Dance Central January / February 2017

Page 12

Collaborations A conversation with Paraskevas Terezakis

ways. His choreographic seminars at SFU were so progressive and influenced my approach to dance making. Then at other times, you could see how his heart, his own aesthetic,

example, which separates you from the dancers. I prefer smaller

was rooted in ballet and upheld the strong discipline and

venues, where you can see the sweat, and film, even if it is medi-

technique of it.

ated, but close to the body. AK: Seeing some of Pina's work again in Wim Wenders' film, AK: That intimacy is reflected in the name of your company, Kine-

it is striking how pieces like Kontakthof and Palermo also

sis Dance somatheatro.

oscillate between dystopic and utopic moments. Canada developed a strong dance theatre scene in the 1980s and

PT: Yes, exactly. I didn't want to use my own name, so I called it

90s, supported by the funders and by audiences, but since

Kinesis because the word has a meaning that is emotional, me-

then dance appears to have shifted away from that move-

chanical and universal, and as my work changed over the years,

ment, which you have been a part of.

and I found my own voice, I liked the mix of soma — the body, but also the drug in Orwell's Brave New World— and of theatre as the

PT: Yes, there were people in Canada, like Lola, who had

acting of the body and the mind. For me, that's what it is.

that German influence, but also Montenaro Dance, Carbon 14, and Édouard Lock who influenced me a lot at the time,

AK: How did your life in Greece influence your work?

because they had a new kind of theatrical presence.

PT: I come from a culture that is colourful, dramatic and proud.

AK: How do you perceive it now?

The way of life, the connection between people, the music, food and traditions are all somehow larger than life compared to the

PT: I think we have another movement toward a combina-

more restrained and polite approach here. Theatre, both ancient

tion of theatre and dance. I see a lot of theatre, especially

and contemporary, is held in great importance. I think I bring that

when I go to Greece, from all over the world, from Russia,

boldness of spirit to my work. I left Greece after the dictatorship

Germany, Brazil, and it is unbelievable how much movement

had ended, but I had been drafted by the military for three years

there is in theatre now. I look at it from the point of view of

and because I was perceived as a leftist, I was sent to the remote

Dionysian chaos becoming organized into an Apollonian

northern posts, doing boring Morse coding as a form of punish-

state, from the human condition and from the need to live

ment. It was a bizarre and surreal experience but has fed my

in the present and react to what is affecting me now. In

imagination and my attitude ever since. When I got out, I went to

Vancouver, I think we can do even more. Vancouver suffers

Toronto to study Graham technique and then got a scholarship to

from its distance to other centres, and its orientation toward

attend Toronto Dance Theatre. I met many different people there

a shallow kind of beauty and athleticism, but we have to see

who helped and influenced me in my career choices including

beyond that. We are developing, but slowly, and we have to

Katherine Brown and Grant Strate at York University. He became

take more risks, as presenters, as companies and as artists.

a life long friend, mentor and harsh critic. We had so many argu-

If Vancouver was more easily on the touring circuit, like so

ments over the role of spoken word in dance and how he found

many European cities, we would see more variety and that

it a distraction and out of place. In Canada, I learned to be more

would influence how we create; that being said, Vancouver’s

patient and diplomatic, and to see the broader world. In spirit, I

beautiful natural environment feeds creativity as well, like a

still have one foot firmly planted in Greece and the other planted

hot house of ideas that need to be tested on other audiences

as firmly here. I still struggle between the two, but that is just who

across Canada and abroad.

I am. AK: The company is now 30 years old. What happens next? AK: Thinking about Pina Bausch and dance theatre, it is interesting to note that Grant may have considered it separate from 'pure'

PT: I am interested in creating more site-specific works. I am

dance, and at the same time became instrumental in creating

looking to do work outside of the theatre, and in creating a

interdisciplinary performers through the SFU dance program.

different experience for audiences, I also want to develop new relationships and exchanges and develop a program

PT: Yes, it's ironic. Grant was very pro-revolutionary in some 12

Dance Central January/February 2017

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