers with different backgrounds in a mix of dancers from Gotland and premiere dancers from the Royal Ballet in Stockholm, which forms a multifaceted tight dance group .
Behind the scene, far from the crowd, is a giant wire rope with red thread, on its own elevated scene, to remind you that there is a red thread throughout the performance, a magnificent and playful scenography.
The twelve dancers, all in black coats with hoods, move around in different constellations, in constantly new patterns of movement, marching, jumping, pointing, a lot of focus on the movements of the hand and strong mimics, sit in a group, dance in duet, get married couples Everyone’s eyes leave each other quickly. Then they go on hand with their hands on the eyes of the person before, so everyone goes blindly – until the male dances start dancing back to the back without seeing each other, there are several aspects of being unable to or unwilling to see.
A vulnerable constantly changing group dynamics is formed in It is in the meeting where the dance creates new zones for meetings and confrontation as well as attempts to explore identity and homeland rights.
After everyone has taken off their coats and put in a pile they go forward, one by one to a microphone at the audience and communicate in different ways.
You are silent or say ”Hello!” (male dancer), ”Who you are in the eyes of others” (female dancer) ”Say why I’m here?” (male dancer)
”Who are you?” Asks a female dancer a man. He refuses to answer and asks her ”Who are you?” She can not answer, the words flow into the sand.
Then, the low-intensity intensifies while the group sits down on the scoreboard, burdened by its own burden, to the sound of phrases like ”You Do not See Me Do not Listen, Do not Listen”, In parallel to the opposite ”I do not see me, hear me not, do not listen ”
At the end of the hour-long performance, all dancers change into white stage costumes, circling in soft movements, where everyone moves forward as if they came elsewhere, where there is room for hope.
It is in the meeting that it happens to be a multifaceted journey through our own time.
Ingela Brovik for Danstidningen 10 of july 2017
”The opening Gala offered a significant premiere in Joakim Stephenson’s Falling into Place with music by Hugo Therkelson, both dancers with the Royal Swedish Ballet. Underpinned by a concept of unity and individualism, the choreography found a symbiotic relationship in Therkelson’s evocative soundscape.
From the initial close-knit group shuffling in the gloom, individuals break out in ones and twos before coming together in a final harmonious bonding. Stephenson handled the dynamic shifts and the structure with confidence and skill, harnessing the ebb and flow of energy in a dim lighting state punctuated by bursts of lights directed at the audience.
The six dancers, Jeannette Diaz-Barboza, Mia Hjelte, Daria Ivanova, Dawid Kupinski, Jérôme Marchand and Dragos Milhalcea, drawn from the top ranks of the company, became a seamless corps when required yet found their individuality in the solos and duets. Particularly memorable was the duet of Ivanova and Marchand, an intriguing mix of sensual coupling and expressive movement.”
Maggie Foyer for Dansportalen 25 of september 2014
What I spontaneously fell for is Jocke’s sensitivity to the intimate contact between people that he allows his dancers to capture. They cling to each other, afraid of being left. Tenderness, violence and fear. Love’s ingredients.
Our first meeting was very special. I’ve never worked with dancers before, but I had only a vauge idea of how we could let the art meet the dance. He understood immediately, I hardly had to explain. It was better than I could ever dream of.
– PAULINA SOKOLOW, COMMUNICATION PURULENT AT BUKOWSKI, 2011
Joakim’s choreography managed to create a magical feeling that remains with you. He used the whole room, both physically and mentally. Music and dancing were in full harmony.
Joakim is very easy to communicate and collaborate with. Responsive, creative and driven. The ability to transform sprawling thoughts into a concrete artistic idea, to adapt to given conditions and at the same time come up with his own innovative and relevant suggestions. Great visions that you can be confident will result in a superb performance with the best of dancers.
– MIRELLE ANDREASSON WORKS AS BUSINESS MANAGER AT THE SWEDISH ROYAL OPERA. PRIMARILY WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF COLLABORATION WITH THE BUSINESS WORLD, 2011
The path has taken Joakim in a very natural way towards creativity and creation of choreographies or organising of other events! I have seen his work as a choreographer or as an organizer of events and enjoyed it a lot!
The combination of great musicality, creativity and obvious good collaboration with the interpreters gave great results! The originality of the ideas combined with the ability to materialise these elements with nice original and creative choreography have made the projects have a real substance and effect!
I have had the great pleasure to work with Joakim, who is a wonderful artist! His approach of our profession is very unique and valuable and he is a very devoted artist towards his art. His constant hard work and devotion to the profession give the great results that he delivers in each performance! Joakim is a ”dream” member with extremely good concentration, but always with a ”good mood”! His interest in transmission of his knowledge and the care that he takes to help and guide the new generations is really nice to witness! – MARC RIBAUD, TEACHER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE ROYAL SWEDISH BALLET AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE NICE OPERA BALLET, 2012
Joakim Stephenson is a very special artist that is extremely dedicated and serious in his work. As a stage artist, Joakim holds nothing back for the audience and his different role interpretations always touch the heart of the spectator. Joakim is an artist that will make you either laugh or cry and for sure will never let you leave a performance without noticing him.
– MADELEINE ONNE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR THE HONG KONG BALLET. FORMER ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR THE ROYAL SWEDISH BALLET, 2012
What I spontaneously fell for is Jocke’s sensitivity to the intimate contact between people that he allows his dancers to capture. They cling to each other, afraid of being left. Tenderness, violence and fear. Love’s ingredients.
Our first meeting was very special. I’ve never worked with dancers before, but I had only a vauge idea of how we could let the art meet the dance. He understood immediately, I hardly had to explain. It was better than I could ever dream of.
– PAULINA SOKOLOW, COMMUNICATION PURULENT AT BUKOWSKI, 2011
Joakim’s choreography managed to create a magical feeling that remains with you. He used the whole room, both physically and mentally. Music and dancing were in full harmony.
Joakim is very easy to communicate and collaborate with. Responsive, creative and driven. The ability to transform sprawling thoughts into a concrete artistic idea, to adapt to given conditions and at the same time come up with his own innovative and relevant suggestions. Great visions that you can be confident will result in a superb performance with the best of dancers.
– MIRELLE ANDREASSON WORKS AS BUSINESS MANAGER AT THE SWEDISH ROYAL OPERA. PRIMARILY WITH DIFFERENT FORMS OF COLLABORATION WITH THE BUSINESS WORLD, 2011
Joakim Stephenson addresses social constraints, but rather the interior. His work begins sprightly disguised in a wig and ruffles (costume Srdjan Kaljevic) and ends in the unmasking. Accurate, albeit eclectic, portraying social codes in a lightbox. The theatrical sometimes goes over into illustration but Hervor Sjöstrand is an expressive character and the different musical integration tampers with the familiar.
– ANNA ÅNGSTRÖM DANCE EDITOR SVENSKA DAGBLADET, 2006 in the vase.
Stephenson really runs the whole way in ”In the Vase”. A ferocious work that doesn’t shy away from an expressive and strong expression nor to be camp. Srdjan Kaljevics funky, freaked out costumes which, together with the set design, allows the work to resemble a punk cream cake. It could have been enough to simply to be fluffy pastry art had it not been for the symbolic undressing at the end of the work which raises the question of identity and of who one really is.
– DANSPORTALEN´S CHRONICLE BY LENA ANDRÉN, 2006
At Linbury, London
Joakim Stephenson’s Butterflykiss starts with some worryingly winsome giggles, but evolves into a fresh, tender duet.
-JUDITH MACKRELL THE GUARDIAN, 2005
It was a pleasure working with Joakim Stephenson at Kulturhuset Stockholm for the performances ’Home’, in 2000 and ’the Spirit’ 2001. Joakim is a fine choreographer and dancer, and easy to work with.-MONICA DIKANSKI, PRODUCER KULTURHUSET STOCKHOLM 2001
