Finding the link between dance and theatre

In Russian, Povstanze means both “rebel” and “free dance,” according to Rosenberg Distinguished Artist Aleksandra “Sasha” Konnikova.

“In Russian it has a double meaning, so it’s difficult to understand it when you pronounce it in English,” Konnikova said.

For her and Albert Albert, the other Rosenberg Distinguished Artist currently at Towson University, the name is an accurate description of their contemporary dance company in Moscow, Po.V.S.Tanze, which explores improvisational dance techniques.

“For many people it’s really opposite, Konnikova said. “They start with being in dance class to learn movement, to work hard, and then they try to open their minds. For us it was exactly opposite.”

The translation of povstanze meaning “rebel,” holds true in the sense that contemporary dance is still less accepted than more conservative forms such as ballet.

Unlike the new wave of Russian drama that came after the collapse of the Soviet Union, modern dance is still developing, even in cities like Moscow, according to Konnikova.

“Maybe there is five, six different dance companies, and there is no school of contemporary dance,” she said. “People are more ready to accept new drama than new dance.”

Konnikova and Albert were originally trained as actors at the Gnesins Russian Academy of Music and the Riga Theatre Academy, respectively.

After learning contemporary dance in their classes and performing in Europe, they formed Po.V.S.Tanze with three fellow graduates.

“Our experience is not like usual because we start from theatre as actors, then we start to learn dance,” Konnikova said. “I remember it was very hard to understand that my body has its own mind, that I can learn from my body.”

This unusual experience, however, likens them to the cast of “Tanya-Tanya,” a new Russian play being performed in December as a part of the theatre department’s Russian Season. 

The graduate and undergraduate actors have been working with Konnikova and Albert on movement skills. 

“We can understand the trouble [the actors have],” Konnikova translated for Albert. “We have to use another way of explaining because we know the other side of the process.”

Konnikova and Albert also bring with them the perspective of the Russian characters the actors will be playing.

“At the same time, we really want to stay with not specific, but in general human stuff, what happens between people,” Albert said through Konnikova, who translated. “It’s not about Russian people, it’s about all people.”

Konnikova translates for Albert in this setting, as well as the Level Three Modern master dance classes they have been teaching. 

The translation has had little hindrance in the creative process, according to both Konnikova and Albert.

Though this is their first time teaching American students, they say the dance students are responding very well to the new techniques they’re learning in class.

“I feel students are very open to getting new information. They change very fast. We can really see the change from the beginning of class to the end of class,” Konnikova said.

Assistant professor of dance Vincent Thomas, who usually teaches Level Three Modern class, sees the changes as well.

“For them to have the class consecutively, Sasha and Albert are able to go deeper in to the process,” Thomas said. “I also think it’s been really great for the students to hear instruction in Russian, and then the translation, and see the communication between Sasha and Albert and the care and the simplicity of how they approach their work.”

The Level Three students are exposed to a multitude of guest instructors during their time at Towson, and each artist is different from the others, according to Thomas.

“It does prepare them for what happens in the real world beyond the college experience,” he said.

2 comments

Your name

Thu Dec 10 2009 19:00

Yes, I know most the cast and Caroline is correct. Please, get your facts straight before you print, Lauren.

Caroline Reck

Wed Dec 9 2009 11:36

"The graduate and undergraduate actors performing have little to no training in dance, but have been working with Konnikova and Albert on movement skills."
I'd like to make a correction to the above quote: more than half of the performers in Tanya Tanya have danced or done movement performance work with professional companies in America, Europe, and Australia for many years, in fields as varied as Flemenco, classical ballet, Lecoq mime, and dance theatre.

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