Talk: Hybridity in Dance

Talk: Hybridity in dance | Oktober 4th | At 5 – 7.30PM | på Huset-KBH

Daniel investigates the jazz dance’s historical African origins – where jazz dance comes from and what it looked like in its early stages. This interest is linked to a focus on the value and significance of representation and visibility of melanin-rich bodies.
Daniel investigates the jazz dance’s historical African origins – where jazz dance comes from and what it looked like in its early stages. This interest is linked to a focus on the value and significance of representation and visibility of melanin-rich bodies.

For example, movements that we today describe as “Jazzhands”, turn out to originate from ancient African dance ceremonies. Breakdancing, which is said to have been invented and developed in the South Bronx, New York in the 70s/80s, has recently been identified in old documentation/video from Nigeria in 1959 where they practice what we today call Breaking. How this is a result of the ancestors’ forms of expression that have been passed on and influenced based on different environments and political climates throughout the ages, is something Daniel finds exciting and important to explore further. The artistic expression for Jazz-dance today has today become even more Eurocentric and Daniel’s curiosity is to simultaneously go in the opposite direction and search for jazz’s African origins.

In Copenhagen, during September/October, you can participate in classes with two of the artists and dance instructors from Sustainable Dance Training:

Vera Nevanlinna / Practice of Performance / September 25-29, 09:30-10:45
Daniel Sarr / Contemporary Jazz / October 2-6, 10:00-11:30

Welcome to a gathering for professional discussions about artistic practice in the field of dance and choreography. We will meet at Huset Kbh, where we’ll start with collegial mingling and a drink in the café, and then continue with a professional session facilitated by the guest of the day. The conversations will be in English. There will be an opportunity to continue the discussions in the café after the event.

Daniel began his studies at The Norwegian National Academy of the Arts at the age of 16 and graduated in 2012 with a Bachelor’s in Jazz. He specializes in Hip Hop and Jazz , but has training and experience in several other styles. In 2011 Daniel represented Norway in the televised dance competition “Eurovision Young Dancers”, competing against 9 other countries he won first prize. He was also a Norwegian semi-finalist in “So You Think You Can Dance Scandinavia” in 2008. Daniel has broad experience from different dance-, theater- and from productions within the commercial field. He has worked with companies/ choreographers such as Oslo Danse Ensemble, Jo Strømgren, Fredrik Benke Rydman, Ingri Fiksdal, Nordic Black Theatre, Nagelhus Schia Prod. & Nakul Dev Mahajan. In addition, he participates in various TV productions as a dancer and choreographer. He has worked with artists such as A.R. Rahman, Madcon, Loreen, Julie Bergan & Ash Embla.