in between (2014)

In between is a research on stillness and transition. It is about the moments, during which nothing seems to happen, but without these moments, nothing can happen. The Choreography is based on the movement vocabulary of Minangkabau pencak-silat (martial art) from West Sumatra, and the interpretations of what the artistic team defines as the space “in between”. Katia Engel’s approach here is very specific: each performance shows a video projection, which is not just a prominent element, but core to the development of the work. What connects the videos as a whole is the exploration of time in movement and the human capacity and limitation to perceive and recognize change.

Katia Engel collaborates in this project with choreographers and performers, who are trained in a particular style of Minangkabau pencak-silat (local martial-art) ‘harimau’ (tiger style). This choice of working with Minangkabau pencak-silat ‘harimau’ derives from the fact that this technique is – as the name already suggests – inspired by the movements of a tiger, less stylized and more spontaneous with all movements taking place with proximity to the floor. Engel’s specific choreographic research on time encounters this particular (timed) dancing body, in particular in the concept of ‘galuik’, where the dancers have to assess the other’s intention to move based on their intuition, before they respond. The created stillness and concentration, paired with immediate actions, allow the exploration of both aesthetic and spiritual sensibilities of time and timing to take place