Jerneja Fekonja

This choreographic laboratory will focus on the exchange of practical tools that help dancers build a connection between the process of creation and the process of sharing their work. The workshop will be divided into three parts: dance composition, instant composition, and a section dedicated to developing a performative score that will be presented publicly.

In the first part, dedicated to dance composition, we will explore the dancing body through practical and physical exercises. An important aspect of Jerneja’s teaching is the transfer of principles used by dancers in both vertical movement and floor work. The main goal of her movement method, Mobile Strength, is to develop awareness of how muscles and thoughts work in harmony and how “push” and “pull” from the ground can trigger movement through the kinetic chain, activating the body from the toes to the head.

In the composition-focused part, we will experiment with various tools for developing the dancer’s presence, choreographic vocabulary, and ability to create more complex compositions. Participants will then use these tools to shape their own choreographic ideas and explore relationships and interactions between participants/dancers—especially in terms of placing oneself within various spaces and times and understanding how this affects group composition. We will also focus on one of the main elements of scape—sound—highlighting music and the way dancers and musicians co-create compositions.

The final part will focus on shaping a public presentation through connecting with space and time. This phase will emphasize stage work, performer relationships, spatial awareness, and musicality, ultimately leading to a moment of exchange that developed throughout the workshop. The public presentation will not be a finished performance but rather an opportunity to share our work through performative elements.