MANUELA BACHMANN BERNASCONI
For a long time I thought of dance as a language or even a profession. Today I see it as a ritual, an act that opens channels, cleanses and transforms them, a process of social and personal hygiene. Dance insinuates itself at an imperceptible, elusive level and etches itself into deep places.
I was born in Fribourg in 1982, Switzerland. I have Sicilian, Greek, German and northern Italian origins. I have been dancing since I was five years old. I started working as a dancer in Italy and France, between musical and contemporary dance projects. Between 2010 and 2011 I met Gaga and Ohad Naharin's work in Israel, in Tel Aviv. It was a transformative encounter. The same year, in Ticino, the Italian part of Switzerland, I met my husband Felix-this encounter was even more transformative.
For the last 12 years I have been working with him. Today we can count more than 20 creations together and many creative processes. Our reflections encompass the performing arts, cinema, site-specific creations, documentary films, archiving projects, the organisation of festivals and meetings for socio-cultural reflection and transmission, the management of spaces for artistic and cultural research, pedagogical proposals, and tools for the development and valorisation of the independent scene.
We have 4 children pushing us to go deeper in understanding the complexity and organicity of reality.
In 2016 we moved to the lower town of Fribourg and with some friends we founded Xocolat, an association for the mobility of creativity.
Now we live between Ticino, a small antique town called Bedigliora, and Fribourg.
CREATIVE LINES & INTERDEPENDENCES
MEET AND TRANSFORM
*FLOWA TRAINING*
Online, in presence, often in Alto Malcantone Ticino or in Fribourg, I propose a training based on Gaga movement language.
I encountered the Gaga movement language in 2011 and has been using it ever since to train perception during movement and facilitate the preparation of creative processes. Created by choreographer Ohad Naharin, this training is based on a deep activation of the body and physical sensations. Images stimulate the imagination and the layering of information builds into a multi-sensory and physically engaging experience. I use to inspire trainings using Cyrille J-D Javary French translation of the Yi Jing, the Chinese book of changes. It helps developing physical and mental flexibility, endurance, agility, coordination and efficiency of movement. An investigation in continuous, playful movement, where soft and thick textures, delicacy and explosive power, understatement and exaggeration coordinate with each other, opening up energetic and expressive flows.
NEXT FLOWA TRAININGS | usually on SUN 10h30-11h30 Circolo Bedigliora Ticino CH
NEXT ONLINE TRAINIG | stay tuned or contact
*CONTEMPORARY DANCE*
Contemporary dance does not have an established or limited code of movements or patterns, but consists of a constantly evolving search for forms and dynamics. The language of contemporary dance is limitless and is inspired by everyday movements or movements from the animal and plant world, shapes and architecture, images, energies and colours, and uses the potential of movement of the human body. The search for ever-expanding limits and for efficiency in movement are the basis of the training I propose.
on Wednesday 18h-19h30 Bedigliora, Malcantone, Ticino - all levels
on Thursday 9h20-11h50 Ashkenazy Ballet, Lugano - body dramaturgy and improvisation for advanced level and professionals
*ATELIER AND WORKSHOPS*
ChantDanSouffle
23-24.2.2024 Bedigliora-Curio | Ticino | SWITZERLAND
I will share and interweave tools of perception and expression through movement, with those brought by Wyna Giller, coach in respiratory coordination.
Stay tuned for the next venue in Fribourg CH
POROSITY
Collective no words feedback method for individual dance composition.
The workshop guides in a composition process moving consciously closer and further away from concept, description and words, in the discovery of a personal movement poem, impregnated by others compositions.
Contat for booking or infos.