WIM VANDEKEYBUS
“A return to ‘real' movement, which others later called dance”, is Wim Vandekeybus' succinct and somewhat provocative definition of his own basic principle.
Not having enjoyed any formal dance training himself, Vandekeybus is not interested in ‘pure' dance but rather in what can be expressed in dance: the underlying emotions, the theatrical thoughts behind movement, the communication between the performers on stage. The dance language of Wim Vandekeybus and Ultima Vez did not develop in dialogue with or in reaction against the classical or modern dance traditions. His inspiration is drawn from his familiarity with animals and confrontations and encounters with dance, music, theatre, film, literature and people.
See also http://www.ultimavez.com/
ANNA GRIP
Anna is the Ensemble Manager for Cullberg Ballet.
Anna was trained as a dancer at Balettakademien in Stockholm and continued her studies in N.Y. She has worked as a répétiteur and teacher at a number of dance companies and educational institutions, including the contemporary dance companies CCAP in Stockholm, Rosas in Brussels and Nye Carte Blanche in Bergen and at Helsinki City Theatre.
Anna Grip was ballet master and then ballet master-in-chief of Östgötabaletten (1991 – 1995). In collaboration with Cristina Caprioli and Dansens Hus, she ran a training project for young dancers using an alternative teaching philosophy and new teaching methods. Between 2000 and 2004 Anna Grip was the principal of the Danish National School for Contemporary Dance. She has been active in several committees and as a mentor at Danshögskolan’s education for répétiteurs. Between 2004 and 2005 she headed the reference group for dance of the Swedish National Council for Cultural Affairs.
See also http://www.cullbergbaletten.se/EN/Home
MAKSIM KOMARO
Maksim is one of the driving forces of circus art in Finland. In addition to his own artistic input as a circus artist and director, he works as a circus trainer around the world. Komaro is active also in the development of the Finnish contemporary circus scene.
In 2004 he was awarded with a five-year artist grant from the Finnish Government as the first representative of circus art.
Komaro is the other one of the two artistic directors of Circo Aereo.
See also http://www.circoaereo.net/eng/etusivu.html
KATJA WERNER
Katja is a freelance critic for dance, theatre and film. Dance Europe (London – correspondent for Germany and Greece), ballet-tanz (Berlin), Die Deutsche Bühne (Cologne), Theater der Zeit (Berlin), Tanzjournal (Munich), UBU (Paris), Dance International (Vancouver), and Tanssi (Helsinki).
Writer in residence at Springdance Festival, Utrecht, in 2003.
Member of the jury of the Greek Dance Platform in 2006 and 2008.
TIIT TUUMALU
For starters, let us be very clear that Tiit Tuumalu has never studied dance- not the actual physical side of it or how to write about it, at least not in academic meaning of studying.
He has graduated from University of Tartu as an average Estonian philologist or even as a folklorist and is working at the daily newspaper Postimees as a journalist focusing on cinematography arts. He justifies his interest towards dance art with the free quote from Porthos, the musketeer: “I fight for it therefore I fight!”.
His first article on dance art was written on Kinetic Theatre of Sasha Pepelyayev, as nobody else seemed to agree to do it. Tiit has invested a lot of time and considerable amount of money into dance art and travelling, followed performances from New York to Moscow and from Moscow up to Tokyo. As far as present is concerned, he has seriously had enough. Meaning, he chooses very carefully what to follow. He appreciates dance art, which dares to position itself in society and culture in general.