Ode to Alone

is a celebration of solo practice that I will carry out for two consecutive weeks at Forsøgstationen.
Over the past decade and a half, I’ve been going to the studio regularly to just dance by myself. To practice. To be alone. You could say that the studio became a unique body given to my dancing, a vector for my dance-making. For Ode to Alone, I’d like to continue cultivating this conversation with the studio space through daily solo practice, but to also gently fold in the gaze of others via zoom or in small, intimate in-person sessions. Can I be truly alone when I know others are watching? How can the studio space slowly transition into a performance space, and what nuances in performing can I explore as I invite others into this aloneness?

This is equally an Ode to my new context, having semi-recently moved to Copenhagen and finding myself bereft of community, resources and even simple, heartfelt conversation. Two years in, I still feel alone. Alone as a parent artist, alone in my dancing. When I became a member of Forsøgstationen in September 2021, it opened up a new space for me to house my inquiry, to embody these reflections. Rather than experiencing ‘aloneless’ as lack, I hope to explore it as material.

I will experiment with different ways of inviting the practice to be seen throughout the two weeks, mainly by invitation. Members of Forsøgstationen and their communities are most welcome to come see during the ‘open door’ week, January 22-26, every day from 3 – 3:30 PM. Please RSVP via someworkvzw (at) gmail (dot) com with the subject: ‘ode to alone’.

THE TEAM BEHIND

Maya Dalinsky
Choreographic video arts
Translation for media and culture