performance
The Group “Hajde da…”, Belgrade, Serbia
Choreography: Boris Čakširan i Sanja Krsmanović Tasić
Music: Aleksandra Đokić
Voice: Svetlana Gogić
Dramaturgy: Marko Pejović
Costume design: Boris Čakširan
Light design: Paun Pavlović
Dancers: Ana Živković, Andrijana Lubina, Danijel Todorović, Jelena Stojiljković, Jovana Rakić, Senad Sopnić, Stojan Simić, Svetlana Gogić
Dance pedagogue: Dejana Budiška
The show lasts 55 minutes.
Performance “Curve for Gauss” is a part of “Hajde da…” Group’s “Body Frame” Project, which has been initiated in June 2008, gathering contemporary dancers and choreographers and persons with disabilities.
Coproduction “Hajde da…” Group and Cultural Institute “Vuk Karadžić”, in cooperation with Belgrade Dancing Centre
“Curve for Gauss” is a title based on model of Gaussian “bell shape curve” widely used in statistics (and other disciplines, as well) to describe normal distributions. Basic assumption is that measuring results of certain trait will be grouped around mean value in majority population. Everyone out of that central distribution area is a member of “uncontrollable” minority (that is, everyone showing either extremely high or extremely low results for measured trait). Our piece is bringing out the question of introducing “disturbance of average”, that is to say introducing the life itself, by these minority groups of society. “Curve for Gauss” is the process of decomposing of our comprehension of social phenomena with the idea to achieve the posture where border (extreme) values are considered to be just as relevant as average values, where particular exists side by side with general, where totality of the picture (no matter how imperfect it could be) is next to precise description of parts, where beauty is not possible without validating the pain and where the most precious search is the one we commence with “bread crumbs” left by other human being as our sign-posts.
Marko Pejović
This is a story about one generation – which could be out-of-time, story about growing up in a world where the line between hopelessness and sense is very thin. This is a story about search for communication, a search for exchange; about love that we have found or have missed; about encounters and farewells. This is a story about death, that keeps “sitting on our left shoulder” all the time, and life that passes by, a life that sometimes flies by like a colorful butterfly that lives only for a day. And – first of all – this is a story about our encounter and meeting each other’s essence, that can happen only through a creative process of giving birth to a piece of art.
Sanja Krsmanović Tasić
Its rather specific concept as well as a new energy which “overcome the barriers” with ease is what makes the project entitled “Curve for Gauss” great refreshment in a series of dance performances of the Belgrade Dance Centre. The performance arose from the “Body Frame” project and was initiated by the group ‘Hajde da …’. It gathers dancers with previous dance education and experience, as well as people with invalidity – amateur dancers with some kind of handicap in regard to their sense of hearing or sight. Guided by the idea that artistic exploration and theatrical experience should be available to all social groups and that talented individuals should be given a chance, regardless of what kind of handicap they are faced with in their lives, the participants were selected after workshops that lasted for several months. All pieces of the puzzles came together – starting from the stage, which is completely open, widened and has very simple but effective exit solutions, through good lighting, to an excellent music authored by young, talented composer Aleksandra Đokić.
Marko Pejović’s dramaturgical concept is quite broad, ranging from depicting harmonic love relationships, through conflicts, disappointments, to finding one’s own grounds again. Scenes of total chaos and senselessness are mixed with scenes which offer a sensation of peace and optimism. The story is set simply as a search for the meaning of life, in love, or in spite of it. The most fascinating feature of the play lies in the very way in which the dancers with handicap mastered their bodies and felt the inner rhythm of the group, the way in which, despite being unable to hear the music, they managed to understand and feel even the faintest impulses, syncopes and accents in the ensemble dance. Movement, very well-thought out and guided by choreographers Boris Čakširan and Sanja Krsmanović Tasić, with a wholehearted aid of the dance pedagogue Dejana Budiška, resulted in a strong emotional charge, but without a slightest trace of pathos. An interesting level of theatricality in this denuded, semi-dark space has been contributed by the blind dancer Svetlana Gogić who sang on the stage in crinoline-model dresses in different colours, so her image added to the group the needed drama and poetics.
“Curve for Gauss” is a delicate, occasionally touching performance, which is by no means part of political correctness or trend, (such project are very popular in Western Europe), but a proof that dedication, explorative spirit and loyalty to theatre, in all its forms and on all levels, usually yield a good result.