LEAP Exchange
January 2015

Partner Institutions:    
Le Pacifique CDC Grenoble
Tanzhaus Zurich (via Andrea Boll)
Tanzbüro Basel

Participating Teacher:
Clint Lutes

General Response: This invitation with the specific intention of having a follow-up response influenced how I experienced my time at Tanzhaus Zurich and Tanzbüro Basel.  I tried to be more present and observant of the overall experience, ranging from communication and exchange with the institutions to accuracy of my own offerings and descriptions, etc.  I sent questions to the participants related to these topics.  Below are a mixture of my own responses and reflections as well as some of theirs (without names).  Hopefully this document can help serve to improve the professional training offered in these institutions.

My own experience was clouded with administrative issues, mainly the acquisition of certain papers and not knowing where to get them.  Otherwise, communication was generally direct and without too many difficulties.  Tanzhaus was somewhat late with their information on accommodation, etc. and I would have imagined that for such a small structure there would be more outreach upon my arrival.  Invitations to other structures have generally included lunch or meetings with the operating team.  I would have liked to meet the director, but this opportunity did not present itself (nor did I attempt to contact her on my own accord, so I am not placing blame). In addition I was offered accommodation with friends and therefore was not in the Tanzhaus other than for the classes.

Tanzbüro Basel was rather forthright with their communication but I as well did not meet anyone officially connected to the structure, only someone assigned to care for the functioning of the classes.  Otherwise, communication was very efficient.

The class participants all seemed rather pleased with their experiences and I was as well.  The general atmosphere was very positive and open in both structures.  There were more participants in Basel, and this seems to be a regular thing, hence the questions regarding functionality and ways to improve the overall experience connected with these classes and the structures offering them.  However, I had more engaged responses from the fewer participants in Zurich than the many in Basel.

What I look for in these invitations is connection and communication, and I understand that it may not always be possible, I found myself left to my own accord at both institutions.  The only real outreach came via Andrea Boll, who originally invited me to Tanzhaus and was instrumental in organizing the classes in Basel and attempted to organize other meetings with other institutions.  In comparison to other invitations I have had (K3 Hamburg, CCN Rillieux-la-Pape, various festivals…) I would have liked to have more personal contact, but also could have initiated this myself.

Questions sent to participants:

Zurich:
1. What do you think is the reason for low attendance in the contemporary classes in Tanzhaus Zurich?  
2. What local teachers would you like to have teach more often?
3. Do you feel like your needs are met by what classes are on offer?
4. Do you feel like Tanzhaus is connected to the local community?
5. Did the class description accurately represent the class you attended? If not, what would you change?
6. What words or phrases would you use to describe the class?

Basel:
1. What local teachers would you like to have teach more often?
2. Do you feel like your needs are met by what classes are on offer?
3. Did the class description accurately represent the class you attended? If not, what would you change?
4. What words or phrases would you use to describe the class?
5. Does the class schedule work for you (location, communication, amount of ballet vs. contemporary, time…)?
6. How could you help to further develop the local dance community (associated with Tanzbüro Basel)?  Do you think Tanzbüro has contributed to a ‘community’?


Responses:

ZURICH…
 
1. What do you think is the reason for low attendance in the contemporary classes in Tanzhaus Zurich?  

- I think the low attendance in the Zürich Tanzhaus that I have experienced over the last years is, that Zürich and Switzerland both, are too small. There is professional dancers around but many of them are in a fixed job in a company and can´t attain classes OR the freelancers can´t survive from dancing only-because the dance scene is soso small-so they work another job on the side which easily takes over...and there´s not enough time to go and train:

- This thing of Professional Trainings is a big mystery. I don't live in Zurich so I cannot talk about the Zürich freelance scene, but I can tell you that it has been the same in Bern. So much that they decided to cut them. Now we are trying to restore them, but it is not easy. Everybody wants them, but not so many people commit to actually go. What I think the reason is, that when you are a freelancer and you work in a project you have no time to go somewhere else to train; when you are a freelancer and you don't work, it means you are busy making your money somewhere else, or you have no money at all. It is hard to have the money and the time... At the same time I don't see how it is possible to pay the teachers, if you decide to give those classes for free.

- I think since there was a fire in the Tanzhaus and the training was quite irregular, it takes some time to recover from that. Maybe the location is a reason as well. Tanzhaus isn't as easy to reach with öv like most other places in Switzerland. An other thing I find difficult is the weekly changing teachers. It has something nice but also difficult. You don't know what you get, it's like a box of pralines;) But it's difficult to dive into a training form, work on something.

- The two main reasons are missing hospitality, respect and feeling for integration and community as well as a wrong strategy and balance in the training schedule, which was short-term planned and a too personalized concept.
The previous Tanzhausleitung never were warm or welcoming hosts to dancers attending classes. I often heard dancers complaining about that.
They stopped the only well working things like the ballet class with Laura Atwood, who had a lot of participants from Zurich on a regular base and even many visitors from other countries (usually very good dancers from well-known companies). These also joined then the contemporary classes, too. Overall the rehearsal scheme was too focused on floor work.
After the fire, the solution was to move all training classes to Salsa Rica, because preferred to have the Tanzhaus rooms for rehearsals. In Salsa Rica the floor is stone hard and most classes had plenty of floor work. Therefore only very few and often the younger stayed, since they could take this better. Finally only 2 or 3 people were joining the classes. This should have been the latest time point to change rooms and strategy. At that time I communicated both topics personally. More I could not do.
A good example for a well-balanced schedule for contemporary dance is the Menagerie de Verre in Paris with contemporary and multiple shades of modern and contemporary dance forms, so more dancer have a choice to find something that is good for them. There are usually about 30 people in the class, and also a lot of men. Of course not every class is perfect, but the mix makes it, and the teachers are very experienced and dedicated to teaching like you (not dancers who happen to teach)

2. What local teachers would you like to have teach more often?

- Jochen Heckmann Sarah Keusch, Philipp Egli, Tina Mantel,  Laura Atwood, Bruno Catalano, Ivan Blagajcevic, Jochen Heckmann, Laura Atwood, Denise Lampart, Marisa Godoy; gaga, floor work, flying low, impro, contact

3. Do you feel like your needs are met by what classes are on offer?

- Now that I was here in Switzerland for a visit and only took 3 contemporary classes, I was VERY satisfied! very good and actual contemporary classes

- Yes. Maybe it would be nice to have a class on Saturday morning as well

- It would be great to include the group of professionals dancers 40 up. This would give an additional color and insight into dance. Dancers will get more likely to choose a dance carrier if they have role models where they see that you can spend longer than just your youth with dance.

4. Do you feel like Tanzhaus is connected to the local community?

- Tanzhaus is not well connected  Hospitality and respect would help to bring people together instead of separating them. The task of a Tanzhaus is giving opportunities and inspiration.

- No. It seems to be very disconnected from the rest of Zurich. I don't know why. It's not a place where you meet other dancers and are able to share your experiences and so.

- I think, tanzhaus is now very well connected to the local community, to Zurich. It has not always been like that, my impression is that is has changed recently. I appreciate the tanzhaus and its shows very much, as well as the training.
I find it important for the teachers to know, that it is quite impossible to give continuous classes through the week they are there. They must know that they will probably have new people each day.

5. Did the class description accurately represent the class you attended? If not, what would you change?

- I don't know what the description of the class was. I only knew it was "contemporary", and that's a huge term! I was hoping for something at my level, not too hysterical or too challenging. It was nice the fact that there was time and space to learn new things, even in the movements the I thought were already in my body.

- yes...I loved Clint´s description

- According to your class description it did. Quite precisely.

6. What words or phrases would you use to describe the class?

- Organic, Floorwork, energetic, flowing( in the sense of it's always going, it's not like stop and go and you wonder when the lesson will end)

- smooth,movement phrases, training and using the bodies most effective pathways, simplicity and clarity in movement. also good to mention that you sometimes put a little impro-section into the class, i enjoyed it heaps, was also not too much, just a little bit to free oneself and discover one`s own playfulness and desire to create and move freely with the gained tools in class

- calm but not boring, accurate, not surprisingly innovative but interesting in its simplicity. I would say, it is a class that I would like to take regularly.



BASEL

1. What local teachers would you like to have teach more often?

- Dominique Cardito, Patricia Rotondaro, Alessandro Schiatarella

2. Do you feel like your needs are met by what classes are on offer?

- I feel my needs are met, for how long the classes go for and having teachers who are knowledgeable to the particular repertoire they teach. . I would love to have one class of classical and one of contemporary consecutively each day and perhaps a Pilates class once or twice a week.

- Yes, but it would be nice to also have a Profitraining class on Wednesdays.

3. Did the class description accurately represent the class you attended? If not, what would you change?

- Honestly, I didn't read any class description before taking your class. I just went and I enjoyed it!

- The class description's have been correct yes.

4. What words or phrases would you use to describe the class?

- exercises were consistent, layout of class work was great. Emphasis on developing  enough dynamic to the exercises were great

- Calm, focused, flowy, diversified, pure, personal and concrete corrections

5. Does the class schedule work for you (location, communication, amount of ballet vs. contemporary, time…)?

- the location and time works really well for me, as Its an easy walk or tram ride  for where I'm living, whilst I am auditioning for company positions in Europe and UK.

- Yes it does because I try to schedule my work hours around the Profitraining classes as far as possible.

6. How could you help to further develop the local dance community (associated with Tanzbüro Basel)?  Do you think Tanzbüro has contributed to a ‘community’?

- Not being a "local" I'm not so sure what has bee done . With my thoughts though ( if it has not been done yet), possibly  introduce open viewings days of Tanzburo classes, a couple of times a year to either school children and or adults who may be interested, so they can see what its like.....

- Tanzbüro has defenitely contributed a lot to a "community".