The Moving Spaces Workshop

International Dance Day is celebrated on April 29

Ion Puican, 03.05.2025, 13:46

International Dance Day is celebrated on April 29, starting with 1982. In connection with this important date in the choreographic world, the choreographic development space AREAL starts the AREAL COREGRAFIC EUROPEAN project (a collective effort for artists at a European level), with a new workshop: “Moving Spaces”. “Moving Spaces” is an audition workshop held on April 28 and 29 at the Goethe-Institut Pavilion in Bucharest, a workshop within the European project “Emotional Soundwalk”. AREAL is a member of the European Dancehouse Network, a network of 47 dance organizations from 28 European countries.

AREAL co-director, choreographer Cosmin Manolescu , spoke to us about the event on April 28 and 29:

“In April, on International Dance Day, AREAL is launching a new choreographic project AREAL COREGRAFIC EUROPEAN in Bucharest, which aims to bring important artists and curators from Germany and Portugal to the choreographic scene in Bucharest, but also to present a series of performances, workshops and films made by AREAL artists in Freiburg and Wuppertal. The “Moving Spaces” Audition Workshop practically launches the collaboration project between Bucharest and Wuppertal, between AREAL, between AREAL artists and the two choreographers Thusnelda Mercy and Pascal Merighi, who run a dance space in Wuppertal. Importantly, it is a dance space located in one of the train stations in Wuppertal. The workshop is also a means of dialogue and meeting between AREAL artists and the choreographic scene in Bucharest. Over ten artists registered and were selected for this workshop, of which one or two will be selected to participate with me in the final phase of the “Emotional Soundwalk” project.”

Choreographer Cosmin Manolescu gave us more details about the “Emotional Soundwalk” project of the two German choreographers present in Bucharest at the “Moving Spaces” workshop:

“What is “Emotional Soundwalk”? It is a performative route already built by the two German artists and already presented in a version in Wuppertal, which will however be adapted for Bucharest, for the public spaces here, to be created in collaboration with the artistic team that will be finalized at the end of April. I think it is important that dance and movement leave the performance spaces, reach the passing audience, those who normally do not enjoy the encounter with contemporary dance. I believe that the project is trying to build a new type of artistic and production collaboration, through which some projects made by foreign artists can be interpreted and presented in Bucharest by Romanian artists.”

About the German city of Wuppertal and the “Emotional Soundwalking” project, about who the choreographers Thusnelda Mercy and Pascal Merighi are, AREAL co-director Cosmin Manolescu also tells us:

“The two guests from Wuppertal are former dancers of the Pina Bausch company, the founder of the dance-theater concept, extremely well-known internationally. … I am glad that together with our already traditional partner, the Goethe Institute, we are facing a new collaboration project with these extraordinary people. For those who have seen the film “Pina”, we will be able to see that the city of Wuppertal is a city full of dance, and the new creation “Emotional Soundwalking” actually proposes this exit of contemporary dance from the performance spaces, onto the street, passers-by automatically becoming spectators and possible participants in this urban choreographic adventure.”

What kind of experience do artists who want to participate need to have – is knowledge in urban dance needed, or is it more about creativity and openness?

“The two choreographers invited to Bucharest are interested in working with Romanian artists, working with their creativity and building together a performative format that is possibly a little different from the existing version in Wuppertal. We propose that the urban show, which will premiere in September, will start at the Goethe Institute headquarters in Calea Dorobanți and end in one of the public parks, possibly even at Văcărești National Park. Because we believe it is important to bring a connection between the body and nature, between the city and its passers-by. Basically, 11 artists who were interested in the proposal launched by the two German choreographers signed up. However, what mattered less was their artistic experience in urban space, but rather their interest in working with movement and exploring urban spaces.”

At the end of our discussion, choreographer Cosmin Manolescu shared his opinion about contemporary dance in the Romanian artistic space:

“I think that Romanian contemporary dance still happens a lot in performance halls, when it happens, and I think that, practically, our project “Emotional Soundwalking” takes a step forward and brings contemporary dance closer to people, on the street, in parks, and perhaps creates stronger emotional connections.”