A. Billi Free
WHO ARE WE?
Materia is a new, open space for dance and choreography based in Łódź.
It is a new type of cultural institution, based on the long-them cooperation of a non-government organization with the national and local government institutions. We create a year-round program in Łódź including stage and outdoor performances, open workshops, masterclasses, professional dance training, local and community projects. We also offer a rehearsal space and residency programs for independent artists.
Since 2020 it is created in dialogue with viewers, professionals and amateurs, enabling the exploration of the matter and form of dance based on various methods of working with the body and movement, both in the creative process and in therapy.
Materia was created and is run by choreographer and academic lecturer Jacek Owczarek and curator and author Sonia Nieśpiałowska-Owczarek.
We focus on contemporary dance, choreography and dance improvisation, while developing projects also in the field of street dance and somatic movement methods.
We are a foundation based in Łódź.
To learn more about our work and programme please follow us on:
Facebook / https://www.facebook.com/materialodz/
Instagram / https://www.instagram.com/materialodz/
Film about our program in 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU5fkN8rsYg
Materia at Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/user138552916
Contact person: Sonia Nieśpiałowska-Owczarek sonianiespialowska(@)materialodz.pl
LOCATION:
We are residents at Ogrody Geyera complex, thanks to partnership with Music Academy of Łódź, Piotrkowska 295 in Łódź
DANCE STUDIOS AT OGRODY GEYERA
Within the partnership with The Institute of Choreography and Dance Techniques at the Music Academy in Łódź we organize residencies, rehearsals, workshops and performances at 3 professional, beautiful dance studios at Ogrody Geyera complex.
LARGE STUDIO 15 x 15 meters
MEDIUM STUDIO 9 x 15 meters
SMALL STUDIO 8 x 10 meters
Materia Foundation operates the Przestrzenie Sztuki program, being one of the five interdisciplinary art centers in Poland financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, implemented by the National Institute of Music and Dance and the Zbigniew Raszewski Theater Institute.
Our partners in Przestrzenie Sztuki are:
Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Music Academy in Łódź
The Institute of Choreography and Dance Techniques at the Music Academy in Łódź
Miejska Strefa Kultury – Center of Art Poleski
Our partners in community projects and festivals are:
Łódzkie Centrum Wydarzeń https://lcw.lodz.pl/o-nas/
Społecznie Zaangażowani https://spoleczniezaangazowani.pl/
The Marek Edelman Dialogue Center in Łódź https://www.centrumdialogu.com/en/
Łódź Multicultural Centre https//opus.org.pl/lcw
Picture: Mariusz Marciniak. The summer stage at Miejska Strefa Kultury w Łodzi - Poleski Center of Art - our partner in Przestrzenie Sztuki programme
DIRECTORS OF MATERIA
Sonia Nieśpiałowska-Owczarek / programme director of Materia
Dance producer and curator, and an author of a number of dance publications. She was a contemporary dance and CI dancer. A graduate of the Institute of Polish Culture at the University of Warsaw, she has worked at Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, where she has produced exhibitions and publications. Together with Joanna Chitruszko, she curated two editions of the Scena Tańca Studio (2018 and 2019) at Teatr Studio in Warsaw.
Together with Jacek Owczarek, she created the International Dance Cinema Festival in Łódź – Kino Tańca (2002-2006), and a number of dance film programmes presented at various dance and film festivals. She was the curator of the "New Horizons of Dance" series featured in the International Film Festival Era Nowe Horyzonty in Wrocław (together with Jacek Gębura), as well as a series of presentations of dance films and installation Mirror Me by Shona McCullagh, presented at the 8th edition of the festival. As a producer, she co-created the Warsaw-based International Dance Improvisation Festival Sic! (together with Ilona Trybuła – artistic director) 2007-2012. Together with the Łódź-based Pracownia Fizyczna and Dawid Lorenc, she invited David Zambrano to create Soul Project/PL performance (2013). She co- creates the programme of the summer Dance Festival in Połczyn-Zdrój, run by Joanna and Dawid Lorenc.
Sonia was the curator of the exhibition You Come, We’ll Show You What We Do. On dance improvisation in 2013 (with Katarzyna Słoboda) presented at ms² Muzeum Sztuki in Łódź, which comprised a space for improvisation, large scale screenings of documentation from the years 1970-1983, and a cycle of several dozen performative events.
Editor of several books, including:
- Lectures / Conversations on Dance Improvisation; 2012
- an anthology of 25 texts titled You Come, We’ll Show You What We Do. On dance improvisation; together with Katarzyna Słoboda, 2013
- an anthology titled Contemporary Dance in Poland in the Second Half of the 20th Century; together with Anna Banach and Juliusz Grzybowski, 2017
- book on Zorka Wollny Ophelias: An Iconography of Madness; together with Zorka Wolny and Anka Herbut, 2018
- Contact improvisation in Poland (together with Paulina Święcańska, 2019
Jacek Owczarek, PhD / director of Materia
Dancer, choreographer, academic lecturer. As a choreographer he was shaped by work experience at Witold Jurewicz's Alter Dance Theater, over two decades of work as a teacher of contemporary dance, contact improvisation and stage improvisation, participation in the Dance of the Dream Body project, running is my dance company Pracownia Fizyczna in Łódź, working as choreographer and movement director in dramatic theaters and almost a decade of academic work. The is head of the Institute of Choreography and Dance Techniques at The Academy of Music in Łódź.
He graduated from The Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań (Faculty of Pedagogy and Art in Kalisz). He collaborated in many projects including Body Patents created by Edyta Kozak in Maubeuge in France, Reprise created by Antje Majewski and Ingo Niermann, presented in Bytom Cultural Center and Berlin Volksbühne. With Ilona Trybuła he perfomed Lullabies for Anka, an Anna Baumgart project at the Temps d’Images Festival in Warsaw and Romaeuropa Festival in Rome.
He worked as a dancer and co-creator with the Bretoncaffe Theater, founded in Warsaw by a dancer and choreographer Anna Godowska and a theater and film director Sławomir Krawczyński, currently collaborating within their project The Rite of Dreams.
After 20 years of work as a dancer and choreographer, in 2009 he founded the Pracowna Fizyczna company in Łódź. From the beginning, the main method of work on performances was improvisation, the language of movement was contemporary dance. For five years he developed my method of work on stage improvisation examining the dependence and influence of sensory channels (hearing, sight, touch, voice) on movement. To my method of work I have included and developed this part of the Processwork that concerns the role of the senses, determining and developing the individual dancer movement and building a stage character based on movement qualities. This kind of work combines relativity of contact improvisation (not only in direct physical contact), work with space, implementation of themes in improvisation and the ability to build the narration of the performance through the movement of the character.
In 2013 he took part in the performance of Soul Project / PL by David Zambrano, realized by the Pracownia Fizyczna in cooperation with the Museum Sztuki, Łódź and the Institute of Music and Dance in Warsaw. It was the first performance realized by David Zambrano in Poland.
An important part of Jacek Owczarek work as a choreographer has been working in dramatic and puppet theaters. I had the opportunity to create stage movement, choreography and direction of movement in dozens of theatrical performances.
He created Kino Tańca Foundation and Materia Foundation with Sonia Nieśpiałowska-Owczarek, organised International Dance Cinema Festival in Łódź (2002-2006), many dance film programs at dance and film festivals, International Festival of Dance Improvisation Sic! In Warsaw (2007-2012).
THE ŁÓDŹ PICNIC OF DIVERSITY
PERFORMANCE Treasure of the Unnamed Mountain
WHEN: May 22, 2022 at 3 PM
WHERE: Park of Survivors, Dialogue Center ul. Wojska Polskiego 83
access to the Survivors Park (behind the Dialogue Center building) - access from Źródłowa street
The performance and concerts - free entrance, no reservations
For the workshops - the number of places is limited. Registration for the workshop is required: zapisy@centrumdialogu.com until May 20, 2022
Accesibility: with paved walkways throughout, the Survivors Park is easily accessible for the wheelchair users
The performance will be translated into Polish Sign Language
The Łódź Diversity Picnic is organized by Marek Edelman Dialogue C, Faculty of Philology of the University of Łódź as part of the Open Łódź project, Łódź Event Center, HaKoach Association and the Łódź Diversity coalition. The Materia Foundation is the partner.
The project entitled "Open Łódź" co-financed by the European Union from the European Social Fund under the Knowledge Education Development Operational Program; implemented by the University of Lodz as part of the competition of the National Center for Research and Development No. POWR.03.01.00-IP.08-00-3MU / 18, on the basis of contract No. POWR.03.01.00-00-T155 / 18 of 02.21.2019.
The event announces this year's edition of the Łódź of Four Cultures Festival. The task is carried out thanks to co-financing from the budget of the city of Łódź.
22.05.2022 / performance for families Treasure of the unnamed mountain
The program of the Łódź Picnic of Diversity is full of proposals for activity. We took care of every viewer. On the picnic stage you will see an unusual dance performance, which is addressed to younger audiences.
"Treasure of the unnamed mountain" - a dance performance with live music for children aged 4-10, directed by Jacek Owczarek, organizer - Fundacja Materia A unique performance for young viewers and entire families. This colorful story of friendship captivates viewers into a world of movement, sound and words, full of sensitivity. The artistic game of dancers impersonating subsequent characters, combined with text and live music, stimulate children's imagination and develop the ability to think abstractly. This world is transforming and changing before our eyes, inviting the viewer to a joint journey in search of… treasure!
The Łódź Picnic of Diversity is an opportunity to meet artists from all over the world who live in Łódź. During the event, there will be many workshops for young and older (including African cuisine workshops, circus animations, dance and singing workshops).
On stage, we will hear music from various cultures, including Jewish, African, Balkan, as well as local – from Łódź/Bałuty.
PROGRAM - STAGE:
15.00 "Treasure of the unnamed mountain"
16.00 Joe Darkelly with the band
17.00 Yankel Band
18.00 Samokhin Band
19.00 Elektryczny Węgorz
DIVERSITY MEETINGS - WORKSHOPS IN THE PARK:
15.00-19.00 Circus animations for children in the park
(hosted by Carnival Open Circus Space in Łódź)
15.00-18.00 Workshop on making Ukrainian motanki
(led by Mariia Snisarenko)
15.00-16.30 Meeting with traditional songs: Polish and Ukrainian. (led by Julia Hołówko)
15.30-17.00 "Women's Space of Freedom" - a workshop for women of all ages, regardless of age, language and religion
(led by Edyta B. Pietrzak, PŁ & Łódź Women’s Trail Foundation i Inga B. Kuźma, UŁ & Łódź Women’s Trail Foundation)
15.30-17.00 Approach to the topic of stress in terms of Japanese and Indian culture
(hosted by Agnieszka Czubak and Sebastian Zboiński, Institute of Stress Psychology)
16.00-17.30 Peruvian dance workshops for children aged 8-15
(hosted by Larisa Alicia Robles Zalevskaia)
16.00-20.00 "In the colors of light green grasses and flowers" - Slavic garlands weaving workshops
(hosted by Ewa Maruszewska from the Yucca Flower Shop)
17.00-18.30 Earth painting workshops for older and younger
(hosted by Beata Kaczorowska, Academy of Fine Arts in Łódź)
17.00-18.30 Family African cuisine workshop
(lead - Steves Dongmo, Tropical Plate)
18.00-20.00 Workshop of traditional Bulgarian songs and dance for adults with minimal vocal experience for adults with minimal vocal experience, from the age of 15
(leading - Elina Toneva)
18.00-19.30 "Add to language" - inclusive language workshop
(hosted by Iza Desperak, Interdisciplinary Gender Seminar, University of Łódź)
The number of places
18.30-20.00 Workshop on making Ukrainian steamed dumplings
Masterclass with Raphael Xavier
WHEN
May 14, 2022 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
WHERE
Institute of Choreography and Dance Techniques Ogrody Geyera, Piotrkowska 295
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION:
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
1. The main organizer of the workshop requires participants to be fully vaccinated against Covid 19 (2 doses of a two-dose vaccine or 1 dose of a single-dose vaccine) and an active and valid certificate of vaccination against Covid 19 (the certificate becomes valid 14 days after the completion of the vaccination process, i.e. after receiving the second dose or after taking the single-dose preparation)
2. The workshop will be held in English, only basic knowledge of English is required, an interpreter will be present on site to support possibly more difficult issues
3. Participation in the workshop is free of charge
4. We invite all people regardless of nationality
5. The organizer does not provide accommodation
6. Age: over 11 years old
7. The most important criteria for admission to the workshop is the skill level (minimum intermediate to advanced in their field: hip hop / breaking dance, hip hop music (rap, poetry, vocals), dance (other styles).
8. Some places are reserved for participants of the Hip Hop in Theatre Festival
HOW TO APPLY
1. Complete this form below in English
https://forms.gle/bnjVBMQKgGxuqWcR9
2. The recruitment will be made by a committee composed of representatives of the organizers
3. You will be informed by email whether or not you were selected into the workshop group
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ACCESSIBILITY
The workshops will be held at Ogrody Geyera, the dance studios are located on the 2nd floor, unfortunately there's no elevator.
If you have any mobility or communication difficulties who would like to participate actively or as an observer, please contact: info@materialodz.pl
14.05.2022 / Masterclass with Raphael Xavier
Materia invites you to the Hip Hop Dance masterclass, which will be conducted by Raphael Xavier as part of the Next Level project and the Hip Hop in Theatre Festival.
Raphael Xavier comes to Poland to take part in the Next Level project, to teach and share knowledge in various disciplines with a group of hip-hop artists: Hip Hop Dance, Graffiti, MCing / Rap and Beatmaking.
His masterclass and his performance at the Concert Hall of the Academy of Music in Łódź (Saturday, May 14, around 7:00 p.m.) are a joint undertaking of the Next Level team, Materia and the Hip Hop in Theatre Festival.
FOCUS OF THE MASTERCLASS
Working with a minimalistic, improvisational and intuitive approach to hip hop aesthetics, Xavier teaches a technique to embody the experiences of each practitioner in their respective field. Styles include breaking, poetry, spoken word and rap cadences. The result culminates in a narrative that captures a moment in time shared by performers and audience. This workshop is for Hip hop dancers and non Hip hop dancers, vocalists (rappers, singers, poets) and movers of any style.
ARTIST BIOGRAM
Raphael Xavier is originally from Wilmington, Delaware, and is an award-winning artist and alumnus of the world-renowned Hip Hop dance company, Rennie Harris Puremovement. A 2013 Pew Fellowship Grantee, 2016 Guggenheim Fellow and 2016 United States Artist Fellow, Raphael Xavier has been a professional breaker/dancer for the last 25 years, working in a variety of fields including music, photography, and film.
A self-taught Hip Hop dancer and Breaking practitioner since 1983, Raphael Xavier continues to learn and recreate new ways to expand the vocabulary of the dance form through constant research of the culture, performance, and practice and by staying present in the community.
Raphael Xavier currently lives in Philadelphia and is a professor at Princeton University and University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches the History of Hip Hop Dance and Culture and Intro to Breaking courses.
Organizers:
United States Department of State
Meridian International Center
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Organization and financing in Poland
US Embassy in Warsaw
Partner in Poland:
Materia
Coorganizer of the workshops:
Hip Hop Theatre Festival
Stowarzyszenie Centrum Kultury i Sztuki "Alternatywa"
Partners of the events in Łódź:
Music Grażyna and Kiejstut Bacewicz Academy of Music in Łódź
Echo Investment - Fuzja
Miejska Strefa Kultury - Poleski Center of Art
and
City of Łódź
WHEN
May 9 - 15, 2022
workshops: May 9 - 13, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00/9:00 p.m.
rehearsals for the final show: May 14 rehearsal 3 - 8:30 PM
final show: May 15, rehearsal 1 - 4 PM, final performance 5 PM
WHERE
all workshops - Ogrody Geyera, Piotrkowska 295, Łódź
music jam - Poleski Ośrodek Sztuki, Krzemieniecka 2a, Łódź
final performance - Scheibler Power Plant, Fuzja, Milionowa 6a, Łódź
participation in the workshops will be free of charge
we invite all people regardless of nationality who live in Łódź and in the region. People who do not live in Łódź and are not related to Łódź CAN also apply, but the organizer does not provide accommodation
the workshops will be held in English, only a basic level of English is required, an interpreter will be present on site to support you in more difficult issues
Terms and conditions of the workshop
HOW TO APPLY?
1. Complete the application form to one of the workshops in English
APPLICATION FORM AEROSOL/GRAFFITI ART
APPLICATION FORM EMCEEING / RAPPING
Hip Hop Dance group - recruitment closed!
2. The recruitment will be made by the representatives of the organizers
3. You will be informed by email whether or not you were selected into the workshop group on April 5th 2022 the latest
VACCINATION
IMPORTANT! The main organizer of the workshop requires participants to be fully vaccinated against Covid 19 (2 doses of a two-dose vaccine or 1 dose of a single-dose vaccine) and an active and valid certificate of vaccination against Covid 19 (the certificate becomes valid 14 days after the completion of the vaccination process, i.e. after receiving the second dose or after taking the single-dose)
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE CERTIFICATES PREPARED BY THE US EMBASSY IN WARSAW
Next Level Project / Hip Hop Diplomacy in Łódź, Poland
Next Level is an initiative of the U.S. Department of State, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Meridian International Center. Its mission is to use Hip Hop music and dance to foster cross-cultural creative exchange in diverse communities.
Next Level works with U.S. embassies and consulates to create two-week residencies that reach underserved communities and youth. Teams of four American Hip Hop artist-educators collaborate with local organizations and musicians to facilitate workshops, lecture-demonstrations, and master classes, as well as formal and informal live performances. All activities are designed to promote the mutual sharing of knowledge, values, perspectives, and respect between local communities and American artists. Workshops, which span several hours each day, emphasize the development of musical and entrepreneurial skills and promote conflict transformation strategies.
A final public performance concludes each residency, and professional-grade musical equipment is donated to local partners to encourage continued learning and growth.
Since 2014, Next Level has organized successful exchange programs in more than 35 countries across 6 continents, as well as U.S. residencies for artists from those international programs.
In 2021-2022, residencies will take place in the United Arab Emirates, Barbados, Taiwan, Ecuador, Poland, Nepal, Laos, Ukraine, Haiti, and Ghana.
NEXT LEVEL IN POLAND - CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS
We are seeking participants to take part in Next Level, a hip hop and cultural exchange program that has brought a team of four accomplished hip hop artists of various disciplines Dance, Aerosol/Graffiti Art, Emceeing/Rapping and Beatmaking from the United States.
You can only sign up for one of the four workshops.
The program will consist of 7 days of workshops and will culminate with a final concert performance at Fuzja Power Plant on May 15th.
Participants who are selected to participate one of the four workshops for the duration of the program, where they will receive instruction in arts skillbuilding, entrepreneurship, and conflict transformation.
The Next Level hip hop program will be/is seeking workshop participants who meet the following requirements:
Age: 16-30 years
Participants who are older or younger than this - may also be considered if they demonstrate that they are highly committed and/or experienced in the application form.
Skill Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Some beginners may be considered if they demonstrate that they are highly committed in the application form.
Commitment: Selected participants must attend all workshops (May 9-15) and the final concert on May 15th
Project coordinator at Materia: Sonia Nieśpiałowska-Owczarek
info(@)materialodz.pl
Promotion and consultations: Przemek Kwaśniewski
ARTISTS:
WORKSHOP FOCUS:
Learn about the history of graffiti in Hip Hop culture.
Learn how to transfer sketches from paper to murals on a wall or other surface.
Introduction to spray paint (as well as painting with a brush), color theory and mural culture
Use storytelling to brainstorm and execute a collaborative mural
Participants will create a mural together with Ms Yellow on one of the walls in Fuzja, Milionowa 6a
SUBMITT YOUR APPLICATION:
Fill out the form in ENGLISH
Ms. Yellow / AEROSOL/GRAFFITI ART workshop
Ms. Yellow is a self-taught international artist, muralist, craftswoman, and teaching artist of Mexican descent. Born in Long Beach, California, she has dedicated her time to the creative development and empowerment of community and youth through direct engagement. For 11 years, she has worked closely with schools, community centers, and more to develop workshops, murals, and mentorship for the youth. As a muralist, Ms. Yellow has worked with cities, communities, and galleries to bring colorful murals to the masses. Her work explores themes such as culture, folklore, sisterhood, education, unity, love, and social justice. Her artwork and murals have been displayed in museums, galleries, and streets throughout the United States and worldwide, including in Australia, Egypt, France, Haiti, Japan, Mexico, and Spain.
More:
https://artslb.org/artists/ms-yellow/
WORKSHOP FOCUS:
Learn the basic structures of a hip hop song (counting bars, verses, choruses/hooks)
Learn how to participate in a cypher (collaborative performance)
Learn how to record a song
Improve performance techniques (vocal control, gestures/movement, eye contact, etc.)
Learning and reviewing freestyle rap practices
SUBMITT YOUR APPLICATION:
Fill out the form in ENGLISH
Eric Shandroff aka Myster-E Edutainment / EMCEEING AND RAPPING workshop
Myster-E is a creative and captivating Hip Hop MC, spoken word poet, and teaching artist. Myster-E has made a name for himself internationally through his performative rapping style and teaching experience. He currently works as a teaching artist for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, facilitating workshops in schools for poetry and Hip Hop. He is also the coordinator for the Hip Hop Institute at the Monmouth County Boys and Girls Club, working in partnership with Lakehouse Recording Studios. Myster-E serves as a board member for Rappers and Rabbis, an organization that fuses Jewish Education with Hip Hop practices. Myster-E is deep rooted in Hip Hop culture as member of the Universal Zulu Nation, and has opened for Hip Hop icons such as KRS One, Prodigy of Mobb Deep, Joel Ortiz, Papoose, and more.
More:
https://www.mystereedutainment.com/
WORKSHOP FOCUS:
Learn the basic structures of a hip hop song (counting bars/arrangement, verses, choruses/hooks)
Learn to program drums, chop breaks/loops, sampling from songs (not loop packs), sample chops/chopping
Learn how to record a song/basics of recording (preventing feedback, enabling audio tracks and mic sources, basic mixing)
Improve live performance techniques and understanding beat sets (vocal control, gestures/movement, eye contact, etc.)
Learning and reviewing different ways of making a beat and different kind of DAW's/beat making programs and applications
Understanding beat cyphers, beat showcases, beat culture and history of beat making and Hip Hop
Importance of social media and content creation, Soundcloud, Bandcamp, etc
SUBMITT YOUR APPLICATION:
Fill out the form in ENGLISH
Phillipdrummond / BEATMAKING workshop
Phillipdrummond is a doctor of clinical psychology, producer, DJ, arts educator, event organizer, and community activist. Born in San Francisco and raised in NYC, he is the Founder, Executive Director, and Lead Instructor at Today’s Future Sound (TFS), an Oakland-based non-profit organization (with a Los Angeles chapter) that uses Hip Hop music production to empower youth as artists and community members.
With his roots in the West Coast battle rap and beat battle scenes, Phillipdrummond has built a reputation in both worlds as being an archivist with rare footage of battles, putting on hundreds of battles, and organizing the longest-running monthly live beat battle.
Growing up in NYC in the Golden Era of Hip Hop, he is informed by the East Coast 90’s sound with touches of G-Funk and West Coast flavor, as he now resides in Oakland, CA. Currently working on a concept album with DJ Ammbush (Oakland Faders/Drums and Anmo) entitled “Drums and Ammo,” “Philthy,” as many know him, fuses obscure samples lifted from dusty vinyl dug from across the globe with retrofuturistic synths and garbage-can snares and rhinoceros charlie horse kick drums, laced with hi-hats drenched in kisses of the Gods of Rome. He has a steady output of beats and artistic works, including live beat performances. Dr. Gann has been working with TFS in Bay Area schools and community settings, and across the globe using Hip Hop beat making and culture as mental health, educational, social justice, and cross-cultural intervention. He has worked with more than 75,000 youth on six continents in the past six years through TFS and is currently developing the Therapeutic Beat Making (TBM) Model.
Phillipdrummond was on Next Level Team Senegal and will be on Next Level Team Poland.
Więcej o artyście:
https://todaysfuturesound.org/
Diné rapper teaches Taos students about the power of music
When The Music Stops: The Unfortunate Reality Of Mourning Artists During A Pandemic
WORKSHOP FOCUS:
‘Hip Hop’ Breaking choreography
Understanding movement
Approaching movement: Improv & Freestyle
RECRUITMENT CLOSED! If you want us to add you to the waiting list - write us info@materialodz.pl
Raphael Xavier / HOP HOP DANCE workshop
Raphael Xavier is originally from Wilmington, Delaware, and is an award-winning artist and alumnus of the world-renowned Hip Hop dance company, Rennie Harris Puremovement. A 2013 Pew Fellowship Grantee, 2016 Guggenheim Fellow and 2016 United States Artist Fellow, Raphael Xavier has been a professional breaker/dancer for the last 25 years, working in a variety of fields including music, photography, and film.
A self-taught Hip Hop dancer and Breaking practitioner since 1983, Raphael Xavier continues to learn and recreate new ways to expand the vocabulary of the dance form through constant research of the culture, performance, and practice and by staying present in the community.
Raphael Xavier currently lives in Philadelphia and is a professor at Princeton University and University of Texas at Austin, where he teaches the History of Hip Hop Dance and Culture and Intro to Breaking courses.
More:
A. Billi Free / site manager for the Next Level Poland residency
A. Billi Free is a city-bred, desert-based vocalist, emcee, DJ, and beatmaker. Her sound is rooted in an eclectic blend of hip hop, soul, and electronica. A. Billi Free began her performance career in Chicago, providing vocals for various hip hop and world music outfits while completing her BA in Latin American/Latino Studies and working as a Student Development Coordinator and Community Advocate for DePaul University’s Steans Center for Community Based Service Learning.
She has spent the last decade in the deserts of the Southwest fusing elements of both the city and the border into her sound. Her upcoming full-length album I Luma, on Tokyo Dawn Records, is a testament to change outside of ourselves by seeking change inside.
A. Billi Free was on Next Level Team Mongolia and will return as Site Manager for NL programs on Next Level Team Poland.
Bao Pham / videographer for the Next Level Poland residency
Raised in Portland, Oregon, Bao started her artistic & dance journey out of her homegrown freestyle community in 2009. Moving beyond sessions and battles, Bao shifted to event organizing in her local scene with the ADAPT team with the dance celebration holding its annual summer event within the Portland Metro and Beaverton area. In addition to event curating, her work funneled into the media realm, with camera work at events and projects in Oregon, California, Washington, Colorado, and Massachusetts. Developing her methods through various visual art disciplines, Bao is a self and community-taught videographer, photographer, and graphic designer. She relocated to Boston, MA in 2018.
A firm believer in serving the community through different avenues, her interdisciplinary approach is influenced by the collaborative efforts of those within and beyond her hometown. She is currently the Creative Director of The Flavor Continues - a 501c3 that serves the street & club dance communities of Massachusetts and the larger New England area through sustainable & accessible initiatives in education, community engagement, space, and grassroot events.
ORGANIZERS
The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs promotes international mutual understanding through a wide range of academic, cultural, private-sector, professional, and sports exchange programs. These exchanges engage youth, students, educators, artists, athletes, and emerging leaders in many fields in the United States and in more than 160 countries. Alumni of ECA exchanges comprise over one million people around the world, including more than 50Nobel Laureates and more than 320 current or former heads of state and government.
Meridian International Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit diplomacy center that connects leaders through culture and collaboration to drive solutions for global challenges. The Meridian Center for Cultural Diplomacy harnesses the arts to engage audiences around the world through compelling exhibitions, exchanges, forums, public-private partnerships, educational initiatives, and community outreach, resulting in individuals and communities finding common ground, forging more stable relationships, and fostering genuine respect.
The Institute for the Arts and Humanities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill empowers faculty to achieve their full potential by creating community and cultivating leadership. The IAH supports its mission through its Faculty Fellows Program by sponsoring conferences, lectures, and public conversations. The Institute trains and supports current and emerging university leaders through the Academic Leadership Program. The Institute promotes community through its Faculty Programs that build mentoring networks for faculty at all stages of their academic careers.
ORGANIZATION AND FINANCING
PARTNER IN POLAND
WORKSHOP, PERFORMANCE AND JAM PARTNERS