Q&A with Attila Andrasi – dance artwork journal
Attila Andrasi is a Hungarian-born, UK-based unbiased dance and efficiency maker who not too long ago exhibited his work As soon as Upon a Time at Decision competition, The Place. Attila additionally showcased his work Nincompoop, a end result of his 2-year examine at Trinity Laban.
We sat down with Attila to search out out extra about him and his choreographic pursuits.
Q: Inform us about your self; whenever you began dancing and why?
A: I grew up in a small city in southern Hungary. After I was round six years previous, I used to observe ice skating artists on TV; this was my solely publicity to bounce on the time. Round age 12, I watched the film Billy Elliot on TV, and from then on, I used to be decided to change into a dancer. Fortunately, a giant metropolis close to us had a Szeged Royal Ballet Dance College that provided basis degree lessons, so my mother enrolled me. It was a very long time earlier than I might take part in quite a lot of dance lessons, together with improvisation, ballet, and modern dance.
After I completed higher major faculty at round 13, I continued to pursue my dream whereas attending secondary faculty and taking non-public ballet lessons with. After 4 years of convincing my mother and father and making an attempt to take care of my motivation, I used to be accepted into the secondary gymnasium program on the Budapest Up to date Dance School. Then I spent 5 years with some breaks on the Budapest Up to date Dance Academy within the secondary faculty after which within the undergraduate degree. Later, I continued at Salzburg Experiment Academy of Dance from the third 12 months (SEAD is a four-year undergraduate course), and now I’m right here ending my MFA Choreography diploma at Trinity Laban Conservatoire in London.
I feel I by no means wished to be solely a dancer; it was all the time a way of main, organising, facilitating, and creating an setting the place individuals really feel protected, creatively impressed, and heard.
Q: Your newest work Nincompoop was carried out at Trinity Laban as a part of the MFA Showcase. Might you inform us concerning the work, particularly the way it “questions social norms”?
A: Nincompoop efficiency serves as a approach for me to transition into a brand new, tangible trajectory in the direction of the “outdoors area”, the witnesser. I imagine this function is known as Choreographer.
In the course of the two-year exploration and studying interval, I loved taking part in with choreography ideas, approaches, and making a ultimate product by placing elements, crafts subsequent to one another like a vibrant school.
The efficiency theoretically explores the bodily manifestation of stupidity, the standard of failure, and the communal nature of human existence by way of the notion of frivolity. It challenges and provokes us to contemplate how we create and dismantle social norms and ethics with out borders. The motion analysis and follow, which speculates by way of variations of choreography ideas, improve somatic artistic autonomy. The choreography ventures into the creativeness of theatrical and performative presence, bringing us nearer to the performers in an intimate ambiance. This proximity permits us to watch and ponder gender, physique, and neurodiversity.
Rising up, I didn’t know I had dyslexia and dysgraphia. It took me a very long time to change into conscious of it and even longer to just accept it. I knew one thing was improper as a result of I might overlook phrases and discover it troublesome to write down appropriately. When studying one thing, I might generally keep in mind it in a different way, and I discovered it a wrestle to articulate my ideas verbally. Now, as an grownup, I can settle for that I’ve this situation, and it doesn’t make me any much less or greater than anybody else. Nevertheless, there was a time after I didn’t need to concentrate on it as a result of I assumed it made me completely different. I felt like this label outlined my character and gave that means to one thing unusual. Due to this fact, the choreographic ideas and inquiries formulated among the choreographic ideas that have been led by this expertise, akin to being neurodivergent.
Q: Might you inform us concerning the Hungarian dance scene?
A: I left Hungary in 2015 to check at SEAD, and haven’t been linked to the Hungarian modern discipline since. Throughout COVID-19 in 2020, I did obtain a fee from the Hungarian Dance Theatre, which was the one time I labored residence.
Nevertheless, so far as I do know and browse on social media, the Hungarian authorities has decreased monetary help for unbiased performing arts. Rumors counsel that with out connections to political figures or sending a political assertion to the federal government, grants are usually not awarded. Presently, well-established performing arts, theaters, and organisations are struggling. In Hungary, entry to a variety of free studio area is accessible, with as much as 30-40 hours per week attainable. That is very useful and supportive for artists. Within the UK, you’d pay round £400-500 for this. As a consequence of an absence of monetary sources, nevertheless, this free area accessibility can also be unpredictable. Just lately, I contacted some studios, and more often than not, they point out that they have no idea what shall be out there within the autumn.
I really feel that previously few years, and earlier than that, the “neighborhood” was a bit small for me. It was onerous to create one thing new or contemporary within the discipline of dance if you happen to solely participated on this small neighborhood, particularly in Budapest. Nevertheless, since I left, I’ve observed some rising artists who have been my classmates on the Budapest Centenary Dance Academy doing effectively. They’re bringing one thing contemporary to the Hungarian cultural {and professional} scenes, which makes me completely happy to see them succeed. However I imagine that their success is just not solely resulting from their onerous work, but in addition to the organisations and professionals who acknowledge these new insights. Due to this fact, it’s important to have a relationship with these individuals, and they should know you as a lot as attainable to give you grants, see your work, or provide help to work on the aspect as a manufacturing group. This offers me a heat sense of welcome and the sensation of being at residence – however I imagine that is the pathway if you happen to eager to determine connection and construct recognition.
Q: What are your guide/movie/dance suggestions?
A: I can suggest a few of my present sources of inspiration for my work and for the thesis I’m writing. Movie: The Idiots by Lars Von Trier Guide: Crip Idea by Robert McRuer Efficiency: 1000 Gestues by Boris Charmatz
Q: What would your recommendation be to fellow unbiased makers?
A: I wish to emphasise the significance of not overwhelming your self with pointless work. As a freelancer, it may be troublesome to stability a number of jobs to be able to make ends meet. Nevertheless, it’s essential to rigorously choose which work is most related to your follow and which can give you a priceless private and creative pathway for the longer term. Not all work is related, and taking over too many small, unpaid jobs can result in burnout. I’ve skilled this firsthand and discovered the significance of being selective within the work that I tackle.
Header picture: Movingimages.byines.