Corps Multiple is part of the 2020 Articulate Austin Program. Articulate Austin is a choreographic development platform in its third season, led by Esther Bramlett. Sandie Donzica, the Artistic Director of Corps Multiple, has been selected to be one of the 2 choreographers of the season.
Each choreographer is hired to set an independent 8-12 minute solo contemporary piece. While each is creatively autonomous, choreographers are working as a team to contribute to one another’s work through the course of the season, presenting solo feedback showings as well as shared feedback showings, providing co-mentorship through open rehearsals, and presenting a shared final show at the Dougherty Arts Center. Their process will be the subject of a documentary film, produced alongside Articulate’s programming.
This season, Sandie Donzica will transmit her solo Blossoming to a dancer through the platform Articulate Austin, and deepen the style, pace, relationship to music and theatricality of this powerful and intringuing piece.
After a successful audition on March 1st, we are happy to announce the dancer we chose for this 5 months process: Rachael Hanlon.
“I am very excited to dive deep into this creative process. I have never worked on a solo project like this, or worked on a single project for such an extended period of time. During the audition I learned that Sandie’s movement language is very demanding physically, mentally, and emotionally. There were times that I felt pushed to my edge and exhausted, and other moments that I felt completely in flow and exuberant. I know these months to come will definitely challenge me and push my boundaries and limits as an artist. I am grateful for Articulate Austin for providing this opportunity to work with Sandie. I look forward to being generous and available as we work through this process together.”
This intense 5 months process should have started in March 2020, along with weekly professional dance trainings held at First Street Studio and taught by Sandie Donzica. Then a world pandemic came. After taking some time to process, the program has turned VIRTUAL!
The solo Blossoming, danced by Sandie Donzica, is been transmitted to dancer Rachael Hanlon, but with a fundamentally different approach. As confinement redefined a lot of values and habits for all of us, we are now exploring the questions: “How can we blossom?”/”Can we even be blossoming?”/”Do we have to blossom?”.
Rehearsals are now done via Zoom, long phone calls are also implemented to deepen the research around Blossoming and the company is redirecting the work towards a virtual performance: a dance film and a staged solo.
These are two perspectives of the same thought, reflection. However, two very distinct sensations/atmospheres for the audience. A more introspective, calm, meditative experience with the film, nuanced by a few raw/interrogating moments. The solo will be very performative, present, powerful, intriguing. The full project will premiere online early 2021.
Open classes have shifted online as well. Corps Multiple created the Virtual Series Cultivating Freedom within, offering monthly free workshops on Facebook and Instagram.
Corps Multiple 