T H E D A N C E R S B L O G
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Written by GDC's dancer Lea Giamattei
Another amazingly creative week has passed and ‘What do we know’ is shaping more and more. We are really close to finding the final setup and I feel like the next step for me will be not to be the character just in the studio but to live it deeply within every day, every moment and searching for the most interesting and challenging sides of it. It's what I am now, it is not anymore just simply what I do. Written by GDC's dancer Victor Fernandez
This week was a surprise for me, I started to feel things that I couldn't feel previously. We watched the piece on video for first time and it was nice, I could see our work and it's so interesting. When you're in the piece you can't see it but watching it you can appreciate the smallest things, which for me was very strong. The details can be so strong. It gave me a good feeling and now I can see everything from another perspective. I could also learn about all the other dancers too. Written by GDC dancer Steffi van Bokhoven
We’ve grown so much towards each other as a group and it’s a wonderful thing to feel, hear and see. The characters are starting to be clearer and clearer, inside the piece, but also outside the piece. We each have our own role, or perhaps I should say “place”, inside our little community. I feel very excited and honored to be carrying one of the pieces of this unity. I think on the last day, after a week of doing full run throughs and even watching a video of one of the runs, we really opened up about and acknowledged who every one of us is and it felt very right to do so. We talked about how we saw each other while watching the video of the piece and I feel like it was a reflection of us also in real life. Getting this clear image of myself by watching myself in the video but also hearing everyone’s words about me makes me feel much more secure about my character and its actions. A lot of doubt has evaporated in my mind and now I’m ready to really go for it, become more extreme and therefore more defined. |
'What do we know' by GrossDanceCompany Dancers: Lea Giamattei and Victor Fernandez Photo: Arjan Spannenburg
Written by GDC dancer Jeffrey Stuut This was again an incredible week. What an amazing profession I have and I'm so blessed with the fact that I can express myself through my art and my art is a reflection of my life. This week we had or first run-trough and because of that I discovered the piece for myself for the first time. To be able to connect with such amazing dancers and to share a part of your soul with them is so nice and healing that makes up for all the physical pain you can have as a dancer. For myself, I'm now in the process of really creating my part and defining what I have to say and what my 'conversations' are about. I am looking forward to diving even deeper in the world we creating. |
Written by new GDC dancer Kahlia de Matos
It's intimidating to watch yourself on film. I think when you're a dancer in the piece it's a very intimate experience every time you perform it. To watch myself as someone who was not 'Kahlia' was really intense. It's weird to see yourself like that, not only yourself but also these people you work with everyday are completely different people in our piece. One thing I love about being an artist is that we do get to 'escape reality' and be someone else for a period of time. Each week we are getting more and more involved with our characters in 'What do we know' and it's constantly changing and growing. I wonder what our characters will become between now and our premiere.
It's intimidating to watch yourself on film. I think when you're a dancer in the piece it's a very intimate experience every time you perform it. To watch myself as someone who was not 'Kahlia' was really intense. It's weird to see yourself like that, not only yourself but also these people you work with everyday are completely different people in our piece. One thing I love about being an artist is that we do get to 'escape reality' and be someone else for a period of time. Each week we are getting more and more involved with our characters in 'What do we know' and it's constantly changing and growing. I wonder what our characters will become between now and our premiere.
Rehearsal 'What do we know' by Sagi Gross & Jeroen Fransen. GDC's dancers: Steffi van Bokhoven, Victor Fernandez, Faizah Grootens
After the fourth week of creation of 'What do we know'
Published December 1st 2016
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Written by new GDC dancer Charlie Prince
The privilege of being an artist is the capacity to observe ones emotional state and use it to push our craft; rather than weighing us down. This week Sagi asked me "what happens to you outside the studio?" I thought this was a beautiful question to ask your dancer during a creative process. I shared that I had been feeling a lot of anger - whether it's to do with the state of the world, the work, my personal life - I don't know, but it's affecting me, and I feel safe enough to bring it into this choreographic process without fearing judgment. This is a gift in many ways - to integrate our beings, our selves into a work of art, to feel like as dancers we are being appreciated and respected on a humanistic level as well, making this experience all the more dense, rich & worthwhile. Written by GDC dancer Lea Giamattei
Another week has passed and more knowledge is starting to sink in and develop inside me. I had the possibility to start playing with my emotions and I felt like that was exactly what I needed. In this really delicate and thoughtful transition period of my life, this weeks rehearsal has given me some free moments from doubts. It made me see things way clearer and faceable. Maybe I’m not supposed to find answers all alone after the working time, maybe it’s the working time that is going to put everything into place. I found out this week that if I use what I’m going through and if I can recognise myself and my experiences in everything I do, in every little movement.. I’m not lying, and that’s the easiest thing for human beings to do, ‘lie'. All of this, I believe, is going to make a big difference in my life and especially in my approach to the amazing piece we are working hard on “What do we know”. Written by GDC's NEW dancer Victor Fernandez Everything happen for a reason, maybe we don't realise it, but everything is changing. You need to do realise the things, you mustn't be blind. A lot of things happen in your life and maybe you don’t realise how it affects you. This week I felt that I could work in a new way, it was more about the story and how I am affected by it. Everything is giving me a good feeling. |
Written by new GDC dancer Kahlia de Matos
Honestly, this was a hard week for me in a way that I was completely drained physically and emotionally. But sometimes i think that is the best way to work. because you push your limits and experiment with yourself to see how far you can go when you’re not feeling 100%. This week we discovered the concept of this piece ‘What do we know’ and honestly I was quite shocked but at the same time everything we have said and done up until this moment is making sense. We’re also going deeper into our individual characters during the piece which is really interesting.. and completely challenging. I am interested to see how far I can go into bringing this character to the stage. Written by GDC dancer Jeffrey Stuut To analyse the impact from the physical word we are saying on somebody else before saying the next word/movement. This is the process I'm in right now at the end of the 4th week. This week we had a talk with Sagi about the meaning of this piece. About the inspiration he had before creating this. My goal for this week was to involve this conversation in to the process of creating my character. This made my character grow and has given me a completely different understanding of my character, my relationship with the others and the piece. Now having 2 days off to let everything settle. I am looking forward to even go deeper in the process! Written by GDC dancer Steffi van Bokhoven
I don’t really have a very clear image of this past week as it was very dynamic. We had our first performance experience with the material, we worked individually, we worked together, we worked very physically, we had big talks, we dug into our characters... Every day was very different and I didn’t know what to expect every new day. Perhaps this is what made me quite anxious this week. It was bizarre to hear at the end of the week that also everyone else had had tough and emotional week. Was it because at last we were all together? Was it because we went so deep physically that it affected our emotions? Did we all influence eachother or did something influence all of us? What did start to clear up this week though was who I am in the piece and who I am towards the subject of the piece. Of course there is still a lot to develop but it was very exciting to be able to start incorporating this during the rehearsals. My character is very much linked to Kahlia, but what is our relationship exactly? Are we family? Am I even human? Who is everyone else and why do we do what we do? It’s fun and exciting to search but at the same time often darkness comes out.. |
Third creation week of 'What do we know'
 GDC's new dancer Charlie Prince
Written by new GDC dancer Charlie Prince / published November 23d 2016 My first week with this wonderful group of artists has been both enlightening and challenging. I find myself in the midst of a constellation of concentrated depth & richness that has been built in the first two weeks when i was away on tour. Trying to grasp, trying to understand, trying to see what my place, could be in this process. What I felt was a community forming, of individuals who are devoted to something larger than themselves. Sagi and the other dancers have been very welcoming and kind with me - and all generously took the time to catch me up on what has been said and done. I am looking forward to confronting the artistic and spiritual challenges that are embedded in this work. It is never easy learning a new language, we become different people as our filter for observing the world is limited by the words that we know and all the words that we don't know. This is how I feel at the moment - as I try to learn this new choreographic language with humility and curiosity. It is no simple task, if done with honesty and integrity, this is the beauty of art, of being a dancer when you can assimilate entire worlds and language in your body and make it your own to speak your own with the language you've been given. Written by new GDC dancer Kahlia de Matos / published November 23d 2016
It's hard to think that three weeks has already passed, but at the same time it feels like I've known everyone for a lot longer than three weeks as we are becoming a little family. It was another busy week pushing and testing our bodies and our minds.. For me this week I felt more comfortable in my own skin. On the last day of rehearsals this week, we repeated the original material I learnt in my audition.. but it felt different, I felt different. From the very first time we were taught this material until this day, I could feel an overwhelming emotion after I noticed the change within my movement.. or was the change in my mind too? More and more everything is starting to make more sense to me, there is always more to learn and experience but after only 3 weeks I can already feel it. |
Written by new GDC dancer Steffi van Bokhoven / published November 23d 2016 This week was very exciting for me as I feel that my mind and body have started to understand some things that we’ve been working on in the past 2 weeks. I came with a fresh mentality of telling myself “to just do it”. Not too much searching or wandering, no overthinking, to just trust my body and the knowledge I’ve gained. Like this I was able to let go of things that were blocking me rather than helping me. I gained more air and space, things simplified and I was able to focus on deeper layers of the movements and its images and thoughts. Also very exciting was actually putting together some of the material into one bigger section. Up until now we had a lot of smaller seperate phrases that made sense on their own but also somehow fit together. It was fun to see how and where they actually fell into place in the overall piece. Suddenly there was more of a “story” and we got to understand and literally see what has been going on (running around, jumping, flying and swimming) in Sagi’s head.. It's funny to say that a lot of things came together this week though, as there was always at least one person missing. The group was very dynamic this week but I think that is also why I went to look for this personal depth.. I'm very curious to see what will happen next week though, when all of us are 100% there. Written by new GDC dancer Lea Giamattei / published November 23d 2016 My third week has been about human connections. I realized how much I became a part of the group and how much I can feel it when someone is missing. I have gotten used to having all of these energies around me from these people, that I feel lost without them. I’ve always been really independent in my work and in life, never a big fan of group work.. until now. Maybe it is because we have such a good and healthy environment that Sagi has created with us together which makes me feel so comfortable and attached to the whole crew. |
Written by GDC dancer Victor Fernandez / published November 23d 2016
This week was better for me, I can now feel new emotions during the rehearsal.
We are in the third week and already I can see positive results, it makes me very excited to be a part of this work ‘What do we know’.
I am constantly discovering new qualities and ways of saying new things with my body and it is extremely interesting.
After the second week of the creation 'What do we know'
 GrossDanceCompany's dancer Lea Giamatteix
Written by new GDC dancer Lea Giamattei / published November 19th 2016
In my opinion, this has been the perfect second week. I have started to approach the work through a whole other level of consciousness. In the very beginning, I felt like I was just trying to copy what Sagi was showing me.. but now I can feel myself slowly changing and leaving space within the movement to show my individuality. Instead of just seeing him discover something in the movement, I feel like I too can discover something on my own, through his eyes. Of course we all have different imaginations but right now I am focusing on that. Starting from this point, I can see that this is going to be a deep, shiny and sometimes even a dark process. It is always quite scary to go searching for the unknown, but you never know what you might find. Written by GDC dancer Jeffrey Stuut / published November 19th 2016 The second week. Again, what an amazing rollercoaster it was. This week we started working on a duet and we started bounding together even more as a group. The awareness of the movement is growing and the story we are telling through dance is slowly shaping itself which makes it really interesting to see which way this performance is going and what story we will tell in the end. The other dancers are all really inspiring and that gives me a lot of room for my own interpretation and understanding of the conversation I am having with everyone else on the dance floor. The trust in eachother is also growing inside everyone and has made us all start to open up during the rehearsals. This creates a special energy in the group and it makes a perfect environment for creating a beautiful and sincere performance. I am looking forward to diving deeper into the world we are creating together. |
Written by GDC dancer Victor Fernandez / published November 19th 2016
While we are creating 'What do we know', I want to share parts of myself and my experiences. I'm thinking, 'Why am I doing this? I think it is a bad decision'. But why do I think this? In the end it is my decision, my life, and nobody else's.. So I am learning that I have to be strong, brave and most importantly, find my own happiness. My experience this week was difficult due to a situation in my personal life. But I decided to use this emotion I was feeling to help me in the rehearsals. Although it was not a desired emotion, I know that there's a lesson to learn from everything. Written by new GDC dancer Kahlia de Matos / published November 19th 2016 Focus. I think the word focus is the most important thing on my mind. No distractions. Be present. With my schedule right now, this week it was difficult for me to keep my mind from wandering. During this process of creating 'what do we know' we are experimenting a lot with emotions and even specific situations or conflicts in our past or present which can bring me to a whole new place within my mind and movement. However Sagi always tells us to keep it practical, don't dance too much, which I find difficult to combine my emotions and not 'over dance' the movement. But learning Sagi's specific language over the last two weeks is already teaching me new ways of moving and experimenting with my body. |
Written by new GDC dancer Steffi van Bokhoven / published November 19th 2016
What mostly went through my mind this week was, and this sounds funny, 'how to be a tree'. How can I root my leg into the floor so that I am stable and able to do anything in this 'forest' where there are so many things happening? How do I not let these roots be ripped out by an 'animal' or a 'bouncing ball'…and how do I professionalize my mind, body and more.
We have worked a lot as a group on how to be true to one another as well as the material; how to be manipulated by each other (physically but sometimes also through a story or conversation) and how to really use our senses to see, feel and smell something.
Working so much on the group feeling and understanding brought a great feeling when Charlie joined us on the last day, which finally completed our group.
What mostly went through my mind this week was, and this sounds funny, 'how to be a tree'. How can I root my leg into the floor so that I am stable and able to do anything in this 'forest' where there are so many things happening? How do I not let these roots be ripped out by an 'animal' or a 'bouncing ball'…and how do I professionalize my mind, body and more.
We have worked a lot as a group on how to be true to one another as well as the material; how to be manipulated by each other (physically but sometimes also through a story or conversation) and how to really use our senses to see, feel and smell something.
Working so much on the group feeling and understanding brought a great feeling when Charlie joined us on the last day, which finally completed our group.
The beginning of a new creation 'What do we know'
 Steffi van Bokhoven
Written by new GDC dancer Steffi van Bokhoven / published November 10th 2016 This first week has passed pretty fast… Did I just move to Amsterdam? Did we just start a creation? The environment felt very comfortable and ready. The 4 of us who are new to the company were guided by Faizah, Jeffrey, Jeroen and Sagi through the physical language of GDC’s material, which we learned and slowly unraveled though out the whole week. We got introduced to each other and to the material and its philosophy. We got a lot of information and tools with which we could do so much that sometimes we got a bit overwhelmed or lost, but there was always room to take a step back and return to the essence of what we were doing. Stay practical. Throughout the week some clouds definitely evaporated as towards the end of the week I found myself carefully selecting the words for some of the questions I asked. The work is so specific and detailed that I felt how my mind was setting itself. I’m very excited to meet Sagi again a few years after I first met him and his work at a summer intensive, being both in different places. It’s such a great group and I’m super curious to find out where we’ll end up and how we’ll get there. But first, two days of processing, processing... Written by new GDC dancer Victor Fernandez / published November 10th 2016 When choreographer Sagi Gross offered me to join the company as stagier, I was living in The Netherlands and studying in Codarts for only two months. I decided to change my plan, leave the academy and chose GDC. After one week of working with Sagi and the company, I feel the very intensive progress. I love Sagi's work, the language and philosophy of his physicality. I can feel good vibrations with my emotions and feelings. This has just begun and I am very exited with this experience so far. |
Written by new GDC dancer Kahlia de Matos / published November 10th 2016 When friends who are not dancers ask me how my week was, I reply with “Really good!’. But there’s so much more I want to say that they wouldn’t understand. I want to say that I finally feel like I’m on the right path, that i’ve felt lost, unsure about everything and now I can feel that I’m starting to find myself again. How can someone ‘normal’ understand that through just one week of this intensive creation process of 'What do we know', body ache and tiredness that I’m finally feeling whole again. The beginning of a process is always an adjustment, a new concept, new information, being surrounded by new people everyday. It’s intimate, it’s challenging, but I have no doubt that I am in the right place right now. I am curious and excited to see how these next couple of months will change me. Written by new GDC dancer Lea Giamattei / published November 10th 2016
This was my first week working with GrossDanceCompany and approaching such a complex and meaningful language has been absolutely challenging. I have got so many inputs, already in such a short time, which I’m trying to place and digest with body and mind. Now writing I can not wait to be in the studio again tomorrow and see what the weekend has done to the big cloud of knowledge that was hanging over my head on Saturday. Written by GDC dancer Jeffrey Stuut / published November 10th 2016 The first week. I can only describe this intensive week with 2 words: Awareness and Trust. Awareness and Trust in myself, the movements, the group dynamic and strength. Just 1 night before the second weeks start. So looking forward of diving deeper in the word of Gross Dance Company!! |
3 new dancers for Blind Sight tour in Amsterdam and Italy
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Written by Asuka Watanabe / published on May 11th 2016
Today I found something in myself. About my role I still have a struggle, I feel that I'm still holding something in myself. It doesn't mean that I don't want to but it is difficult to get it out of myself. I'm thinking too much, what / how it should be, what the other people think about it/me, as a typical japanese way I guess? Sagi was pushing me, he tried everything, and Rob too, and I felt the support from Richard, Faizah, and Jeffrey. And at some point something came out. When it happend I felt like I saw a very deep sea in myself. Asuka whom I saw today, I've never seen her before, I felt like I don't know me yet... I'm curious how deep and big this sea is...and when this all comes out...
Written by dancer Jeffrey Stuut / published on May 9th 2016 A few months ago Sagi Gross approached me if I wanted to replace a dancer for his upcoming performances of Blind Sight. After working a few times with him I was really excited to step in to Sagi’s world and to make my own experience of Blind Sight. Together with the new dancers Faizah and Asuka we learned in a few rehearsals, the basic materials from GDC dancer Rob Polmann in order to be ready to recreate Blind Sight when Sagi Gross arrives back from his tour throughout Japan and Australia. The moment Sagi came back, and with the help of director Jeroen Fransen, we entered another world where we went beyond the movements of the body, focusing on where every movement receive a meaning and we where heaving physical conversations between each other. Because of the new cast it is every day so interesting where the story will bring us and what our conversation is about. Having the ability of creating a whole new layer in this performance and to go on your own journey, without creating the steps yourself, is a major experience and learning process for me. The path that was created by the former dancers has given us so much fuel to start with and that makes this creating process so interesting that I can not wait to show our experience to the audience on May 17th in Theater Bellevue in Amsterdam. |
Written by dance Faizah Grootens / Published on May 9th 2016
First of all I want to point out how I really enjoy this new group of people I am working with. It feels like we know each other forever. We have a nice understanding for one and other. The work is very intense and a deep research for all of us. And I really feel we all commit together to this research. For me every day is a different experience. And I am still finding new ways to tell my physical story. Some key words/ phrases I like to hold on to: Just be Smell the sound Hear the odur Crispy New Colour New words Gewoon doen Always be ready to go Lazors from fingers Exhale Ground Sense the others How do I relate to the rest How do I relate the the space Sometimes just focus on 1 thing Full Clear Sharp Heart in hands Dig in
Written by Asuka Watanabe / published on May 9th 2016 One more week till my first performance with GrossDanceCompany. Since we started the rehearsals we are still growing, experiencing, searching, and finding something new each time. I feel good when I really understand the meaning that I'm 'NOW HERE', which is actually the most important and difficult thing I think. What is happening in me at this moment, how are the others influencing me, what I'm sending to them. What is the relation with this space, or outside of here. And sound? smell? touching? Do I want to react on it or not? It's a challenge how deep I can dig into my character and the materials this coming week. I really love this people, we support, understand, learn, and respect each other to make this project/relationship happen. |
One more week for the premiere of Blind Sight in Theater Bellevue in Amsterdam
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Written by dancer Lisa Van Den Broeck / Published on Thursday October 15th 2015
Dancers tend to explore anything that brings them closer to the inside, closer to an understanding of how and why they work the way they do. The creative process of Blind sight or simply working with these dancers, Sagi and Jeroen was a great environment to question and analyse my habits. This naturally happened through learning about his choreographic language and by listening and watching my colleagues interpret the work. The premiere of Blind Sight is happening soon, i'm switching to performance mode. Visualization is an important tool that helps me perform consistently and it makes me explore my boundaries. While writing I asked myself; "What do you want to communicate with the audience?" My answer, so far at least ; I want my body and mind to be centered and grounded so every aspect of my individuality changes physically, aesthetically, socially and spiritually. I hope these shifts will be shared with the audience. Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Thursday October 15th 2015 More and more our pencils are getting sharper and with that, the piece is getting more defined and a lot of different layers appears. Trying to understand my personage is not easy, "she" is not easy. But, I have the feeling, once that you understand her, "she" is very interesting. |
Written by dancer Rob Polmann for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Thursday October 15th 2015
The square for structure and circles for harmony. Getting the numbers fixed and creating a poem. A process before doing it and enjoying it. As if it's a polished stone. A beautiful amethyst. The red for the structure and blue for the circles. That makes purple, a magical colour. 
GrossDanceCompany dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana during Blind Sight rehearsals
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Thursday October 15th 2015 This week was really interesting because we explored much more the characters and images of each other. I feel that my character at first is like a woman in the big city, she is focused in her world, but connected to the others. Later, the differences of each one of the characters in space are starting to come out, develops and shapes to different places through the piece. It is like life. Everyone is different, lives in different places, with different experiences. We are always connected with the same system and the same world. I think that in this piece the viewer can clearly notice these images. Different characters of humans in real life, which manipulate each other for different reasons. |
Between narrative and abstract, working with Jeroen and developing the story of Blind Sight
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Written by dancer Rob Polmann for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Thursday October 8d 2015 This week was interesting. It felt I was falling in to a routine. I needed more incentives to build my character and story. During a runthrough I remembered a beautiful movie and character and that was it. It made sense to use some of his storyline. It felt similar what I already did. The next rehearsel Jeroen came and gave me some feedback and tasks. It was good to experience with it, to go deeper in stead of repeating yourself. So I have a lot new input to feed myself in this piece. I'm curious how that will workout with the rest of the characters. 
Written by dancer Lisa Van Den Broeck / Published on Thursday October 8d 2015 We had a short but still productive week. The week began a bit difficult for me ; after the studio presentation of last week, I felt I needed to go back to the basic idea(s) of the piece; Who am I? What is my purpose? Which decisions do I make? How do I influence or interact with the other dancers on stage? How do I use my character in the movements? Many question that needed answers. But by the end of the week I felt secure again about my performance. I'm happy to see that the piece is growing every day, which keeps the process unpredictable at times. All the questions and doubts are in the end the normal nature of the creative process, and probably one of the most exciting things about making a new work. |
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Thursday October 8th 2015 These week I felt that once I loose my focus on this process, the more senseless it gets for me. Lost in translation. But I don't see it negative. I see it more as a challenge to find another ways. Like looking at it from another perspective with other questions. The good vibe which exists with each other helps me trough that. I wrote and like to share a few sentences which came up through the rehearsal while Sagi worked with Sara and Rob on their pax de deux. This day was pretty funny: I feel like talking here. You remember when we made it? Yesterday. Don't think about changing, think about bouncing. You go to a wedding and you kiss everyone. You don't get food. I notice. We shouldn't relate to the music. We changed the studio. It's fine. Here you are talking. It feels like that already. Cause I'm here. Having an image in your mind what makes you smile. I do a fake smile. I do want you to have the image. This moment is very specific. This is a mess. It's too connected. I do make him take me. Rob is singing. (He was singing in that moment) Not even related to us. I realize ..what was that? This needs to be more. I want to emphasize this. Richard come and look. |
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Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Thursday October 8d 2015
We finished another week, this time was a short one, with 3 days of rehearsals and a bit of up and down. On Wednesday was not our best day, but we finished on Friday with a good one and talking about how to bring everything in to the next level. I start to put the eyes on stage and looking forward to the premiere. |
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Thursday October 8d 2015
This week was different from the others. It was short but intense week. We have worked on cleaning and the transitions of Blind Sight. We were also asking ourselves which character are we expressing, for a deeper investigation. Each character has his/hers idea but we are all the time connected. It is like a real world, each person is in his space but all humans are in the same world. There is a connection, a little detail even if it is a smallest contact, the energy between people which happens even if one is not aware of it. |
Towards a studio presentation at StudioDok in Amsterdam
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Written by dancer Rob Polmann for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Friday October 2d 2015 I'm finally recovered from a few days being ill. I needed some time to heal my body and brain. After a while I started to take the classes and rehearsels again. I noticed that my body was still a little bit weak. The work we do is very fysical. So there's no way to mark the choreography. But because I was still not healthy it was sometimes very heavy to continue. Most of the time I was surviving and thinking. Let see this is a positive way; never experienced this before. It's almost October and the première is almost there. Excited with new energy! Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Friday October 2d 2015
Choreography: from the greek "choros", collective dance and "graphy", related with the writing. *Creer y crear. In spanish, believe and create, are very similar words. So with Blind Sight we are writing, believing and creating our own individual and collective story's. Very simple, if you believe, you will have it, you will create it. Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Friday October 2d 2015
Does space has music? Does space creates music? Does music has space? I am not trying to get influenced by the music which is playing. I am not trying to follow it. I am trying to get influenced of the thoughts which i am thinking at the moment. By the pictures which I imagine in space. My interest is more about how my body play-create the sound and the rhythm. Sagi doesn't want us to connect with the music of the piece basically. We are part of the noise in space. |
Written by dancer Lisa Van Den Broeck / Published on Friday October 2d 2015 Last week we ended with a small presentation of ‘Blind Sight’. Being slightly nervous because it was my first time performing Sagi's work, I did go home very satisfied. I felt a strong and focused energy traveling through us all, which made me connect more easily with myself and my character in the piece. I’m looking forward to invest more time in the theatrical aspects of the piece and to let them be influenced by the basic concepts of dance; time, space and energy. Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Friday October 2d 2015
This week we had a studio presentation in Studio Dok. It is a good idea that people can see our work in progress before the premiere. I feel really excited because the piece begins to be finished and now we can start to explore more about the senses and connections. Also, I felt that the group become stronger and much safer. This work leads us to observe every part and each piece of our body until the facial muscles. Is nice to continue in this process and see the changes that you can do. I think that this piece say a lot of things and is really interesting that everyone try to find their own interpretation and meaning. I’m very excited to dance on the premiere. 
Ana Ramirez Moriana & Richard Oberscheven rehears the 'After scene' of Blind Sight
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The different scenes of Blind Sight started to come together
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Written by dancer Lisa Van Den Broeck / Published on Wednesday September 23d 2015
I felt two big changes this past week: I had a clearer understanding of Sagi's work and better body awareness; I was more conscious of where my body was in space, and where and how I move. Getting the idea of Sagi's work has a lot to do with the word: practical. There are of course many more aspects and layers to be explored but this word is like a common theme running through us all. Being practical has a close relation with being realistic; being aware or expressing awareness of things as they really are. Having a realistic view of the possibilities. This concept gives me space to explore my imagination and to make mental images which support my aim for full physicality and unlimited development in relation with my mind and soul. Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Wednesday September 23d 2015
So at this point i would really like to point out how intensive and fast, all of us, are working. I really like this timing , and yeah, of course some times is a bit exhausting but the result, with a very good quality, it's gonna be visible very soon and i love it!! This week we even had a very first try-out of the full performances, wow!!! Very happy with that. |
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven / Published on Wednesday September 23d 2015
A riddle?.. Sometimes too many questions. Sometimes no answers on my question. I realize at one point that it's important that I keep asking myself what these things could be about. Like when we have to improvise with certain tasks and so on. It is my decision where and how far I go with my imagination. I guess, The movements are the answers of the questions which I give myself. 
GDCs' dancers Richard Oberscheven & Rob Polmann during a rehearsal for Blind Sight
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Wednesday September 23d 2015 The last week was really interesting as we started to connect different scenes of the creation together. The first days we worked also on manipulating each other. It is really nice to feel the first taste of whole creation all together. I think that it goes to a really good direction. This week we felt as well really tired but I think that the result is very exciting. I hope that the development of Blind Sight will keep and follow towards the same direction, because each day that passes the energy goes up. |
The creation of the group scene 'After' which is a part of 'Blind Sight' / premiere on October 22d
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Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Sunday September 13d 2015 Another amazing intensive and super creative week. It's truth that creating it's not my comfort zone, but once that I pass the first step, things start to flow and amazing things with my colleagues and Sagi appear. I couldn't shut down my brain at the end of the week, that was a machine working by itself... Also I had the task of making a short speech in some moment. Wow, that was hard in the beginning, but given a bit of time and some thoughts about it, I'm happy with the results, even though it needs more work on it. 
The first blog of dancer Lisa Van Den Broeck after working with GrossDanceCompany for 5 days for the new creation 'Blind Sight' / Published on Sunday September 13d 2015 This was my first week working with Sagi and his dancers Ana, Sara, Rob and Richard. It was a very demanding and fierce week both physically and mentally; so many words were shared, advice was given, stories were told and personalities were shown. I feel like I have this big bag full of information and tools to play with but at one point this week I did feel quit overwhelmed and almost overpowered by the given information. I need to figure out which tools to hold on to and which ones to explore when needed. Looking back at my presence this week I was observant, trying to listen and let the knowledge sink in. A true sponge... I'm curious to see how my body will translate after a thoughtful weekend. |
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Sunday September 13d 2015 This week we created in a group. It was very interesting, we are finding ways to express what we want. We have to continue with this way. Continue searching the sensations, who is manipulated by who? How do we express the movement? Every moment is important. I think also that the process of the creation is going much better because we start to 'go for it'.... Finally, when we finished putting this scene together, we could see that everything was connected. I think that the viewer will be able to imagine a lot of strong images that will quickly go to the mind |
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven / Published on Sunday September 13d 2015
What we can hear are our voices and the noises which we are creating and the noises which the room creates.
During the last week we worked on a new scene. Because there was no music playing in the background I could hear my colleagues and the movements intensively. I felt that it was like a live composition which never repeated on same way. The rhythm and music are still in my head. An invisible playground where I can expand anything in any direction.
What we can hear are our voices and the noises which we are creating and the noises which the room creates.
During the last week we worked on a new scene. Because there was no music playing in the background I could hear my colleagues and the movements intensively. I felt that it was like a live composition which never repeated on same way. The rhythm and music are still in my head. An invisible playground where I can expand anything in any direction.
GrossDanceCompany Dancer Sara Gonzales
After performing at Bellevue Theater in Amsterdam a fragment of the new creation 'Blind Sight' during the UITmarkt Festival on August 30th 2015
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Written by dancer Rob Polmann for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Thursday September 3d 2015 What happens to you if you're in a shocking moment? Flashlight. Eye-blinded. Blindsight. Something with a lot of impact. Your ratio is out. Your nature is out. The two what keeps you in balance. Red and blue. Fire and water. Heart and brain. What do you see? A flash of bright white light. Sharp as a blade. Cut in 2 pieces. Left and right. Actually, it's just what we call left and right... |
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana / Published on Thursday September 3d 2015 This week was really intensive and strong. We created in only 6 days a new composition specially for a performance which we had at UITmarkt festival in Bellevue Theater in Amsterdam. The performance was last Sunday, a nice experience and I felt we were very connected with each other as a group. We had to "Go for it". When we are together I feel that is really clear and strong. We need to continue this way and connect more with each other. It's not just moving, it is a feeling that also happens to the face and all the other parts of your body. Everything happens for a reason! |
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Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Thursday September 3d 2015
Well, another amazing and intensive week just passed with a wonderful ending, having a very nice performance at the Uitmarkt Festival in Theater Bellevue Amsterdam. In this week I got a deeper understanding of the material, of the way of working and of the group. I think that all of us did a very big step, starting to get to know better our new common "language". While I'm dancing, I begin to find and define better my images, the pictures, my talks, my (hi)story...of myself and within the group. Nice moments and feelings appearing more and more in this great process. |
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven / Published on Thursday September 3d 2015
It is like a chess game but you can't win or loose. It is more about how do I put my thoughts in these forms? How do I transform my dance-knowledge, my experiences, into?! Looking for examples, images, behaviors and so on - looking for details. Creating new ways, new opportunities, different perspectives, looking for contrasts. Give the space freedom for it. |
After performing a preview at OpenAirTheater in Amsterdam on the August 21st 2015
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Written by dancer Rob Polmann for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Saturday August 22th 2015 Facets of a diamond. I get touched at some new buttons during this creation. Physically and mental. That brings you to other facets of your stone you want to polish. You try to let go of your habits. Doing the movements without any drama is something I have really learned in this piece. What's the journey from point A to B. Just make it very practical. But still having a focus during the choreography. You can't be there without really be there and see something. That's what I explored at the performance as well. I was aloud to talk through the piece. During the performance I talked, without any sound, while holding my leg up next to my ear. Slowly I had to move it up and down. Having a clear focus for myself at that point I 'talked' to the audience. That keeped me on my leg. All the worries about having a strong standing leg disappeared. Trust the body and have fun with finding new facets of your diamond. Rob Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Saturday August 22th 2015 In order to get to any point, you have to start in some point, (eve though we never reach a final one) and i will say that every beginning or start is hard, exciting, but quite hard. Collapse, catharsis and explosion are fundamental and necessary concepts in order to be able to continue and develop. After I had experienced all that 3 concepts in the last week, I think I was able to "keep on moving" forward and i had an amazing first, short and intense performance the last Friday. Sara Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Saturday August 22th 2015 This week has been very productive. We had the opportunity to go to first time to stage. It was very exciting. In this first time, I felt that the whole group connected with a strong energy. It's really nice because after this little taste of the new creation, I feel that we can go up more. I’m really excited to continue with this production. Ana |
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven / Published on Saturday August 22th 2015 When we started rehearsing our new group scene, it gave me the impression of the Giselle principal-> the death dance. And even how the modern society in 21st Century is. The many things which are surrounding us especially the materialism. But do I really need all those stuff? Is it never enough? Is there no end? And where does it bring me/us? Do I actually want this? Why people still fighting against each other. Is is not enough what happened in the 20th Century? ''They got money for wars, but can't feed the poor'', 2Pac - Keep ya head up. It feels sometimes that I am a slave of this system and I actually don´t get the time to breathe. I had a weird/ sad thought and it didn´t let me go for a while, it was about the second world war. All these bad things what they did to the Jewish people. I wasn´t born at that time but I felt related to it. Even the question how would it be for me or how would it feels like if they take everything away from me? These electrones atoms which were surrounding us, the connection with my body and other bodies which I really felt when we had the performance which was on friday last week in the Vondelpark. It is not about an happy end. It´s about the story which i`m telling to u! Richard. [...]Im Leben wird dein Stadtzug genießen nur noch konsumiert und ich glaub es wär besser wenn ihr mal ein Doktor konsultiert. Denn dieses Fastlife ist eine Krankheit, kein Platz für Entspannung nicht mal eine Handbreit. Langzeit Schäden, ein Leben nach Termin plannen, ein dicken Jep fahren doch voll Geld und Benzin sparen. Societys Brain-Wash traurig, die guten Tugenden liegen verdeckt unter einer Staubschicht. Diese Welt ist voller Lärm und Blaulicht, so schaurig. Doch wirklich jemand stören tut es auch nicht.[...] Song/ QUELLE: Chezz & Dam - Fastlife |
After rehearsing for 'Blind Sight' for 4 days
Written by dancer Richard Oberscheven / Published on Saturday August 15th 2015
I like re-searching, exploring. I am hoping that I get a chance to work with a choreographer who takes care of the art of dance.
Someone who supports and give trust, someone who thinks deeper and not just hang on the top of the water.
Before I started studying in Frankfurt, I had no clue about what I was ''actually doing''. I remember I was in first year and my teachers Dieter Heitkamp and Sjoerd Vreugdenhil influenced me a lot.
Since then my interests in dancing was growing. I don´t think about the future, I think about how much I can collect and give.
All the teachers and guest choreographers gave me something or lets say I learned a lot from them. All these different techniques, all these experiments. All this freedom! And this is what I was looking for. I do it because I can´t fake it!
What is the dance in the dance? What is the music in the music? And what lays under these Arts.
Sagi gives me the feeling that I should not give up on researching. He gives us the opportunity to find another form of expression in ourselves.
Richard Oberscheven
Written by dancer Rob Polmann apprentice for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Saturday August 15th 2015
Everyone is aware of the existence of a drug addiction, sex addiction, gambling, alcohol etc. Nowadays we’re getting aware of the sugar addiction. But for me there’s another addiction we actually don’t know yet. That’s the addiction of thinking. It all starts in your youth. We all felt dependent, weak and powerless when were young. During the years we try to unlearn these feelings. Parents and other people told us to be brave, you can’t do bad things, you have to do your best, you can’t be lazy, you have to be strong, can’t be stupid etc. All these rules creating an automatism in our thinking, feeling and behavior. Without being aware of these things, we almost always behave to prevent rejections of others and try to gain love and recognition. If we succeed in this, we feel good. But if we fail, we feel worthless, rejected, lonely and mistaken. So that powerless ‘child-feeling’ comes up again and we try everything in order to get rid of as quickly as possible. In short, the addiction mechanism is intertwined with our identity; we replace the feelings of weakness and being dependent what we experienced in our youth by ‘good feelings’. It’s not that these feelings are bad, but it’s the identification of it. That means there’s a misconception; we ‘are’ what we feel. Without this identification our self rejection will solve into a loving and judgment free awareness.
After 4 days of rehearsing for the first time with Sagi Gross for the new GrossDanceCompany creation ‘Blind Sight’, I came up with these words. For me personally I can connect this way of thinking with the way Sagi is creating and approaching. We’re using our bodies in the most purest state. There is no drama. Even if you have to repeat the movements, you’re always doing it as if it’s the very first time. The time when we were not affected by feelings, judgment and other ‘good’ and ‘bad’ stuff. To approach all these movements as an actor, instead of a dancer, is it a new way of exploring and exercise. Sometimes he tells us to think of a script instead of a choreography. Because I work as an actor as well this is such an interesting way of dancing. You put colors in the movements, new thoughts; as though you’re really working with a script. A physical monologue.
Because success is not always about what’s on your resume, but actually the love and effort you put in your passion and dreams, I really want to thank Sagi for believing in me for this creation. I’ve chosen not the typical way with a classical education, but still working my ass off to reach my dreams and doing what I love to do. I can’t wait what we’re gonna explore with the dancers during the weeks and performances.
Rob Polmann
Written by dancer Sara Gonzalez / Published on Saturday August 15th 2015
After a weird year of transition, (l guess) l still don't know where exactly l am. l like where i am. I have no idea where this moment, or this project is gonna bring me. That doesn't really matter, because right now for sure, it feels good, it feels right, it feels nice. Something that I know about this moment and related with the project, (and how l feel or what l need) is that l want to take a step back in this society. Something feels wrong: you have to buy this, you have to need this, you have to have this... in a very busy schedule - I need to have another rhythm and take my MOMENTS.
Sara Gonzalez
After a weird year of transition, (l guess) l still don't know where exactly l am. l like where i am. I have no idea where this moment, or this project is gonna bring me. That doesn't really matter, because right now for sure, it feels good, it feels right, it feels nice. Something that I know about this moment and related with the project, (and how l feel or what l need) is that l want to take a step back in this society. Something feels wrong: you have to buy this, you have to need this, you have to have this... in a very busy schedule - I need to have another rhythm and take my MOMENTS.
Sara Gonzalez
Written by dancer Ana Ramirez Moriana apprentice for the production 'Blind Sight' / Published on Saturday August 15th 2015
First I wanna say, that I'm really happy and excited to join the new creation "Blind Sight" with GrossDanceCompany.
This week I started leaning new material, it is really interesting. It is not only the movement, it is the sensation that you like to express. For instance the task to imagine that you are a person that can't see in a daily way is really helping me to find a new approach to engage the material. To use the senses touching, hearing, smelling with a different approach.
All the time during the work in the studio i have questions. It's a very delicate process with many details.
I'm really surprised by what we constantly find by getting the tasks from Sagi, It's really nice and I'm very happy to see how the material changes in the process. How it is transforming and getting more layered . I'm very excited to continue with this new creation. Thank you Sagi for this opportunity.
Ana Ramirez Moriana