RIDCC Brings Back: Olivia Court Mesa
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8 jun20:30 - 21:30TR25 Schouwburg, RotterdamKrijn Boon Studio
English
For the second time, Olivia Court Mesa enters the stage of Theater Rotterdam. In June 2022, Olivia participated in the Rotterdam International Duet Choreography Competition (RIDCC) where she turned out to be the big winner; not only did she return home with the XL Production Award for her duet I carry, you hold but also with several Partner Awards. RIDCC and Theater Rotterdam collectively invited Olivia back to Rotterdam, to present her work Diptych: The Historical Present during the Dansweek on June 8.
Diptych: The Historical Present is a solo evening composed of two acts reflecting on womanhood. The evening-length work was envisioned as two contrasting parts, existing alongside and in conversation with one another. Each part is a commentary on the construction of gender and femininity in which Olivia Court Mesa locates herself in the evolution of feminism.
ACT I: Whenever I’m alone is the voyage of a woman into the raw, mechanical, burning and urgent, hidden and fragile layers of herself - her body serving as an inseparable companion for a dialogue.
ACT II: A traveling bag, a body and me is a magic act about the construction of womanhood. It is an embodiment of history, mythology, expectation, and the physical possibility of women. DIPTYCH examines both the weight of the flesh and of societal expectation; the value that is carried by gender and the body that must be carried.
For the guest programme RIDCC Brings Back former participants who have developed strongly in recent years and wih whom RIDCC feels a strong affinity, are given a platform once more.
Team
Concept, Choreography, and Performance Olivia Court Mesa Co-creator of ACT I Yochai Ginton Costume: ACT I Olivia Court Mesa, ACT II: Rosie Canaan Text ACT II Excerpt of “Un violador en tu camino/Himno de los carabineros” from Las Tesis / “XX” Olivia Court Mesa with excerpts from “A woman looking at men looking at women” from Siri Hustvedt Sound design Roey Hazon Music Deep, deep Breaths by Carlos Niño / Lieder Ohne Worte, Book 2, Op.3 (Excerpts): No.6 in F-Sharp Minor, MWV U 110 “Venetianisches Gondellied” by Felix Mendelssohn, Deniss Kozhukhin / Mezame (Awakening), Carlos Niño, Miguel Atwood-Fergeson / The Reminder of Long Ago, Joanna Brouk / Pajarillo Negro, Paz Court with her Coros Feminiles. Song ACT II Adaptation of Numi, Numi by Joel Engel, Lyrics Yehiel Heilprin. Light design: ACT I Yoav Barel, ACT II: Amir Castro Artistic Directors ACT I Dana Ruttenberg and Oded Graf Rehearsal manager Gyula Csakvari