Terminology – Choreography on lockdown (choréographie confinée)

Copyright © Françoise Herrmann

In the finest tradition of modern and post-modern dance, where the exploration of even the most dislocated body movement becomes medium of expression, or where grace and elegance might be found in everyday movement, dancers on lockdown are performing from their homes. Inspired by the most mundane tasks, such as drying your hair, sweeping, and cooking, dancers are practicing and creating in very tight spaces, completely unsuited for dancing, and the propulsion needed for movement-mediated expression. 

Despite lockdown orders, social distancing, and canceled theatre programs, dance troupes worldwide, for example in Russia, Europe, Africa, the US and Canada, are safely continuing to perform, The dancers are continuing to create together, exploring new possibilities, showing how they are coping with their new locked-down working conditions, alternatively expressing the new normal. Choreographies on lockdown are thus produced, enabled through cellphone videos of individual performances, in turn, edited, mixed, and composed—enough to continue kindling the spirits of Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. 

Below, the Mikhaelovsky Theatre Ballet at home choreography, envisioned, composed, created, and performed, in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

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Mikhaelovsky Theatre Ballet at home

The below-referenced, freely available, Youtube performance videos capture a few more modern and post-modern choreographies on lockdown. Choreographies that have prevailed over the assault of the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2) pandemic.

References

Artistik Studio (France)

https://www.artistik-studio.com/

Artistik Studio en confinement... ça donne ça !!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7gQzjOm9768
Atlantique Ballet Contemporain (ABC) (France)
https://conservatoire.agglo-larochelle.fr/danse/atlantique-ballet-contemporain
Atlantique Ballet Contemporain  -  Corps Confinés 2020 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0nJ05iMqY8
Ballet du capitole (Toulouse, France)
https://www.theatreducapitole.fr/web/guest/ballet-du-capitole

Ballet du Capitole  - May 1st.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6Jn9oLloQs

Ballet du Capitole (Toulouse, France) - Fantaisies confinées

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGuvovNsg9k
Cape Town City Ballet (South Africa)
https://www.capetowncityballet.org.za/

Cape Town City Ballet - Lockdown Waltz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUwNcFjSt8
Cie Tartansa - Aurélie Girbal (France)
https://www.compagnietatansa.fr/amo-team/aurelie-girbal/

Cie Tartansa - Chacun pour tous (each for all) (version confinée) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM_Pl1vM6Pc

Czech Ballet (Czech Republic)
https://www.narodni-divadlo.cz/en/ensembles/ballet

Czech Ballet Special Performance during lockdown

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DTn-JAbogpM
Dutch National Ballet (Holland)
https://www.operaballet.nl/en/ballet/ballet

Dutch National Ballet Ballerina dances in the empty streets of Amsterdam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BclyFzZtE4k

Dutch National Ballet - Ballet connects dancers in lockdown  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuvXG4As80c

Houston Ballet (USA)
https://www.houstonballet.org/

Houston Ballet  - HB at home "Stay"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STC8NITyDMM
MikhailovskyTheatre (St. Petersburg, Russia)
https://mikhailovsky.ru/en/

MikhailovskyTheatre - "Ballet at Home" 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eASysqdHzKo
Opéra National de Bordeaux (France)
https://www.opera-bordeaux.com/nuriya-nagimova-16273

Opéra National de Bordeaux - Danseurs en confinement “Ballet Preljocaj”  de Nuriya Nagimova. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmGy8h1TFS8

Opéra de Nice (France)

http://www.opera-nice.org/fr/saison-ballets

Opéra Nice Côte d'Azur - 55th day on lockdown - "I feel you"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCq0r0KaaTU
Opéra Nice Méditéranée -  12th day on lockdown -  "Workout"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ks3mRHGx4Xc
Opéra National de Paris (France)
https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/ballet

Opéra National de Paris - "Dire merci"  Message de soutien du BNP (Ballet National de Paris)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIiG14Ggmu0&t=34s

Opéra National de Paris - Confinement 2020 - Remerciements du Ballet du BNP (Ballet National de Paris)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hllbH71TfZE

Opéra National de Paris - Les danseurs offrent un ballet en visioconférence réalisé par Cédric Klapish

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiM-x4fPFRI&t=26s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiM-x4fPFRI&t=194s
Opéra National du Rhin - Saison OFF - Dance me to the end of love - Leonard Cohen (in French - Video dedicated to all essential workers)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcvCWeSrsws
Semperoper Ballett (Dresden, Germany)
https://www.semperoper.de/en/whats-on/ballet.html

Semperoper Ballett at home: Dancing through the day 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJASR8xUrNo
The National Ballet of Canada
https://national.ballet.ca/Homepage

The National Ballet of Canada - Bach to Barre! Staying Home with TSO  mus(Toronto Symphony Orchestra)  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_AxMA_dE4Q

The National Ballet of Canada - Dancing in Isolation 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTi9o3PZemY

Staatsballett Berlin (Germany)
https://www.staatsballett-berlin.de/en/

Staatsballett Berlin - From Berlin with love | Creating in Times of Corona https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Vt2MVJk4o