DasArts / Master of Theatre

The thematic block started on 16 February 2003 and ended on 28 April 2003 and the semester started on 1 March 2003 and ended on 31 August 2003

Mentor

Germaine Acogny (SN)

Locations

Senegal, West-Afrika: on the island Goree - Goree Instituut; in Dakar - Cours Sainte Marie de Hann and in Toubab Dialaw - Ecole des Sables/Jant-Bi

Visits to

• Maison des Esclaves, Musee de la Femme, atelier Moussa Sakho in Goree
• Musee IFAN, Village des Arts, Oumar Mbenge Atakosso’s Grandmother, atelier Oumou Sy, performances/films in Centre Culturel Francais, Medina, Dutch Embassy in Dakar
• Village Yoff
• Chef de Village, Sabar Dance in Toubab Dialaw
• Iles de Salloum

Photos Block 18: Mamadou Toure Behan

Activities

• workshops African modern dance/méthode Acogny, Eveil corporel, workshops, dance improvisation, workshops traditional Senegalese dance, hatha-yoga, rithm- and percussion workshops, video workshops, workshops installation art
• lectures teranga, lectures musicology, lectures African literature and visual art, video- and filmpresentations
• discussions, internal and external presentations

Guest teachers

Guy Amitai (IL) digital media artist/composer, Barkhane Ciss (SN) Sabar , Maam Daawur Wadd (SN) storyteller/visual artist, Hamidou Dia (SN) African literature, Longa Fo (CD) assistant to the mentor, Laurence Gavron (F) film maker, Les Freres Guisse (SN) music group, Lilyan Kesteloot (B/SN) professor West African literature, Ndary Lo (SN) sculptor, Doudou N’Diaye Rose (SN) master drummer, Olu Oguibe (NG/US) visual artist/critic, Ibou Sarr (SN) traditional African dance, Ousmane Sow (SN) sculptor , Ousmane Sow Huchard (SN) music researcher, Oumou Sy (SN) fashion designer, Helmut Vogt (D) business manager Ecole des Sables, Sjoerd Wagenaar (NL) theatre/visual artist, Women from Toubab Dialaw (SN) ancestral ceremonies in modern times

Participants

Djibril Diallo (SN), Igor Dobricic (YU), Galia Eibenschutz (MX), Paulien Geerlings (NL), Thomas Johannsen (D), Christiane Lopes da Cunha (BR), Oumar Mbengue Atakosso (SN), Ghani Minne (NL), Dafna Moscati (IL/I), Michael Sahr Ngaujah (US), Leyna Marika Papach (US), Rebeca Sanchez Aguilar (MX), and twelve students of L’Ecole des Sables from nine different countries of the African continent

Block 18 musicians

Djibril Ba (SN) riti, Abdourhamane Diop (SN) doum doum, Oumar Fandy Diop (SN) sabar/djembe/chant, Khar Seck (SN) sabar/djembe, Ousmane Sene (SN) sabar/djembE, Mamadou Traore (SN) sabar/djembe/balafon

Block 18 TIME/Le Temps was financially supported by

Dutch Ministry of OC& W; Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Hivos Cultuurfonds; Dutch Embassy in Senegal; l’AFAA, l’Association Francaise d’Action Artistique; Festival AFRICALIA, Belgium; Jean et Claire Lise Coppen

Content of Block 18

Once in every four years DasArts, the post graduate education for the performing arts in Amsterdam, transfers its’ study programme to a foreign location. (1994: Giessen, Germany and 1999: Gent, Belgium). The main focus for DasArts has been to experience a certain estrangement by travelling to other countries, - being deprived from ‘normal’ tools and surroundings, collaborating with artists from different fields and systems - using these circumstances as a source of inspiration. On this occasion the chosen country is Senegal. For the duration of block 18, ‘L’Ecole des Sables’ in Toubab Dialaw has been invited to host the forthcoming DasArts programme.

“Senegal, land of the wind, the sun and the fantasy” - M. Bejart
Germaine Acogny has been designated as mentor for block 18. In 1997 Germaine Acogny founded ‘L'Ecole des Sables’ a dance-school with a working base around modern, as well as traditional African principles and philosophies whilst respecting the proven multidisciplinary ideas of Bejarts’ school, Mudra Afrique. ‘L’Ecole des Sables’ is designed by a group of international architects employing a fusion of tradition and modernity, constructed especially for young African choreographers (and corresponding diaspora) with ambitions to broaden their vision. Germaine Acogny’s work and investigation into the African dance/theatre of tomorrow is still going on and in a sense shares the same dreams as DasArts, also focussing on the theatre of the future…

“Everything that appears is a vision of the invisible” - Anaxagoras
The title of the block theme was TIME. Principally, time perceived when related to rhythm and serving as binding element to all the other disciplines. Another aspect that was form an investigative element during our stay in Senegal, one that has practically disappeared in Europe, will be the aspect of the 'world beyond', ‘le monde de l’au – dela’, according to the West-African people. Additional concepts, Nature and Technology, were chosen as the main media through which the theme of TIME will be researched.
For Germaine Acogny ‘L’Ecole des Sables’ represents the ‘sacred forests of modern times’. A long time ago, when Africans went to the ‘sacred forest’, it was to be initiated either as a man or a woman, to learn about life itself, to learn about history, geography and other sciences, to be in contact with nature and their Masters. The whole process of initiation was expressed through dance and music. By the end of the ceremonies both men and women were obliged to show to everyone present their specific skills through the medium of dance and music. They performed in order to show the extent of their virtuosity in a technical, physical, mental and spiritual sense! Men and women were segregated. They practised abstinence and fasting. A great physical and mental discipline was demanded simultaneously along with much show of respect towards one another and above all, towards the elders. They required time to learn these skills. They made time by letting time take care of time itself. Today times have changed. In these modern times the African people who still practice initiation ceremonies, do so within a short period of three weeks instead of the traditional three months, due to European schooling systems. One has to adapt oneself to TIME and in reality search for a way of joining the two worlds together, creating a balance within TIME. Letting TIME take care of time. Taming TIME. Digesting TIME. Living in one’s TIME, and being aware of it.

Additionally Nature and Technology were chosen as the main subjects through which the theme TIME, will be studied. Africans offered their aspects of Nature and notions TIME, and Europeans will offer their own. This provided a good balance of diverse approaches within the period that L’Ecole des Sables and DasArts will meet. There will be time for meeting, time for a glimpse, time for an exchange, time to spend together, time to work, time to take time and time to catch up. As Ahmadou Hampate Ba the African philosopher has said, both parties will have to act like chameleons adapting their colour to their surroundings and walking where they may. Without moving the head, but instead simply adjusting the eyes in order to observe each detail of the environment allowing nothing to impede the journey ahead. Dance is the essential discipline at L’Ecole des Sables and we will explore our bodies and inner timing in every possible way and in different locations; in the forests and the various natural surroundings of Toubab Dialaw. Inspiration will be taken from our work in front of the endless sea, and our findings will be transformed in the ‘Studio Ker Aloopho’. The body and time: when we take time for the interior of the body, it transforms to discover new shapes. It becomes shape itself, mixing time and form. Time flows in the body. It may take a variety of forms and as a consequence the body changes, constantly. In this way movement finds its own origin within time. Thus movement becomes the passing of time, marked as it passes and beating like a pulse.

Village Technique

DasArts installed two cargo-containers on the terrain of l’Ecole des Sables, which form the base of what we call the ‘Village Technique’. In these containers a study-environment will be laid out. Here, workshops in digital sound- and video-techniques are given to the participants by the DasArts guest-teachers Sjoerd Wagenaar (NL), Guy Amitai (IL) and staff, often on a one to one basis. The artist-participants from Africa are very eager to learn the skills from these specialists, in order to get acquainted with the skills, to use these techniques for their future performances and presentations. The concept of the ‘Village Technique’ is based upon the work by the Dutch artist Constant Nieuwenhuis. A construction of buildings of found-materials, collected and built by the participants, will form a work-in-progress during the whole 10 weeks study period.

A box with texts, images and miniature building materials, handed out to all participants, inspires this building-work.

Overview of Block 18

Daily Routines
• 9.30-11.00 Eveil Corporel by Germaine Acogny (mentor) and Longa Fo (assistant)
• 13.00-14.00 Lunch
• 20.30-21.30 Dinner

Weekly Routines
• Every weekend: The oral tradition of story telling by Maam Daawur Wadd
• Every Sunday: Preparing a meal from your own country
Ghani Minne (NL) - Dutch/Indian Vegetarian Meal
Michael Sahr Ngaujah (USA) - Southern United States Meal
Galia Eibenschutz (MX) and Rebeca Sanchez Aguilar (MX) - Mexican Meal
Dafna Moscati (I/IL) and Christiane Lopes da Cunha (BR) - Italian/Brasilian Meal
Thomas Johannsen (D) and Paulien Geerlings (NL) - Dutch Pancakes
Oumar Mbenge Atakosso (SN) Senegalese Meal
DasArts Staff – Dutch/Surinamese Fusion

Week 1: 16-22 February

Dakar
• Visit Musee IFAN in Dakar, exhibition by Lamine Baro (visual artist)
• Visit Village des Arts in Dakar, ateliers of visual artists and ceramists
• Visit and lunch at Oumar Mbenge Atakosso’s Grandmother and family house
• Lecture and work presentation by Oumou Sy (fashion designer) in Dakar

Gorée
• Visit and stay at Goree Institute
•Lecture in Senegalese Teranga by Maam Daawur Wadd (story teller)
• Introduction of the participants and Initiation Ceremony by Germaine Acogny (mentor)
• Visit Maison de l’Esclave in Goree
• Lecture on African Literature by Hamidou Dia (writer/critic)
• Lecture on the work of Amadou Hampate Ba by Lilyan Kesterloot (professor West African literature)
• Lecture on West-African visual art by Olu Oguibe (visual artist/critic)
• Visit dance performance by La Compagnie 1er Temps in the French Cultural Center

Week 2: 17 February – 1 March

Return to Dakar
• Visit and stay at Cours Sainte Marie de Hann, school for education of peace
• Visit of the Medina in Dakar
• Viewing of film ‘Hyenas’ at the French Cultural Center in Dakar
• Visit of the village Yoff
• ‘Star Day’. Visits in small groups to various artists in Dakar:
Mauro Petroni (ceramist), Moustapha Bo Fall (recycling atist), Anta Mbow (education of street kids), Oumar Ndao (theatre writer/director), Ndiasse (fashion designer) and Oumar Ndour (theatre director)
École des Sables, Toubab Dialaw:
• Lecture and video presentation by Ousmane Sow (visual artist)
•I ntroduction to the work in ‘Village Technique’ by Sjoerd Wagenaar (theatre/visual artist)
• Visit to the chief of the village Toubab Dialaw

Week 3: 2-8 March

• Workshop in drumming and rythm by Doudou N’Diaye Rose (master drummer)
• Introduction to African Modern Dance (methode Acogny) by Germaine Acogny and Longa Fo
The workshop resulted in a group presentation of drumming with Doudou N’Diaye Rose combined with a dance presentation (methode Acogny) on Friday 7 Mach

Week 4: 9-15 March

• Workshop in Traditional Senegalese Dance by Ibou Sarr
The workshop resulted in a presentation of Sabar Dance on Monday 17 March

Week 5: 16-22 March

• Thesis by Germaine Acogny of the personal assignments to create movement phrases based on characters in the work ‘Kaidara’ by Amadou Hampate Ba
•Continuation with the work in the ‘Village Technique’
This resulted in an internal presentation around the Baobab Tree in the savanne
• Visit to the Sabar Dance in Toubab Dialaw
• Lecture by Ousmane Sow Huchard (musicologist) on traditional instruments
• Lecture by Laurence Gavron (filmmaker) on her own work

Week 6: 23-29 March

• Continuation of the work in the ‘Village Technique’ and working on the personal assignments

Week 7: 30 March - 5 April

• Excursion to the Iles de Salloum by piroque (local boat)
• Workshop with music group Les Freres Guisse (griot singers)
The workshop resulted in a group presentation on Thursday 3 April, during the workshop the song ‘Mama Africa’ was composed

Week 8: 6-12 April

• Return of the musicologist Ousmane Sow Huchard
• Dance session on antique music instruments
• Workshop with Ndary Lo (sculptor) installation and welding of the sculpture ‘L’Homme qui Marche’, designed in miniature by participant Chistiane Lopes da Cunha

Week 9: 13-19 April

• Visit to performance by Djibril Diallo in the French Cultural Center
• Continuation of the work on individual presentations and ‘One Minute Videos’
• 4 days of internal individual presentations
• Visit to the Dutch Embassy in Dakar, presentation of video with the activities in Block 18 and ‘One Minute Videos’

Week 10: 20-26 April

Retreat
• Work on final presentations
• Arrival of invited guest Hannah Belliot (Wethouder van Cultuur, Amsterdam)
• Final Presentation on Saturday 26 April consisted of 5 presentations in small groups based on a text written by Igor Dobricic. In this text 25 words were incorporated that each individual participant had chosen to express their feeling of that moment. The evening was conceiled by a collective presentation, the ‘One Minute Videos’ and the song ‘Mama Africa’

Week 11: 28 April- 2 May

• Group evaluation
• Departure to Dakar
• Recording on CD of the song ‘Mama Africa’ in the studio with the music group ‘Les Freres Guisse’
• Departure to Amsterdam

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