ON IMPROVISATION

CRA’P Workshops 2025

12 and 13 April from 11h to 17h

On Improvisation

Musicians Frederic Rzewski and Steve Lacy: In 1968 I ran into Steve lacy on the street in Rome. I took out my pocket tape recorder and asked him to describe in fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation. He answered: “in fifteen seconds the difference between composition and improvisation is that in composition you have all the time you want to decide what to say in fifteen seconds, while in improvisation you have fifteen seconds”. (from Derek Bailey’s book “Improvisation”)

Body Weather is a comprehensive approach to training and performance that investigates the intersections of bodies and their environments. Bodies are conceived not as fixed and separate entities but as constantly changing – just like the weather. Weather is seen as a complex system of forces and influences coursing through and beyond bodies and the world.

The term & philosophical basis for Body Weather was founded in the early 1980’s by dancer Min Tanaka and further developed by Laboratories worldwide. Frank van de Ven was a member of Tanaka’s Maijuku Performance Company in Japan, from 1983-1991. With Katerina Bakatsaki he leads Body Weather Amsterdam, a platform for training and performance. He has an ongoing commitment to the Body/Landscape projects he initiates worldwide and since 1995 has led the annual, interdisciplinary Bohemiae Rosa Project with Milos Sejn (Academy of Art & Design, Prague, Czech Republic), connecting body and landscape with art, geology and architecture.

As a training, Body Weather is of relevance to anyone interested in exploring the body and physical presence. After a thorough training and work with a partner on breathing, stretching, alignment and the notion of ‘relaxation’ in the morning, we will delve into the particulars of improvisation in dance and movement. We’ll explore both physical and mental states of being and creating movement, improvise on non-existing scores and inspect prevalent habits and patterns.

This workshop is suited to dance, theatre and movement practitioners and artists of various backgrounds.

Conducted by Frank van de Ven (BW Amsterdam/Melbourne)

Fee:

130€ (110€ CRA’P collaborators and associated members, members of the APdC, APCC, AADPC, AGT and graduates from the Theatre Institute of Barcelona)

Discount registration before 1 March:

115€ (100€ CRA’P collaborators and associated members, members of the APdC, APCC, AADPC, AGT and graduates from the Theatre Institute of Barcelona)

Registration:

info@cra-p.org / 666 763 504

CRA’P space

Frank van de Ven (BW Amsterdam/Melbourne) is a dancer and director who spent his formative years in Japan working with Min Tanaka and the Maijuku Performance Company (1983-92). In 1993, he founded with Katerina Bakatsaki Body Weather Amsterdam as a platform for training and performance. He is one of the foremost Body Weather practitioners in Europe performing and teaching regularly all over Europe as well as intermittently in USA, New Zealand and Australia. He has an ongoing commitment to his Body/Landscape series of workshops conducted worldwide and since 1995 he has led the annual, interdisciplinary Bohemiae Rosa Project with Milos Sejn (Academy of Fine Arts, Prague, Czech Republic,) connecting body and landscape with art, geology and architecture. The collaborative Thought/Action performances with Australian theatre artist Peter Snow have been presented in Australia, USA, New Zealand, Asia and Europe.

Organisations and institutions he has worked with include: Dansens hus Oslo –  APDI Dublin – Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre Wellington – Dancehouse Melbourne – Werkhuys Antwerp – Musikhochschule Koln – C de la B Gent Belgium – Dansens Hus Copenhagen – Monash University Melbourne – SNDO Amsterdam – Kramhusid Reykjavik – Academy of Performing Arts Prague – Map Festival Melaka Malaysia – Charleroi Danses Brussels – CIRA Strasbourg – Greenwich Dance London – Copenhagen Film and Theatre School Copenhagen – MA Performing Arts New University Lisbon – Unitec Auckland.

For more info on Body Weather Amsterdam see http://bodyweatheramsterdam.nl

CRA'P - pràctiques de creació i recerca artística | Anselm Clavé 67, 3r | 08100 Mollet del Vallès | info@cra-p.org