Veli Lehtovaara: Vartaloiden kaupunki (City of bodies)

People, stranger/guest, circle, space, dance and words.

The performance Vartaloiden kaupunki is based on movement and spoken sounds. The dance and the choreography treat speech as music and song. How can a spoken word re-enter to the body, touch and move it? What is the physicality of speech, what are the bodies of words, phrases and sentences? What do they sound like, what do they feel like, what is their shape and character?

The imagined score of the piece is comprised of phonetic writing. Sources and materials of the piece are recorded political speeches and songs from the beginning of the 20th century until today. Danced movements interpret political symbols, but create something else than political – the choreography obstinately follows its own discourse.

The previous collaboration between Zodiak’s house-choreographer  Veli Lehtovaara and Swedish dancer Aron Blom – Paper plane (TeaK 2009) – toured European dance festivals as part of PARTS Graduation Tour 2010. In the recent years Aaron Blom has danced in Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s piece Cesena among others.

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