VESTLAND DANSETEATER.
Increasing Visibility
Ubuntu - "uten deg er jeg ingenting" ❤ Ban2 Online Fest! I kveld fikk vi se en fantastist flott forestilling på scenen i Hovshall, av og med Vestland Danseteater. Forestillingen heter Figure-ring / New Voices, og var en mektig og flott opplevelse som skapte rom for ettertanke rundt mangfold og minoriteters plass i vårt samfunn. Uten hverandre er vi ingenting ❤ Det gjorde så innmari godt å få krype ut av Covid-bobla og kjenne på energien fra scenen som fylte salen igjen 🥰 - Malene Aaram Vike
Sunndal kommune (Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune)
"Jeg satt igjen med en følelse av å ha vært med på en reise. Bevegelsene var nøye utvalgt, ikke bare for et pent danse utfall, men for et virkningsfullt og ladet øyeblikk jeg sent vil glemme. Variasjonen i bevegelsene ga dynamikk og en følelse av frustrasjon. Den enorme kroppskontrollen og samspillet mellom danserne ga frysninger gjentatte ganger. Kombinasjonen av svært dyktige dansere, en god dramaturgisk oppbygning og (etter min mening) et veldig riktig valg av musikk, gjorde denne forestillingen til en helt egen opplevelse, som vil legge listen for videre forestillinger jeg skal se. Wow!" - anonymous,in Bergen.
"Jeg synes det var utrolig spennende hvordan de brukte musikken og lyset, sammen med koreografien til å fortelle så mange forskjellige historier samtidig. Dessuten hadde de en enorm kroppskontroll og skapte et veldig spennende utrykk i dansen, som jeg ikke hadde sett før. Var rett og slett en fantastisk opplevelse og noe jeg kommer til å huske veldig lenge!"- anonymous, Bergen
We have also gotten comments like: "You really nailed it!", "This was truly amazing", "This is something new- something I haven´t seen before- SO beautiful!"- anonymous, Bergen
FIGURE-RING NEW VOICES
I will let the title speak for itself. - Simba
In Figure-ring / New Voices, Bergen-based artists, each with their own unique immigrant background. They merge different dance genres, ethno music, poetry, spirituality and storytelling into this captivating dance performance based on Ubuntu - an African humanity and philosophy of life with rich ancient historical roots.
Ubuntu is based on ethical and humanistic values, emphasizing community, oneness, humanity, empathy and relationships with each other. "Without you I am nothing".
The performance is developed as a constructive critique of society. It invokes dialogue based on the thoughts and experiences of immigrants, their personal identities and aspirations in a new home. A home where personal qualities and dreams are the same as they always have been, but where the framework has completely changed. Many immigrants strongly feel inadequate no matter how hard they work to integrate into the environment and society they now call home. They feel "disabled" despite the fact that they are in fact "fully functional".
The performance will be intimate and inclusive - an invitation to an expanded insight into African / Norwegian culture and an aesthetic expression of what it means to define oneself as a Bergen resident with an immigrant background. It celebrates culture and diversity and will meet the audience across background and social status.
Figure-ring / New Voices is Vestland Danseteater's (VDT) debut project on the initiative of the dance artist, Simbarashe Norman Fulukia (Simba). VDT uses the energy and power of music and dance to break through social norms thus create change and development. Raising dialogue on what it means to be minority. Through this initiative, the local community and young people are engaged and encouraged to be versatile whilst embracing, the diversity of the art field and life in general.
Ensemble
Chief Executive Creator/Performer: Simbarashe Norman Fulukia (Simba)
Associate Choreographer/Advisor:
Brian Geza
Performers: Samuela Papotto,
Robert January, Naysha Sonét,
Takieddine Chanouf, Shelmith Øseth, Simbarashe Norman Fulukia
Costume Designer: Nomcebo Khumalo
Video/foto: Freedom Kime
Recorded Music composer: Alexey Fedotov
Recorded Music Mastering engineer: Roman Komar
Dub Poetry: Mutabaruka (Would U)
Creative Lighting Designer: Athira Zolkiffli
Associate creative creator: Arianna Sotero
Physical Fitness Trainer: Mutero Blessing
Rehearsal Director: Caroline Rufaro Tedi
General Manager: Phillimon Chigwida
Tour/Stage Manager / Chief Technician: Tendai Zuze Fulukia
Producer: Charlotte Faaberg-Johansen, Syv Mil AS
co-produsent: Simba Arts, BIT Teatergarasjen, Carte Blanche & Fana Kulturhus
SIMPLY FIGURE-RING
I will let the title speak for itself.- Simba
Join us on August 27, 2020, online, just click the link!
THE STREAM: https://vimeo.com/452177880
The figure-ring continues/ Simply figure-ring er et sideprosjekt til Vestland Danseteaters debut prosjekt Figure-ring/ New Voices som har premiere på BAN2 Online Fest i september 2020. I dette prosjektet tar dansekunstner, Simbarashe Fulukia (Simba) til orde.
Via en monologbasert, digital forestilling vil Simba og 6 andre kunstnere med innvandrerbakgrunn deler sine personlige erfaringer og refleksjoner fra koronatiden. Hva er endret? Hva er uendret? Hvordan påvirker koronasituasjonen livene deres, jobbene deres og posisjonen deres i kunstfeltet? Vil ting se annerledes ut når dette er over? Etter monologene åpnes det for en interaktiv samtale og erfaringsdeling mellom publikum og utøvere, som sammen fortsetter å bygge på Simbas figure-ring.
Foto: Freedom Kim
ABOUT US
Vestland Danseteater (VDT) er et nytt og første fysisk integrert danseteater kompani for profesjonelle dansere / artister med flerkulturell eller migrantbakgrunn på Bergen, Vestlandet.
VDT is the first physically integrated dance theatre company based in Bergen for professional dancers/artists with multi-cultural and migrant backgrounds.
OUR VISION
Is to be the artistic epicenter for the minority groups of people in Norway and the world at large.
OUR MISSION
It is to create, produce exciting, accessible, engaging, provoking, inclusive and most of all inspiring work by Bergen, Vestland based multi-cultural/dancers with multi-cultural and migrant backgrounds that can connect with audiences from all backgrounds.
OUR GOALS
Are to work closely, encourage, empower often overlooked groups of people in Norway and the world at large. In the most case scenario; dis/abled, ethnic minority, immigrants, young people, artists to unleash their creative potential VOICES within dance, arts, and culture.
VDT is Fana Kulturhus associate dance company. Together we would like to stimulate the development of culture in the municipality of Bergen and the newly Vestland region.

INF9T FLO (IFLO)
Teknikken iNf9t Flo (iFlo) er et bevegelsesspråk bygget på kreativitet, kroppsbevissthet og høy energi-intensitet med solid forankring i den afrikanske filosofien Ubuntu. Den norgesbaserte koreografen Simbarashe Norman Fulukia (Simba) vil i denne workshopen gå dypere inn på Ubuntus fellesskapsideal formidlet gjennom samtidsdans, kunst og afro-kultur.
iFlo-teknikk fokuserer hovedsakelig på å gjenoppdage sin flyt som danser og menneske gjennom å skape ubegrensede bevegelser og kroppsrytmer som er overskridende, helende og meditative, akkompagnert av Mbira-musikk. Tradisjonelt har Mbira blitt brukt i forbindelse med Shona-folkets nattlige Bira-ritualer, og kan beskrives som både transcendent og beroligende.
iFlo-teknikken regnes som Vestland Danseteaters kunstneriske signatur.
iFlo is a way of life, which draws from its name, one consciousness of livity. Infinite Flow is about the feel, simple and effective unlimited movements.
iFlo is not so much about the arrangements/positions or labels. The whole session/experience is a journey accompanied by live Mbira music to guide all movers to transit from the physical world and spontaneously flow into a space and place of infinite joy and consciousness.
ENSEMBLE
CAROLINE RUFARO TEDI (ZIMBABWE)
Rehearsal Director
CHARLOTTE FAABERG-JOHANSEN (NORWAY)
Producer
PHILLIMON CHIGWIDA (ZIMBABWE)
General Manager
BRIAN GEZA (ZIMBABWE)
Associate Choreographer/Advisor
SAMUELA PAPOTTO (ITALY)
Creative Creator /Performer
ROBERT JANUARY (ZIMBABWE)
Creative Creator /Performer
NAYSHA SONÉT (NORWAY)
Creative Creator /Performer
TAKIEDDINE CHANOUF (MOROCCO)
Creative Creator /Performer (Apprentice)
SHELMITH ØSETH (KENYA)
Creative Creator /Performer (Apprentice)
NOMCEBO KHUMALO ( KINGDOM OF ESWATINI )
Creative Costume Designer
FREEDOM KIME (DRCONGO)
Creative Photo/Videographer
SIMBARASHE NORMAN FULUKIA (ZIMBABWE)
Chief Executive Creator / Performer
ARIANNA SOTERO (USA)
Associate creative creator
ATHIRA ZOLKIFFLI (MALAYSIA)
Creative Lighting Designer
ALEXEY FEDOTOV (RUSSIAN/LATVIA)
Creative Musik Designer
THOMAS LINDE LOSSIUS
Musician
MUTERO BLESSING (ZIMBABWE)
Physical Fitness Trainer
TENDAI ZUZE FULUKIA (ZIMBABWE)
Tour/Stage Manager / Chief Technician
TAPIWA MHASVI (ZIMBABWE)
Former Associate, Physical Fitness Trainer /Performer
ENNIAS PEPE RHAPPOZZOH (ZIMBABWE)
Former Associate Creative Performer
JOHN PFUMOJENA (UK/ZIMBABWE)
Former Associate Performer
“If movement is the food of our soul, keep moving”
Dance
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