Agnese Vanaga

CONTEMPORARY PARTNERWORK SEMINARS

Juan Onofri and Agnnese Vanaga

For some years now, Vanaga and Onofri have been carrying out research work, producing and teaching the possibilities of Contemporary Partnerwork as a movement language.

They give seminars and courses that are characterized by the work with various performing artists apart from dancers.

They also carry out research on choreographic creation and the production of works with this particular technique as a starting point.

Contemporary partnerwork is a discipline which derives from contemporary dance, mainly from Contact Improvisation, Release, Flying Low and elements of acrobatics. It is oriented to the development of physical relationships in duets, trios or group work.

Unlike classical partner work, our proposal aims to build complementary relationships between two or more sensitive bodies. We seek to create a precise physical awareness in order to be able to work in relation to the particular physical structure of each student.

Taking into account the differences that relate to gender and diverse physical characteristics, some elements will be used that are applicable to the different body types so that, for example, a female student can lift a male student using the technical idea of a shared axis. In this way we avoid the risk of unnecessary wounds and at the same time open a wide range of new possibilities to encourage physical connections.

Our proposal aims to build an intense connection in which the dynamic roles are balanced and both bodies work equally in constant expansion to build one single form.

CURRICULUM

Agnese has obtained BA degree in arts from the Cultural Academy of Latvia. Besides she has studied acrobatic gymnastics, folk dances, contemporary and jazz dance, choreography, tango dance, tap and aerial dance, as well as attended piano and singing lessons.

She obtained a Masters´ degree in dance with her thesis and the piece “Story from The Lullaby” (which was staged in many international halls) from the Theatre Academy of Finland. She has also attended advanced seminars and residencies in the Dance Web Viena, University of Dance.

She has been granted over 20 scholarships and awards as choreographer and performer among which the most important were: Soros Foundation, Latvian Culture Foundation, Consulate of Northern Countries, among others.

She took part in several productions with works of her own, both nationally and internationally.

Cooperative projects:

SOMBRAS QUE SE ALARGAN (with Hugo Mastrolorenzo)

PACK (with Juan Onofri Barbato)

TANGO MISTERIOSA PASION (with Hugo Mastrolorenzo)

As performer:

10y10danza, Spain

Kekäläinen & Compañía, Finland.

Fura del Baus, Spain.

Olga Zitluhina´s Company of Contemporary Dance, Latvia.

Latvian National Opera.

Collaborations and short-term projects:

With David Zambrano, Bettina Holzhausen, Hicole Caccivio. Also, commercial productions with rock band “Modern Talking”, rock musical comedy “Faust Deus Ex Machina”, several projects with “Cuerda Contenidos y producciones aéreos” and with Fuerza Bruta for the Argentinean Bicentennial parade.

She is currently working on independent projects in the areas of teaching, interpretation and direction in different genres of dance, such as aerial dance, tango, and contemporary partnerwork.