Everything was already there but we searched elsewhere.
Instead of flying, borne aloft by warm breezes, we dug into the cold earth.
We were ashamed of rejoicing, believing we could share a little of the weight of the world.
We continued to fall, believing that the impact with the earth would allow us to penetrate it and understand it.
Now we have returned, tired and hurt, and as we began to take stock we realised that we had created emotional rubble.
In an impulse to obtain justice we sought the guilty, and found them stamped on the mirror of our conscience, small, without experience and scared.
These were the ones we listened to and obeyed when they ordered us not to live but to do, not to listen but to speak, to protect ourselves with armour made of I MYSELF, the hardest, most futile material, just right to protect us against insecurity.
But the weight of the armour made everything more difficult, and we forgot to stoke the fires of affection.
The cold took us by surprise, in the dark we didn't recognise each other anymore and became enemies.
We began to strike ourselves with the strength of fear, of panic, and the blades of indifference.
We surrendered, attacked and defeated by bone-weariness; we stopped asking and wanting, the armour disappeared, pulverised by a wind that smelt of home.
A look, a caress was born, we understood what we were looking for and immediately felt replete and grateful, and decided to go together there where we already were.
We went together towards the same mirror and found ourselves again, all of us.
We were already there, but we searched for ourselves elsewhere.
Costumes:
Lenka Flory
Mariana Jamnikova / Czech Republic
Light technique:
Vincent Longuemare / France
Sound technique:
Michal Vanis / Czech Republic
Production:
Lenka Flory / Czech Republic
Supported by:
Dance4 Nottingham / UK
Czech Ministry of Culture / Czech Republic
DBM Foundation / Italy
Komedie Theatre Prague / Czech Republic
Joint Adventures Munich / Germany
Concept and script:
Lenka Flory, Simone Sandroni (Italy)
Direction:
Lenka Flory (Czech Republic)
Choreography:
Simone Sandroni
Creation and interpretation:
Simone Sandroni / Italy
Teodora Popova / Bulgaria
Masako Noguchi / Japan
Light design:
Vincent Longuemare / France
Set design:
Lenka Flory, Simone Sandroni
Music:
Bruno de Franceschi / Italy, Mirio Cosottini / Italy
THERE WHERE WE WERE had it's premiere in August 2003 as part of the Tanzwerkstatt Europa Festival in Munich, Germany.
It's a trio with an ambition of bringing a conclusion to the previous work of the company as well as giving a clear direction to their future. Creators and interpretors of the new work are Simone Sandroni, Teodora Popova (Bulgaria) and Masako Noguchi (Japan), who have been working closely with the company for several years. Starting from this project DEJA DONNE is ready to begin a new way of approaching the process of creation and touring.
THERE WHERE WE WERE received a Total Theatre Award in Edinburgh, UK in August 2003.
Simone Sandroni and Lenka Flory: see CV ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Masako Noguchi was born in Japan and graduated in Osaka University of Arts. Since 1995 lives in Europe. Studied at Laban Centre in London and School for New Dance Developnemt in Amsterdam. She worked with several choreographers and musicians around Europe and in Japan. Since 1999 she performed own work and tought at International Duo Festival, Holland Japan Festival, International Improvisation Festival Hamburg, Session House Festival in Tokyo.
She is a member of Magpie Music Dance Company in Amsterdam directed by Katie Duck.
She joined DEJA DONNE in 2001.
Teodora Popova was born in Bulgaria. Studied at the Sofia Ballet School in Bulgaria. She performed with the contemporary dance company Arabesque and co-founded Amarant Dance Studios in Sofia, Bulgaria. She choreographs for companies in Bulgaria and as a dancer collaborates with choreographers abroad. She joined DEJA DONNE in 1999.
Vincent Longuemare was born in France. Studied University for History and Geography in Rouen and Paris and Institut National des Arts du Spectacle in Brussels as Light Designer and Technical Director.
Worked with Opera de la Monnaie in Brussels, Josef Svoboda and Armand Delcampe, Rosas, Thierry Salmon, Raffaella Giordano (Sosta Palmizi), Marco Baliani, Teatro Kismet Opera, Marco Martinelli & Ermanna Montanari (Teatro delle Albe). Teaches light design. He joined DEJA DONNE as lighting designer in 1999.
Bruno de Franceschi was born in Milan, Italy. Studied piano and composition in Milano, Paris, Friburg and Lausanne. Graduated at University of DAMS in Bologna. He was teaching at the Piccolo Teatro Drama School in Milano and directed professional formation courses based on relationship between sound, movement, music and theatre. He writes operas, lyric and chamber music with particular attention to the voice and recitation. Among others he worked with Massimo Castri, Elio De Capitani, Tadeusz Kantor, Antonio Porta, Giancarlo Majorino, Raffaella Giordano, Giorgio Rossi, Caterina Sagna, Ale Guzzetti, Marco Bagnoli. In 1995 he has founded Tacitevoci Ensemble.
Mirio Cosottini graduated from Florence1s Academy of Music in 1992 and subsequently studied under P. Thibaud. In 1999, he received his degree in Philosophy at the University of Florence. He is one of the founding members of Timet, a 10-year collaboration that led to his contribution as a performer and composer on several of the group1s highly original works. Since that time, he has delved further into composition, musical analysis and improvisation, also evidenced in his musical contributions to the fields of dance, theatre, poetry and cinema.
He has worked with many contemporary and classical artists, among them Giorgio Gaber, Irene Grandi, Marco Parente, Andrea Chimenti, Ares Tavolazzi, Stefano Bollani, Mirko Guerrini, Monica Demuru, Andrea De Luca, Zeena Parkins, Frank Shulte, Werner Puntigam, Italian Young Orchestra, Fulvio Caldini, Maurizio Ben Omar, Oliviero Lacagnina, Vinko Globocar, Bruno De Franceschi, Eliott Sharp.
