What do you get when you combine game show constraints with two choreographic visions of the same 20-minute piece of music? Arcis Saxophone Quartet invites you to join the beauty and the hilarity of "2XDanced" to find out. The presenter secures one local choreographer and two or more dancers from their community. Arcis Saxophone Quartet arrives 10 days before the performance, bringing with them the second choreographer, Roberta Pisu.

Let the games begin!

The Process

Each receiving 5 days of devoted time, the two choreographers work independently with the two (or more) local dancers and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet to create one 20-minute choreography apiece, to the same piece of music. And the pressure is high because everyone has to abide by the rules of the game:

1. The choreographers only have 5 days to create.
2. The music will only be delivered 5 days before the start of rehearsals.
3. The music is the same for both choreographies.
4. The musicians are part of the scene.
5. Props and costumes are only what you can find.

The Performance (total time = 60 minutes without intermission)

After 10 days, it's time to perform, no matter what! Both choreographies are performed one after the other so that the audience can experience how differently the creative brains of the choreographers tick. The audience will also witness the dancers and musicians themselves transform entirely as they inhabit the different choreographies. The artists involved host a conversation with the audience throughout, offering insights into the motives for the respective artistic decisions and inviting shared experience and reflection.

Repertoire Samples

Emma O'Halloran – Night Music

Caroline Shaw – Entr'acte

JacobTV – Jesus is Coming

Leonhard Kuhn – Morning Music

For the presenter, in addition to engaging the choreographic and dance talents of your institution or community, there is also the opportunity to commission the 20-minute work of music from the composer of your choice.

Interested? What you need to know…

How long will the final performance last?

With two choreographies each 20 minutes and a talk with the audience in between we aim for a total length of 60 minutes. 

What do we need for the creation process?

We need a rehearsal space for 10 days, which is suited for dance practice. That‘s it!

Which artists will be involved?

The music part is covered by the Arcis Saxophone Quartet and the artistic direction is in the hands of Roberta Pisu, who will also contribute one of the two choreographies. This leaves us with one choreographer and at least two dancers missing. We are happy to cooperate with local artists of your institution or community. Let‘s discuss! Additionally parts of the music could be newly written by a composer of your choice.

Biographies

Arcis_Collective

The collective consists of choreographer Roberta Pisu and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet, who began their collaboration with the full-length production HEIMAT, which premiered on September 21, 2020 in the Philharmonie am Gasteig Munich. The goal of the collective is to transfer the idea of chamber music to contemporary dance: to create an intimate form of expression in a small ensemble in order to implement subtle and refined artistic ideas. 

A very important aspect is the joint creative process. The relationship between classical music and contemporary dance and the possibilities and interfaces that result from them should be explored more and more and thus a common statement brought to the stage. For this reason, the musicians are involved in the entire process and not just at the end of the creation process, as is usually the case. With their unique saxophone sound, the musicians, like the dancers, are part of the performance on stage. 

While Roberta Pisu and the Arcis Saxophone Quartet form the core of the collective, it is more than open to collaboration with any type of music, choreographic approach and any type of art form willing to share an intimate and stimulating creative process.

Arcis Saxophone Quartet

Roberta Pisu

Roberta Pisu received her dance training at the Académie de Danse Classique “Princesse Grace” in Monte Carlo and at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome. She was a member of the ensemble “La Compagnia” in Rome. She gained her first choreographic experience in 2010 as an assistant to Ismael Ivo, the artistic director of the Venice Biennale. Since 2013 she has been dancing in the ballet of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz Munich, where she also works as a choreographer (Momo, Minutemade, Je suis Faust, and others).