Cycles is about being a woman in todays world. With the feminine strength and connection with nature and its cycles. And the female potential for social transformation.
The twOne Company received a #TakeCareResidence for February / March 2021. The focus of this residency was to research on the topic of femininity: Cycles deals with feminine power on an artistic level. Belinda Winkelmann and Ewelina Kotwa have placed cyclical forms and transformations at the center of their research and explored the energy of «female» attributes through dance.
The duo has dealt with the female power and the qualities associated with it on a physical, dance and choreographic level. The Taoist movement and breathing methods Qi Gong, Tai Chi and Kung Fu localize the center of strength and creativity in the lower Dan Tian, which in the female body is equated with the womb. They integrated this aspect into their physical research and explored the womb as the center of dance energy and creative power: The Gaga technique and Body-Mind Centering were the starting points for the physical research. This formed the basis for improvisations to develop the individual movement language of femininity.
Because of their feminine nature, women are much closer to cyclical laws than to linearity. Every woman goes through different phases in the course of her cycle; Days full of creativity, extroversion, empathy and creativity alternate with days of rest, introversion and self-reflection. “The menstrual cycle, the epitome of the archetypal feminine – with which we are connected through our blood - mirrors the macrocosmic cycles of nature, such as the rhythmic change of the tides or the seasons. At the same time, the cyclical sequence of maturation and rejection of the egg or pregnancy is also a mirror of the creation process, both the unconscious creation process of nature and the creative process in humans. "Dr. med. Christiane Northrup.
Belinda Winkelmann & Ewelina Kotwa have included this fact in their physical research. They have dealt with their female cycle and observed how it influences their dance and choreographic work and how you can use the different cycle phases for your creative work. This opened up a new perspective on their «dance body» and developed a deep fascination for the different potential of the female cycle phases.
During their research, they became aware of how little space society devotes to this topic and how much this is still a social taboo. This gave rise to the desire to contribute to the removal of taboos surrounding the female cycle. At the end of this intensive and enriching research they are inspired to create a piece about the power of the female cycle.
Supported by
Fonds Darstellende Künste / Bundesnetzwerk Flausen +