photo by Marc Seestaedt
Ponderosa Movement & Discovery is an international improvisation and performance venue that takes place annually outside Berlin, Germany. We are celebrating a continual exploration of visionary experiences in the area of dance, improvisation and creative life practices.
The ponderosa classes and workshops provide an educational container for liminal people questioning their identity as artists and gives the professional another way to retreat or hone ones skills as dance artists. Most of the workshops have some kind of base and or understanding in the art and teaching of improvisation, contact improvisation and somatics. The workshops and classes are grounded in the body and it's discourses. The teachers or facilitators share their practice or theoretical concerns around embodiment.
At ponderosa we are offering opportunities for participants to learn, create, perform and or network with professionals from Berlin and more so, Internationally during these intensive workshops. All takes place in Gut-Stolzenhagen, a reoccupied farm and cooperatively run project in germanys smallest national park "Unteres Odertal". Our local village and surroundings hold some of the most beautiful ruins and all around stunning scenery.
To register please fill this Reg_form and send it to us via email or post. (problem with the Reg form? write us to info@ponderosa-dance.de)
Here is a list of all the differnt workshops for summer 2013, click on the workshop that interest you for more details.
May/June - Sandra Wieser - Country Saturdays
June 14-16 - Contct Weekend Jam
June 10-14 - Rasmus Olme - Horizontal Fall
June 17-21 - Kirstie Simson - Delve Deeper intensive
This year In July BITCH CAMP!
People are asking WHY BITCH CAMP? Because last year was WITCH Camp and it seemed like a natural progression. The witch is in the world, as tough lover, healer, activist and that equals BITCH. We will explore Bitching as both real and a mask that gives access to heightened honesty. Interpret it how you like and come join about 20 artists at ponderosa this July who will continue the conversation.
Scroll Down for the conversation between Jules Beckman, Keith Hennessy and Stephanie Maher..
July 8 -12 - Miguel Gutierrez - Life Is Not a Bitch
July 11-14 - Eszter Gal & Peter Pleyer - The Body of CI
July 15-19 - Keith Hennessy - Fake Witch dance
July 22-26 - Jules Beckman - Sacred/profane
July 27-28 - David Lakein - Thresholds Of Transformative Tension
July 28-Aug 1 - Jules Beckman - Morning Class Rhythm & Improvisation
July 28-Aug 1 - Saliq Savage - Somatics of Self
July 28-Aug 1 - Pipaluk - Inner Rockstar
Aug 12-19 - Jeremy Wade - Articulating Disorientation
BITCH CAMP Conversation
Here is a conversation between Jules Beckman, Keith Hennessy and Stephanie Maher.
Jules says:
Last year we did WITCH CAMP and dug deeply into how our attention to intention becomes action becomes connection.
We played with punk prayer, ecstatic spasms, personal magic, DIY altars, tree communion and fertile chaos. We died and were reborn! We questioned the anatomy of ritual, and invented our own. We cast circles and squares where abnormal things could happen. We gave spacial context to the formless, unseen juice that drives longing and yearning. We learned that shamanic experiences can crop up at any moment. We came to see how costume, stance, accessories and attitude can make things magic, and we learned how stale the mystery can get if we are too dogmatic AND we suddenly felt fed up with supposed rules about what, when, how and who is magic and thus was born the theme for this year
BITCH CAMP
We will experiment with righteous rage as a threshold to the capacity to stand, to the work, to speak the words, to dances the dances that bless, that mentor, that transform. Bitching is your organisms way of taking out the trash. It clarifies your values, argument and power. The Diva calls it out, she know what she knows, so she keeps her cool, she is a dignified warrior singing truth to power. The Queen, holds space, wears the crown, blesses the people. She bears the sword, decides the way, her battle is more strategic than physical.
Stephanie says:
I would use bitch camp to stay honestly motivated in life and to make sure we are angry enough not just to hate ourselves but to make sure we do not isolate and hoard. Witching and bitching is necessary. Like, I share sometimes, but I think most of us operate like capitalistic slobs...and we are driven, and hope that we vote and pick those who can engage. Those who can not engage can just fuck them selves. This hurts my image of myself. Why would one think like that? I still want to pick up the pieces my ancestors left behind and make a difference..... my children have one lesson after another, soccer, volleyball, guitar, drumming, dance, soccer, volleyball, guitar,drumming, dance.....I am not sure their is real engagement in their eyes...This is something to BITCH about and change.
Keith says:
I dig the archetypal aspect of Bitch/Diva/Queen as a kind of triple goddess for our time.
And I especially adore looking at punk feminist outburst as a teaching model. Pussy Riot and FEMEN (the bitches of democracy) of course
But also Karen Finley, early Ru Paul, Vaginal Cream Davis. Adrian Piper is a smart bitch. Lydia Lunch was a punk poet bitch. Nina Simone was a famous bitch and one of the baddest bitches ever is Tina Turner. And even the trouble Valerie Solanis.
And if course the Isadora speeches before every concert were total bitch fests that still provoke and inspire.
And check out Zoe Leonard's 1992 text "I want a president...."
Feel the itch of your inner bitch, bitches in britches, doubled over in stitches,country bitches digging ditches, snap, wag, swish, flick, debate, protest, resist, lock arms, throw down, fight fair, fight dirty, roll with punches, dress the part, play the role, dig the hole, climb the pole to empowerment!
