Nudist Danish choreographer and performer Mette Ingvartsen comes to Israel
In her solo as well as in her group works, Ingvartsen often employs nudity as in invitation to the audience to contend with their humanity, with the politics of the body and with the vulnerabilities
By ORI J. LENKINSKIDanish choreographer and performer Mette Ingvartsen comes to Israel for the first time(photo credit: AKOS BURG)
The naked body is an incredibly powerful thing. No matter what context it is presented in, it is nearly impossible to remain indifferent to the nude human form. And while each and every person is met with their own nude body daily, in acts of protest or art nudity manages catch the eye, to strike a deep chord and to jar the observer.In her illustrious career, choreographer and performer Mette Ingvartsen has explored the implications and impact of nudity both on and off the stage. In her solo as well as in her group works, Ingvartsen often employs nudity as in invitation to the audience to contend with their humanity, with the politics of the body and with the vulnerabilities and virtuosity of the human form.Ingvartsen, 40, was born and raised in Aarhus, Denmark. She moved to Amsterdam and then Brussels to study dance and, in 2004, graduated from Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker’s performance art school P.A.R.T.S. It was during her time as a student that Ingvartsen first dappled with choreography. In 2003, she presented the solo Manual Focus. In the years following, Ingvartsen unveiled a string of highly acclaimed works including 50/50 and to come. For several years, Ingvartsen explored the possibility of creating choreographies without the human body on stage, which led to The Artificial Nature Series. Her latest series, The Red Pieces, which includes the solo 69 positions, to come (extended), 7 Pleasures and 21 pornographies, explores nudity and sexuality on stage. Ingvartsen has a PhD from Uniarts/Lunds University in Sweden and – off the stage – is a seasoned writer and teacher.Next month, Ingvartsen will present work in Israel for the first time. Over the course of three days, she will perform two of her solo works and lead a workshop together with Serbian performance theorist and artist Bojana Cvejic. The highly anticipated visit of these two European dance icons comes at the invitation of the Kelim Choreography Center in Bat Yam.While in Israel, Ingvartsen will perform two solos: 50/50 and 69 positions. The previous work, one of her earliest, is among the most recognizable solos to emerge in Europe since this millenium began. In it, Ingvartsen takes the stage wearing sneakers and a bright red wig. She uses her stage time to embody a new manifesto, the Yes Manifesto. Weaving through recognizable situations such as a rock concert or a circus, Ingvartsen abstracts feelings from physicality to create a continuum of memorable moments.She will also perform a shortened version of 69 positions. Over the course of several years, Ingvartsen researched the presence of nudity and sexuality in performance. She was immediately drawn to the 1960’s, a period in which the naked body found place both on and off stage as a conduit for political messages. In 69 positions (unplugged), which Ingvartsen premiered in 2014, she takes the audience through a lecture/performance that visits these moments in history. The original performance was nearly two-hours in length. The version Ingvartsen will present in Bat Yam is forty-five minutes long followed by a conversation with the artist about the continuation of the work.This visit is an opportunity for Israeli audiences to see work by one of Europe’s most respected dance artists.
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