2022TAF:Orthopedica Corporatio

In Orthopedica Corporatio, a temporary community of seven diverse dancers commit to “listening as essential to carry through the peregrination”, where the physical exchange between bodies and objects generate the soundscapes of their collective journey, as well as the communication language.

The abandoned and worn objects used in Orthopaedic Corportio propose particular dance possibilities through their inherent nature. They emerge with and through the dancing body, weakening the hierarchy of ‘human’ and ‘object’. Sometimes they disassemble the body logic of the dancer, becoming ‘crutches’, stimulating an orthopaedic movement. Sometimes they accentuate the fragility of the human species.

The criticality of being together, of sharing bodies, so as to envision possible futures of coexisting, lies at the heart of this new creation between longstanding bedfellows Marina Mascarell and Dance Forum Taipei.

Marina Mascarell, Spain

Marina Mascarell (Oliva, Spain,1980) is a choreographer based in The Netherlands. Associated Artist at Mercat de les Flors in Barcelona since 2018 and Resident Choreographer at Korzo Theatre in The Hague between 2011-21. In her art, the reflections, inquiries and concepts turn into a poetic fight, where thought transforms into corporeality and movement. Marina is interested in a rebellious body characterized by questioning ‘normativity’. In the dancing body as a form of resistance, deeply rooted in a political and social action. Beside her independent work Marina has also been commissioned to create pieces by different institutions such as GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Biennale de la Danse of Lyon with Lyon Opera Ballet, Skanes Dansteater or Nederlands Dans Theater among others. She collaborates as well with fellow artists in the fields of visual arts, film, music and theatre. Her work has been seen in The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Taiwan, China, Korea, Brazil, Argentina and Chile. She has been recognised and awarded with several prizes along her career such as BNG Excellent Dans Award 2015. Alongside with her work as a choreographer, Marina has developed a somatic practice which is strongly linked to her choreographic process. A method focuses in movement research and the increase of body awareness. She teaches workshops at different festivals, institutions or schools

Dance Forum Taipei

Dance Forum Taipei is the representative of contemporary dance in Taiwan. Through engaging different choreographers, the Company acts as an open forum for these artists to come together to present and to study their ideas first hand. Led by Ping Heng as Founder and Artistic Director, the Company presents performances of commissioned and re-constructed choreographies from different artist of diverse styles, ranging from inventive abstract vignettes to fantastical full-length dance theatre works.

DFT has presented 84 productions collaborating with 56 choreographers and 168 designers since its inception in 1989. Starting in 2008, the Company develops co-production with international companies and production house, including NDT, Skånes Dansteater, Korzo Theater and Mercat de les Flors. It has toured close to  1,000 performances, throughout the island of Taiwan as well as 39 major cities in Asia, Europe and North America.