Douleur et Rébellion
During her residency at DansBrabant, Elisabeth explored the relevance of political cinema for the development of her choreographic and scenic work. She does this from her personal history and observations around class and society.
Film generates an alternative experience of time with involuntary flashbacks and the synchronous experience of different time dimensions. It is a dream, a floating visual language that unfolds. That language taps into the subconscious, reorganises it and relates directly to our deepest, subterranean patterns. This creates the potential of a direct impact on the viewer, and thus of change. Elisabeth aims to expose and stage-choreographically represent the interaction/exchange between spectator and political reality.
She chose 3 filmmakers - Fassbinder, Pasolini and Schroeter - to explore the models and strategies they offer for making a political dance. In doing so, she balances at the intersection of politics, film theory and choreography, hoping to find a dance with a direct, real impact.
Questions that may accompany this are: How can choreography generate political awareness and impact? How do you make political dance or make dance political? How do you talk about fascism and ideology in our time? Can you see these filmmakers in a tradition of queerness? What is the role/responsibility of sense, nervousness and affect in the development of political beliefs? And: how does all this relate to making aesthetic, scenic choices.
As part of her research, Elisabeth was part of Performance Technology Lab #12.