5 days until #DanceWeekend21! Meet Aeris Körper: a contemporary-based dance company that produces live shows, hosts community platforms, and leads accessible movement and performance workshops in Hamilton, Ontario. Aeris Körper’s goal is to inspire the exploration of creativity, movement, expression and interaction in performance to foster connection and community care. They will be featured in the DW’21 documentary film, ‘Isolations’. “This is a look at our experiences and adaptations to our dance practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. We share the ways we pivoted and the things we’ve created out of the limitations of the current moment. ”
Watch the film on May 1! Get your ticket to DanceWeekend’21: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/danceweekend21-tickets-149965399547?aff= #ComeDanceWithUs And follow @aeriskorper for more info on thier upcoming events in June & July! Read more here:
Can you tell us little bit about yourself/your company/collective/school?
Aeris Körper is a contemporary-based dance company that produces live shows, hosts community platforms, and leads accessible movement and performance workshops in Hamilton, Ontario. Aeris Körper’s goal is to inspire the exploration of creativity, movement, expression and interaction in performance to foster connection and community care.
Our values and goals;
CONNECT: We acknowledge our uniqueness; with empathy and compassion hear, see and work to understand the uniqueness of our community.
SHARE: We meet in places where we celebrate one another.
SENSE: We embrace the inherent intelligence of our bodies.
EXPLORE: We research our curiosities.
INNOVATE: We question, unlearn and redefine the traditional structures within which we think, feel and creat
Aeris Körper creates performative works that are emotional and qualitative explorations of stories from our community. The company focuses on creating honest and porous performances to supply audiences with a space to reflect, empathize, and trust one another. The audience’s experience and perspective are paramount to Aeris Körper’s creative process. Typically this resonates in performances by breaking the fourth wall through the use of gaze, physical contact, speech, or audience participation.
What will you be sharing at DanceWeekend’21?
We are one of the featured companies in the Dance Ontario documentary film, ‘Isolations’. This is a look at our experiences and adaptations to our dance practices during the COVID-19 pandemic. We share the ways we pivoted and the things we’ve created out of the limitations of the current moment. What interests about film as a medium and how does if differ from a live performance?
We’ve been exploring the power of commanding the direction of the eye through filmmaking. There is a drastic shift in narrative and storytelling through live performance versus filmmaking. It’s been a rewarding and empowering experience to facilitate the way our movements are perceived by the lens. Most importantly, there becomes more choreography than just the body. The dance becomes between the camera and the dancer navigating space and time together.
How has the pandemic shifted your work as a professional dance artist?
It has required a new layer of curiosity, creativity and problem solving. We have worked to find ways for authentic connection through an online space, a challenge that perhaps we never would have taken the time to figure out.
Please share what you are most looking forward to at Dance Ontario’s first virtual DanceWeekend?
We are excited to celebrate the accomplishments and creations of our colleagues, witnessing their development in digital realms and new ways of working. This is a boundary pushing moment in time and we are honoured to be both part of and play witness to these seismic shifts in creativity.
Do you have any up-coming performances/workshops/events you would like to share?
PROSPECTS: an evening of dance and discussion on Thursday June 3rd at 8:00pm
Aeris Körper Summer Intensive July 19-23
In 1 or 2 sentences, what does dance mean to you?
We believe that dance allows us to explore human embodiment leading to uninhibited living.