RESET

Co-production of the “Let’s...” Group and Cultural Institution “Vuk Karadžić”

Reset

In the world of modern technologies, the word “to reset” means “to clear any pending errors or events and bring a system to normal condition or initial state” (Wikipedia).
Electronic systems have their life cycles. They get created and they operate. They also die. They get attacked by viruses. They lose their energy by activating several sub-systems simultaneously. Sometimes, they fail to recognize other systems, establish communication, be compatible and cooperate. They get bugged, enter uncontrollable states and break down. They have to be stopped, all activities have to be cancelled, in order for them to restore their energy and for processors to be able to operate again, and thus contently “buzz”.
It seems that we have the same situation with humans. The “Reset” performance is a story about waking up, about restarting.
The play is a product of the ‘Body Frame’ project which was initiated by the ‘Let’s...’ Group in order to enable creative collaboration among people with disabilities and artists in the field of contemporary dance. The project provides the participants with a space for exploring the possibilities of inclusive dance engagement. After a series of successful workshops two dance performances were created in 2008 and 2009, featuring dancers with and without disabilities (deaf and hard of hearing, blind and visually impaired persons).

“Let’s...” Group and Cultural Institution “Vuk Karadžić”

The Group “Let’s...” is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1999. Since then it has realised a number of projects with various marginalised population groups (persons with refugee experience, persons with disabilities, Roma children and youth...). The Group has collaborated with different cultural institutions and organisations in our country and abroad: CEDEUM, ЕRG Status Dance Theatre, Dah Theatre, Mudra Theatre, Cultural Centre “Stari Grad”, Ozone Gallery, Cultural Centre Rex, Silezian Dance Theatre, CandoCo... Since 2008, they have been working on the “Body Frame” project, prompting collaboration between persons with disabilities, dancers and contemporary dance choreographers, within which it has realised two dance productions (The Curve for Gauss and Reset).

The programme conception of the Cultural Institution “Vuk Karadžić” founded by Zvezdara Municipality is based on the values which affirm contemporary theatrical, dance and music tendencies, emphasise creative freedoms of individuals and promote an analytical way of understanding art and reality. The Belgrade Secretariat of Culture and Cultural Institution “Vuk Karadžić” initiated the project entitled “The Belgrade Dance Centre” (with two stages and the ballet studio housed in the Cultural Institution “Vuk Karadžić”) aimed at gathering all artists who are somehow engaged in contemporary dance, choreodrama, theatre of movement, modern dance research and advancement of education in this field.

“This time, with ripeness that impresses, Danica Arapović has created a performance that formally lays on joint dance of the three couples, trios, duets and solos, all being truly and obviously coloured by natural elegance and stunning sensibility, with an attractive and intriguing  dancing flow. By applying a technical term 'reset' to her performers – that originally stays for 'clearing any pending errors or events, and bringing a system to normal condition or initial state' – Arapović has made successful symbolizations of both system break down – its blocking, and its restarting, waking up, through movement.
Marko Pejović – a dramaturge, has played another fairly important role in this project, convincing us that contemporary dance must also have a dramaturgy that was thoroughly thought through and elaborated. Aleksandra Đokić’s music – pleasant and lyrical – has inspired the choreographer and performers to dance in harmony and mutual understanding that is not so easy and usual to reach. All these contributed to the fact that there was a very discreet and modest boundary between the achievement of professional and highly expressive dancers – Ana Ignjatović-Zagorac, Jelena Stojiljković and Jovana Rakić, and the appearance and dancing of Danijel Todorović, Senad Sopnić and Stojan Simić. This was easy to perceive also when the guys were the only dancers on the stage, confronted to each other, as their commitment to the art of dancing has been radiating their sincere inspiration and awareness of themselves being part of the world, destiny and eternity, which they felt not only with their full strength, but also with their full hearts.”
Milica Zajcev, DANAS – daily newspaper, Dec 16th, 2008