I’m quite interested in my approach to this notion of collectivity, but also how it can lead us down mistaken paths. I don’t believe in the assertion that “everyone is equal”, which is too often confused with “everyone is the same”. To me, that flattens out people’s originality and uniqueness. I prefer to consider the group through the perspective of “everyone in their place”, which celebrates the individual with all their differences. My aim is to develop an intention where each individual’s brilliance and independence enhances the group’s strength. So, the importance of individuality is used to create a powerful collective instead of solitary individuals or a flock of sheep. It is a group of strong performers where each unique individual’s place is different.
In quite concrete terms, we can see that dimension in dance through group movement work on a similar gesture, each performer exploiting their individual gestural urges with their own personalities and ways of moving. Through this lens, I hope to dive deeper into this topic with a choreographic piece, which is all the more interesting to explore with a large number of dancers on stage.