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Contemporary Dance Workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam – Kinergie Studio
Contemporary Dance Workshop in Hanoi, Vietnam – Kinergie Studio 2324 1307 Meraki Dance Collective

We are very excited to announce a workshop we’ll be co-facilitating at Kinergie Studio in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Check out the details below to find the information on how to sign up and what we’ll be exploring in the workshop.

  • Time: 8:00 – 10:00 pm, on Friday 22nd November 2019
  • Venue: Kinergie Studio, Level 7, 101A Nguyen Khuyen Street, Dong Da, Hanoi
  • Participants: Dancers, dance practitioners of Intermediate+ // Advanced level
  • Fee: VND300,000 (VND250,000 for current students of Kinergie)
  • Language: English – Vietnamese

In the workshop, you will be introduced to the unique movement style by the founders of the collective, dancers, and choreographers: Liam O’Callaghan & Loura Sita van Krimpen.

The 120-minute workshop will consist of a thorough warming-up, some technique exercises, and company repertoire.

MDC’s home-style has a strong relationship to the floor and requires besides explosiveness also an eye for detail and softness. Throughout the workshop, they will challenge you to ”Meraki” the material. Or in other words, to put yourself into the work they present.


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REGISTER: https://tinyurl.com/Kinergie-Meraki-WS
*Hotline: 84-912081950
*Email: kinergie.studio@gmail.com

ABOUT KINERGIE STUDIO

Kinergie Studio is a dance studio founded by dancer-choreographer Do Hoang Thi Ngoc and Tran Hoang Long with the aim to bring contemporary dance and ballet closer to the community through classes, workshops, performances and collaboration programs with Vietnamese and international dancers and artists. Being not only an address for the community to learn and exchange passion of performing arts, but Kinergie Studio is also a nurturing space for young artists with creative and daring projects and artistic vision.
www.kinergiestudio.com

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2019 International Youth Arts Festival Macau
2019 International Youth Arts Festival Macau 2048 1365 Meraki Dance Collective

This was the second time Meraki Dance Collective was invited to join the crew of the International Youth Arts Festival.

You can read about the previous festival we attended here.

This magnificent 2019 edition was held in various locations throughout Macau. It was an honor for us to be part of the festival once again. A special thanks to Rebecca Yang from Rebecca Art to invite us.

Besides judging the dance contestants, we also provided a masterclass and did a unique improvisation performance with a selection of the other judges.

Watch the snippet below and check out the pictures to gain a taste of the festivities.

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MDC Celebrating the 70 year foundation of the New China with a contemporary Cross-Cultural performance
MDC Celebrating the 70 year foundation of the New China with a contemporary Cross-Cultural performance 980 489 Meraki Dance Collective

Something out of the ordinary but hella fun! Performing with Nanning Contemporary Dance Company (GuGuWu) on one of the biggest stages we’ve both ever performed on!

To celebrate the 70-year foundation of the New China, Meraki Dance Collective was invited to perform together with duo Wu Qian & Zhu Borui.

The performance was on a famous Chinese song which translated means ”Vine and Tree”. The moral of the lyrics of the song portrays how a couple, like vines and trees, are always intertwined and not separated.

Here at MDC, we love the cross-cultural working environment. It stimulates us to be even more creative in terms of communication, and it challenges us to create something we equally understand. Sharing the stage was a lovely experience and a true celebration of cross-cultural art.

The stage was phenomenal, stretching (at least 30 meters) over the local mingehu lake. Everyone was welcome to come and watch the show (which consisted of multiple cross-cultural programs), and it was live-broadcasted on the internet.

Below you can see a recording of the show.

Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
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Meraki Dances Anywhere and Everywhere
Meraki Dances Anywhere and Everywhere 3999 2666 Meraki Dance Collective

Meraki believes the magic of dance is not just limited to the traditional space of a theatre or dance studio. Truly, you can dance anywhere and everywhere. Consciously involving the surroundings in your art can certainly make the whole more meaningful and more interesting, or at least, in Liam and Loura’s vision.

So it’s only natural, that when Sunny Xie – Manager or Nanning’s Local Modern Dance Company GuGuWu – invited Meraki Dance Collective to join them in an hour site-specific improvisation performance as part of the city’s 1st ”One Day Dance Dance Festival”, they were more than thrilled.

The location of the improvisation performance was the underground section of a popular shopping mall in the buzzing center of the city named Sheng Tian Di. Amidst shops, some props, and mall-visitors was the stage.

The improvisation was musically guided by Hong-Kongnese Soundscape Artist and Experimental Musician Paul Yip. Amongst the group of dancers were various Chinese contemporary dance groups as well as Chilean Dance Artist Samuel Morales Abarza.

Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning

The whole experience was a very special one. Many mall visitors went out of their way to catch a glimpse of this unique and unpredictable event.

Once again was Meraki able to experience the universal language of dance… How it connects the artists who were first strangers of one another, and how it connects the performers with the audience who might have never seen contemporary dance before.

Liam and Loura are grateful for the opportunity to dance with such a dedicated group of artists and together share their art at an interesting location.

Would you like to experience Meraki perform at your next dance festival? Or teach at your dance intensive? That’s possible! Get in touch, there is nothing too crazy for us.

  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
  • Meraki Dance Collective Improvisation Festival Nanning
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Meraki Performs at Hummingbird Youth Dance Festival (’17), Zhuhai
Meraki Performs at Hummingbird Youth Dance Festival (’17), Zhuhai 2880 1800 Meraki Dance Collective
Meraki performs at the Hummingbird Youth Dance Festival

It was a great honor and privilege for Liam and Loura to perform in two different pieces at the Hummingbird Youth Dance Festival in Zhuhai, China. Loura premiered her solo-choreography tilted ”Mayura” and Liam performed together with their close friend and talent local artist, Shifei, in ”30+/-”.

More about ”Mayura”: In Mayura, the dancer explores the abstract concept of poison. How does the body translate disturbance, yet remain calm and in control? Mayura, a translation of the word peacock refers to the vigilance of this being. For they thrive on the essence of poisonous plants, by eating poison the colors of their feathers become bright and their body healthy. With Mayura, the artist wants to display that suffering and pain can yield strength and beauty.

More about ”30+/-”: In this piece the dancers explore the transition of men passing over the border of becoming 30.

Interested in Meraki showcasing at your next event or dance festival? Get in touch with us asap and we’re sure to make it happen.

“Dance, when you’re broken open. Dance, if you’ve torn the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting. […] Dance when you’re perfectly free.”

Jalaluddin Rumi
decorated meraki studio nanning
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Wintercamp, where language and arts meet
Wintercamp, where language and arts meet 4032 3024 Meraki Dance Collective

As many of you might know, Liam and Loura are art-expats in the vibrant green city of Nanning. A semi-sized city located in Southern China. They have been living there since 2016 and have made great meaningful connections and collaborations with other artists, both locally and internationally.

Aside from the regular dance workshops and performances that Meraki provides, they also very much enjoy engaging in educational projects. You can read more about what Meraki can offer here.

Over the years Liam and Loura have grown very close to Scott, a Canadian native English Teacher with Vietnamese and Chinese roots, and HaHa, a Chinese local Montessori teacher. They recently opened their own language school in Nanning ”HomeSchool” which is a stone’s throw from Meraki’s very own private dance studio.

Besides their friendship, they share a lot of common thoughts and ideas on education and with that in mind, they decided to collaborate by designing an exclusive in-depth experience for children… A camp where both language and arts are targeted and where children in a playful and positive way are exposed to new ideas and thoughts.

The theme of this winter camp was ‘Chinese new year’. Over the course of five days, the four teachers took the students on a playful journey discovering different foods, arts and crafts, and of course, movement exploration in relation to new beginnings, new year festivities, and more.

Amongst the participants where both local and foreign children which made the experience of exchange between cultures even deeper and more meaningful.

Let’s have fun at Wintercamp! Like this little’s man jersey’ says: LO-VE!

The teachers noticed that by creating a healthy, safe and inspirational learning environment, the participants were able to bloom, help each other and learn new skills. Both their verbal communication (English) and their non-verbal communication (dance) improved gradually and the students were able to express themselves more clearly and honestly.

One of the highlights of the winter camp was the final presentation of the dragon dance they learned and choreographed together at the end of the week, whilst wearing their hand-made costumes. Truly a feast for all!

Are you interested in organizing a camp yourself and would you like Meraki to assist and/or join? Feel free to contact us with any questions and/or offers. Check out the images below to see the setting and feel the happy vibes of this unforgettable event!

  • decorated meraki studio nanning
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Loura Sita van Krimpen teaching ballet in Zhengzhou China
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Ballet Workshops For Adults & Children by Loura in Zhengzhou, China
Ballet Workshops For Adults & Children by Loura in Zhengzhou, China 5011 2820 Meraki Dance Collective

April 2019 Loura was once again invited to fly over to Zhengzhou from Nanning for dance workshops. Yet this time with a more classical and technical twist… ballet!

Read here more about her first trip to Zhengzhou

Even though Loura specializes in contemporary dance and dance improvisation, she has an immense love and respect for not only her roots but what is also regarded as the basis of many dance techniques, classical ballet.

Before specializing in Modern Dance at Dance Academy Codarts in Rotterdam the Netherlands, Loura had an extensive ballet education at a high-quality ballet school in a small city in the Netherlands, named de Dansacker. Here is where her seed and love for dance was planted!

Furthermore, Loura has very fond memories of her experience dancing amongst talented and versatile ballet professionals at Dutch Dance Company, the Dutch Don’t Dance Division in repertoires such as the ‘Nutcracker’ and ‘Abdallah and the Gazelle of Basra’, both performed in the Hague.

However, teaching these workshops was more than a trip down memory lane… The workshops in Zhengzhou were structured as follows:

  • Adults (4 hours): content was a balance of technique class, experiencing the joy of dance/elegance of ballet, and repertoire. For repertoire, Loura worked on a specifically for this level and target group choreographed version of the Odette Act 2 variation of Swan Lake which the participants were able to perform at the end of the day.
  • Children (1 hour) creative dance with basic ballet exercises implemented.

Meraki Dance Collective is grateful for it’s relationships such as these with DX Dance Company in Zhengzhou. It’s always so special to get the opportunity to exchange and share dance. Dance is truly, universal!

Are you interested in inviting Meraki Dance Collective to perform, teach or choreograph at your next festival or intensive? Then get in touch with us today! We can’t wait!

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Meraki Masterclasses at STORM studio’s in Shenzhen, China
Meraki Masterclasses at STORM studio’s in Shenzhen, China 1868 1051 Meraki Dance Collective
Check out this snippet to feel the vibes!

During Meraki’s annual Community Arts project in Guangzhou with Codarts University of the Arts, Liam & Loura met two wonderful dancers and teachers: Eva and Su!

Eva and Su are residential teachers at the renowned dance studio ‘STORM’ in Shenzhen, China. After participating in Liam’s and Loura’s dance class in Guangzhou they were very excited to invite them both to come over to Shenzhen for a double masterclass.

Meraki is very grateful for their dedication, passion and hospitality and are looking forward to the next workshop!

Let us know what you think of the video in the comments below! Do you want to book a performance, workshop or choreography by Meraki? Then get in touch with us today!

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Magical Improvisation performance at 500 Year Old Ancestral Temple Foshan, China
Magical Improvisation performance at 500 Year Old Ancestral Temple Foshan, China 1984 1323 Meraki Dance Collective

April 2019 has been an overwhelming month for Meraki Dance Collective. Traveling from city to city, sharing their love for dance and arts has been soul-satisfying beyond words. But their last performance of the month is one to remember for many years to come.

Meraki was once again invited by Rebecca to perform at the ‘Dutch Days’ in Foshan. Six Dutch artists were flown over from the Netherlands to contribute to this magical exchange between the Netherlands and China.

Amongst these artists were famous Dutch musicians Henry Kelder, André Heuvelman & Wilmar de Visser who performed breathtaking compositions of both Western and Chinese origin with Chinese master Yu Zhanyou.

Si dolce è’l tormento – Monteverdi by André Heuvelman, Henry Kelder & Wilmar de Visser

Maartje Folkeringa (ceramic artist), Sander van Deurzen and Nathalie Mannaerts also attend the festival as artists. They exchanged with local artists and created artwork especially for the festival which will be exposed throughout the Dutch Days.

Meraki DC performed at both the exhibition site as well as at the breathtaking ancestral temple Zumiao in Foshan. It was truly an honor for Liam & Loura to perform amongst such talented artists in such an awe-inspiring environment. The temple stage is very rarely used for such occasions, ‘grateful’ doesn’t completely grasp their gratitude.

Liam with Dutch Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Marjo Crompvoets, after the show

The concert and performance were both very well received by the audience. A special thanks to Rebecca for her trust in MDC and the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for supporting Dutch Artists like Meraki in China.

For some snippets of the magical venue, the performance and vibes feel free to scroll through the gallery below.

Want to book Meraki to perform, teach or choreograph at your next festival?

We can’t wait, so don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

You can send an email to info (at) merakidancecollective.com.

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Dance demo Meraki DC @ Bilingual Corner Nanning
Dance demo Meraki DC @ Bilingual Corner Nanning 1080 926 Meraki Dance Collective

It’s Thursday morning and we receive a message from Scott inviting us to teach a dance demo at the next corner this weekend. We’re excited and honored… Our mind races to all different kind of corners, what to do? Who will attend? Will they like our (somewhat different than traditional designed) dance class? How will they feel about dance improvisation? You know what… let’s do this!

The evening was filled with several workshops, our dance demo was one of them. We had an amazing group of enthusiasts, male and female, ready to rock them’ bodies and express themselves neither in Chinese or English but in dance! Our main emphasis of this demo class was for the participants to experience the joy of dancing, to introduce our ‘different’ approach to art education and enjoy being together in the moment. Our approach is different than the traditional (Chinese) dance teaching methods as we don’t only ask our students to follow us but also ask them to use what’s within as inspiration to move. This can be whatever emotion or feeling, abstract or very specific and very important: there’s no wrong or right. We all have mental critics and it can be extremely difficult to step out of your comfort zone, but we are proud as a teacher and as a human with what we have achieved. Because everyone gave it shot and that’s admirable. Within 45 minutes we did several exercises from the classic warm-up to a short modern dance choreography and even some dance improvisation. The energy and openness of the group was mind blowing and Liam and myself experienced the workshop as a gift to give, and as a gift to receive.

All different levels, ages, background and experience yet all together. Touching! The positive feedback on our workshop was humbling to the bone and any doubts that I had some days ago are flushed away with a tsunami of warmth and motivates to keep doing what we do.

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