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off / set for Karin Stevens Dance

J Koch September 29, 2014

Being “off set” as the choreographer, working long-distance between Seattle and Switzerland with the cast from Karin Stevens Dance, demanded a different rehearsal process. Tasks to generate and set material, written instructions, diagrams, online video clips, and skype sessions, became essential to this process. How would you dance the diagrams below?

Working with Sam Boshnack’s sumptuous composition I was interested in drawing out the five dancers’ idiosyncrasies while also composing them into an ensemble. The compositional aspects of ostinato and cadenzas, being “set” and “going off”, also motivated me to work with the contrast between analytically set and intuitive structures.

Performances are coming up this week end
October 3 & 4, 8pm at Velocity Dance Center in Seattle.
Tickets are available at: Brown Paper Tickets

score elements for off/set — score elements for *off/set*

jurg koch dance

bio

Born in Switzerland Jürg has been working internationally as a performer, choreographer and dance educator for the past fifteen years. He trained dance in Amsterdam and London gaining an MA at the London Contemporary Dance School.

Working with Candoco integrating disabled and non-disabled performers and dancing in contemporary repertory including works by Bill T Jones, Javier de Frutos and Fin Walker informs Jürg’s artistic and pedagogic outlook.

In January 2004 he joined the faculty in the Dance Program at the University of Washington as a lecturer. He was appointed Assistant Professor in 2008 and promoted to Associate Professor in 2014. He currently lives and works from Bern, Switzerland.

As a performer Koch has been a company member of Diversions Dance Company, Wales UK, and Candoco Dance Company, London. In Seattle Koch has regularly appeared as a guest artist for the Chamber Dance Company and in contemporary works by Mark Haim.

Koch’s choreographic work spans from solo repertoire (The Printer’s Tray) to community ensembles (the workshop, The Rite of Spring) and collaborations with new media artists (David Prior, Iole Alessandrini, Lyn Goeringer). Jürg’s works have been performed in the U.S., Europe and South Africa, at the Northwest New Works Festival, The Bridge Project and the Seattle International Dance Festival.

As an educator Jürg focuses on contemporary dance technique and composition. He has a specialized interest in Integrated Dance and creating access to training and choreographic content for a diversity of participants. He is the organizer of the Integrated Dance Summer Intensive in Seattle.

, Bern, Switzerland