Sweden-based Collective (WRECK Collective) residency in Danscentrum Väst, Gothenburg

Last month, the Sweden-based Collective (WRECK collective) spent their residency in Gothenburg, Sweden. The collective was hosted by Danscentrum Väst, where they got the chance to explore themes of ‘’movement/material generation’’, as well as ‘’time’’ in the beautiful studio of Ärlegården.

Ärlegården Studio from Danscentrum Väst website

During their stay, the collective imparted daily training classes for the dance community, led by Destiny Af Kleen and Moa M. Sahlin. Monday’s classes were held at Spinnstudion.

Additionally, with the support from Danscentrum Väst, the collective organized the event “AN EVENING TOGETHER with the WRECK Collective”. This was a community outreach activity creating an evening of dance, dreams, and shared stories. The space of Ärlegården was transformed, and those who joined got to know the collective and share stories of why they dance! Some stories that came out were:

‘’When we were 5 or 6 our mum and her 2 mothers wanted us to dance. I danced on a table with the other children, Lao traditional dancing with our hands. I was taken to a ballet class and stayed 2 minutes and left. I danced on the grass with my cousin. We furnished the room by rigging seats so we would also have floorspace to dance. When I was 6 or 7 I saw these women do flamenco and I said to mum and dad I want to dance flamenco, and today I still am. My mum would say to me (in spanish) come dance with me. I had a friend and we would put on shows together in the garden. Someone told me that ´if you swing your leg like this you can fly´ and I tried, and I flew. When I was 5 or 6 I saw break dancing and I said to mum and dad I wanted to breakdance. I felt a tap on my shoulder and it was my partner, he asked me to slow dance, and I was so happy. I danced with my partner three times today, and the last time our neighbour joined us in our dancing because ´she likes party´. Imagine if, in the near future, people would come here and dance together. Strangers gather, not needing to talk, but simply be together, moving, sharing energy. They would build a fire and dance around it like ancient times, being themselves, telling their dance stories. Dark conversations, entering softly into spaces, absorbing the sounds and the silence, tales beneath shifting silhouettes, amongst the rise and fall of cycles we forgot were always there.’’

When reflecting upon their weeks together, the collective shared the following words:

‘’Our wreckage collides with the wreckages of this community. Laughter crashes, Bodies embrace without meaning anything. Despite the miscommunication everything moves forward. It is how time works. We feel compelled whilst propelled.’’

The next time the collective meets will be in January, in Danscentrum SYD in Malmö. This will be second to last residency, before entering into the creation process period leading up to the mini-festivals. Stay tuned for more exciting developments from the Sweden-based collective!

iCoDaCo is co-funded by the European Union. More information about iCoDaCo here

Photos by the Sweden-based Collective (WRECK Collective)