I KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT

Between January and April 2019 Luísa, Carlos and Frances interviewed 45 dancers of all genders from their early 20’s to their mid 40’s. 

These dancers represent 17 different nationalities and are now living in Porto, Lisbon, Brussels, Essen, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Wuppertal, Frankfurt, Berlin, Stockholm, Istanbul, Paris, Lille and New York. All of them are professional dancers working in various contexts and styles that could generally be referred to as “contemporary dance”. 

The interview consisted of a face-to-face meeting that lasted around 30 minutes. During this time each of these dance professionals was asked a standard set of 30 questions that addressed their desires, wishes and interests as performers. The purpose of this interview was to systematically research how performers describe and experience their work. 

The basis for the dialogue, movements, and attitudes of “I know it when I see it” comes from the imaginations of the 45 interviewed dancers. Here, their imaginary dances are reenacted, reinterpreted, and bastardized.

Festival Circular at Teatro Municipal de Vila do Conde
September 19, 2019
Vila do Conde, PT

Maschinenhaus
October 30-31, 2019
Essen, DE

I know it when I see it
Concept and direction: Carlos Azeredo Mesquita and Luísa Saraiva 
Artistic collaboration: Frances Chiaverini
Performance: Frances Chiaverini, Carlos Mesquita Luísa Saraiva
Music: Julius Gabriel
Costumes: João Rôla
Text analysis: João Francisco Barreto
Light: Rui Barbosa, Simon Knöß
Sound: Ricardo Cabral, Vasko Damjanov

Interview subjects/choreographic material in partnership with: Aaron Davis, Alejandro Russo, Alexandre Archour, Ana Renata Polónia, Ana Rita Teodoro, Angela Diaz Quintela, Beniamin Boar, Blanca Noguerol Ramirez, Bryan Campbell, Catarina Miranda, Charlotte Virgile, Claire Vivienne Sobottke, Cristina Planas Leitão, Cyril Baldy, David Marques, Filipe Pereira, Francisco Pinho, Frank Willens, Ine Claes, Inês Campos, Jacob Storer, João dos Santos Martins, Johann Geidies, Jorge Puerta Armenta, Leyla Postalcioglu, Marco da Silva Ferreira, Marcus Baldemar, Margaux Marielle-Trehoüart, Maria Ferreira Silva, Meri Pajunpää, Michael Helland, Montserrat Gardó Castillo, Pedro Prazeres, Petr Hastik, Renan Martins de Oliveira, Rósa Ómarsdóttir, Sheena McGrandles, Simon Hartmann, Theo Livesey, Tiago Coelho, Tilman O’Donnell, Tyshea Suggs, Vincenzo Carta

Co-prodution: Festival Circular
Supported by:
Kunststiftung NRW
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
Câmara Municipal do Porto
Direcção Geral das Artes
Goethe Institut
Stadt Essen Kulturbüro
Maschinenhaus Essen

Duration: 50 minutes

A full length video of performance is available. In case you would like to see it, please contact me.