AMANDO

The latest work by the exceptional Polish dancer and choreographer Paweł Sakowicz offers a different take on contemporary dance, its fragility and the impossibility of a clear definition. The National Museum in Warsaw commissioned Sakowicz to create the piece for the exhibition State of Affairs. He draws from pantomime, classical ballet and other dance styles, which he explores. He uses simple, everyday gestures, such as lifting an imaginary cup to his mouth with hands in rubber gloves, while gradually developing increasingly complex movements, mixing poses and gestures, and making us contemplate their meanings. Repetitions and movement loops constantly intertwine as if in a spiral. Economy and minimalism epitomise movement, space and sound ambience. Yet, spectator ultimately has an impression of having seen a monumental dance piece. The production given in the venue of the Nitra Synagogue closes the Nitra White Night programme. At Divadelná Nitra, Sakowicz will also perform his earlier dance solo Jumpcore.

choreographed and performed by: Paweł Sakowicz
sound design: Justyna Stasiowska
production: National Museum in Warsaw
partner: Komuna Warszawa

presentation at Divadelná Nitra supported by the Slovak Arts Council, the Nitra Self-Governing Region, The City of Nitra, SPP Foundation, LITA — authors’ society

The performance is part of the Nitra White Night. 

Paweł Sakowicz (1988) is a choreographer and dancer. He graduated in political science at the University of Warsaw, and choreography and performance at the London Contemporary Dance School. He largely creates his own original movement performances, yet also often collaborates with stage and film directors and other artists (e.g. Ramona Nagabczyńska, Marta Ziółek, Iza Szostak, Alex Baczyński-Jenkins, Rebecca Lazier, Isabelle Schad, Peter Pleyer, Joanna Leśnierowska, Magda Szpecht, Łukasz Twarkowski, Michał Borczuch, Anna Smolar). In his artistic research, he focuses on the history of dance and cultural appropriation in choreography. His works (e.g. TOTAL, Jumpcore, Masakra, Drama, Amando, and sound installation Vortex) were presented at the Polish Dance Platform, the Divine Comedy Festival in Krakow, the Val-de-Marne Dance Biennale, the Susch Museum, the Sanctarcangelo Festival and elsewhere. In 2016, Sakowicz was nominated for the Politika Passport Award, a major prize in culture. He is a visiting teacher at the Institute of Polish Culture at the University of Warsaw.