The Ultimate Challenge

You are The Ultimate Dancer - yet the show is called This is Not A Dance. Please explain!

The title is a reference to Magritte’s painting of a pipe with the text 'this is not a pipe'. I am interested in what happens with the spectator's expectations when we say something is not what they expect it to be. I want to challenge the audience expectations and present a dance that is not a dance - danced by the Ultimate Dancer (who is really not the ultimate dancer). 

What do you think dance is, then?

I am very much affected by the post-modern dance movement in New York in the 60s and 70s - that dance can be anything. But it is very easy to say 'anything and everything is dance'. I like the freedom of being able to state it but this freedom problematises questions of authorship and originality.

Are you original?

Every part of This is not a Dance is made up by recycled movement material. Ultimate Dancer sees no shame in performing all of this that is not 'hers' or came from her in any way. We try to rather be open with where the dance comes from and present this medley with pride - the Ultimate way!

But how did dance become so clearly defined as particular sorts of movement?

At some point somebody decided that what we see is worth seeing and named it 'dance', and that can either surprise and intrigue you or piss you off!

But how can we escape that definition by choreographers and critics?

I'm doing research for a new Ultimate Dancer piece in which I want to invent a voting system that can work within live performance. The audience are the decision-makers - not the choreographer, and thus they get what they want. I think this is the future of dance.

In the past, you have explored wrestling. Does movement beyond the traditional idea of dance attract or inspire you? 

Absolutely! I would say that all movement except for the traditional idea of dance inspires me.  I am fascinated by clips of random moments on You Tube, or exhibitions in art galleries, wrestling, children, old people, people dancing in clubs and so on.

You don't strike me as a typical fan of Wrestlemania...

These visual sources are rarely starting points for my research. My main interest is philosophy and psychology and I occupy myself with applying philosophical theories to the context of dance. It is my belief that highly intellectual material can be communicated to people that have no prior academic knowledge.

Does dance really matter?

Dance is not about showing off dancers great muscle-display or visually stunning jumps achieved through years of training. I don't know why dance is still so pre-occupied with producing something 'beautiful'.  The audience wants something more and Ultimate Dancer can give them that!