Dancewalk – Glarus-Skt-Gallen


2020

Dancewalk – Glarus-Skt-Gallen
Dancing 85 kilometers in 5 days through Glarus, St-Gallen and Appenzell
September 22nd to 26th
Leg 2 of ‘Dancewalk – Am Rand’
Every two years, TanzPlan Ost showcases a cross-section of current trends in contemporary dance on stages in Eastern Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein, drawing connections to topics of relevance in cultural policies. This year‘s version is focused on the subject of the periphery, letting the margins take center stage (see below ** for more information).
To realistically connect periphery and center by dancing, TanzPlan Ost invited Foofwa d‘Imobilité and Neopost Foofwa to DANCEWALK about 100 kilometers through parts of Eastern Switzerland.
Together with TanzPlan Ost, Foofwa developed “Dancewalk – Am Rand” (in English: Dancewalk – On the Edge, see below * for further information), consisting of a large Dancewalk project in three parts and a dozen of traveling performances.
Its second leg, “Dancewalk – Glarus-Skt-Gallen”, from September 22nd to 26th, is a 85 kilometer dance in 5 days by Neopost Foofwa’s performers Alizée, Alex and Foofwa from Glarus to St-Gall, through Ricken, St-Peterzell and Herisau. We three will be like ‘baladins, baladines, baladeuses, baladeux’, poets dancewalking begging people to share their words and experiences along the way.
The occasion to invite the videojournalist Morena Barra to interview locals about their relationship to periphery, center and land, in parallel to the dancing transmitted live every day, filmed by Anna Liesch.
Day 1: 18,5 km
Ennenda > Glarus > Netstal > Mollis > Näfels > Oberurnen > Niederurnen > Ziegelbrücke > Bilten  —  Going up 84m / going down 140m
We will start by visiting the Anna Göldi Museum in Ennenda, the Caring Hand sculpture, the Kunsthaus Glarus, the Coronakunstglarus. Interviews of Fridolin Elmer, Eva Oerti and Anna Heinimann during the guiding dancewalk.
Then we will dancewalk through the KFN Kalk factory, the Mollis Flugplatz to arrive for lunch break in Mollis.
In the afternoon, from Näfels to Bilten through Oberurnen and Ziegelbrücke, we will interview Kaj Waibel from Glarner Klimabüro on Glarus’ ecological questions.
Day 2:  20,6 km
Bilten > Linthkanal > Benken > Kaltbrunn > Gommiswald > Ricken  —  Going up 637m / going down 299m
We will start in industrial Bilten to dancewalk along the Linth Kanal on the border of Canton Glarus and Canton Saint-Gallen interviewing Kaspar Marti about the history of the region.
In the second part of the m0rning we will start our way to the Ricken Pass, interviewing Desirée Gaechter from Radio toxic.fm until our lunch break in Kaltbrunn.
The afternoon will go up through Gommiswald and meet Walter Rüegg in the Toggenburger hills so he can tell us about the different dialects of the region while arriving in Ricken.
Day 3: 16,3 km
Ricken > Wattwil > Tüetlisberg > Schwantleregg > Scherrer > Niederwil > Hofstetten > St-Peterzell  —  Up 540m  / down 592m
From Ricken, we will go down on the beautiful Sonnenberg road with Susanne Roth who will dance and let us know more about keeping dance alive around Ebnat-Kappel.
Then our path along the Thur will lead us to Galerie 1923 and Morena Barra will interview Aïscha Ibrovic about their new art project in Wattwil, where we will dine.
The afternoon will be spent along the Via Jakobi, up and up and up and down, starting our two day along the Route of St. James in the opposite direction of the pilgrimage to the grave of St. James in Santiago de Compostela.
Day 4:  14,4 km
St-Peterzell > Amisegg > Chäseren > Landscheidi > Risi > Säntisblick > Harschwendi > Nieschberg > Büel > Herisau  —  Up 645m  / down 613m
Today is devoted to our Dancewalk along Via Jakobi continuing our pilgrimage around the questions of periphery and margin. From Saint-Peterzell, along the ascending hills, in Canton Saint-Gallen, Morena Barra will interview religious educator Anna Michel and Barbara Damaschke from the Evangelical Reformed Church; later on the descending hills towards Herisau in Canton Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Morena will interview the dancer Christine von Menteln and a storyteller from the Puppenspieler Herisau.
Day 5: 16,1 km
Baldenwil > Schachen > Burgruine Rosenburg > Herisau > Linden > Stocken > Bruggen > Vonwil > St-Gallen  —  Going up 350m and down 473m
We will start the day by dancewalkingly visiting the Stiftung Tosam in Hof Baldenwil talking to Lis Schwarzenbach about this institution’s beautiful social work. Then we will regret not being able to listen to Roman Rutishauser’s piano – canceled because of uncertain weather conditions – but will nevertheless be dancing in awe around the Burgruine Rosenburg.
After a tour in some of Herisau’s streets and a lunch, we will start the afternoon with Elenita Quieroz and some people and dancers she is bringing along. The atmosphere will be close to a dancewalked carnaval. For the last three kilometers Morena Barra will interview Cem Kirmizitoprak, advocate for a diverse society and for barrier-free public transport.
A festive arrival at the Lokremise Theater in St-Gallen is expected to crown an amazing five-day dancewalked adventure filmed by Anna Liesch.
*
“Dancewalk – Am Rand”
September, October, November 2020
A dozen of Dancewalks in Eastern Switzerland on the subject of the periphery, letting periphery take center stage
A collaboration between Neopost Foofwa and TanzPlan Ost
The first leg, “Dancewalk – Klöntal” is a 16 kilometer performance from Klöntal to Glarus of Neopost Foofwa’s Alizée, Alex and Foofwa together with TanzPlan Ost dozen of artists on Sunday September 20th. The occasion for Neopost Foofwa to ask each choreographer to share hir work with others and the outdoor, and see if the recycling and transforming enriches everybody.
The third part consists of a series of local Dancewalks lead by TanzPlan Ost’s ambassadors linking a company to their region. The occasion to let others take on the concept of the Dancewalk and organize themselves a traveling performance in their area.
**
TanzPlan Ost’s theme in 2020: Periphery as a Place for Radical Openness
The relationship between periphery and center is a complex one, filled with tension and conflict, characterized by unbalanced power dynamics. Often, the power pertains to a small group in the center, with the majority being left forgotten in the margins. Professional dancers are not exempt from this. Large centers receive much larger portions of the culture budget than peripheral regions. Current challenges – be it the corona crisis, refugee policies, or global warming – bring to light how marginalized people are neither considered nor consolidated during crucial decisions. According to this definition, being in the periphery means being oppressed and without any power. Author and activist Bell Hooks, however, views the periphery as a place for radical openness. Only by having the perspective of being marginalized can we think of radical alternatives and imagine a new world. The edge feeds our ability to resist and outshines the apparent glitz and glam of the center.

Videos

VIDEO PROMO

Crédits

Concept, direction and choreographic framework: Foofwa d’Imobilité
Collaboration and organisation: TanzPlan Ost’s Simone Truong and Linda Zobrist
Performance and collaborative dialogue: Alizée Sourbé, Alex Landa Aguirreche, Foofwa d’Imobilité
Camerawoman: Anna Liesch [camerawoman and editor, born and raised in St-Gallen and working in Zürich]
Videojournalism: Morena Barra [born in Naples, brought up in Ebnat-Kappell, and working between St-Gallen and Zürich]
Neopost Foofwa and the GLocal Project (2018-2020) receives joint support from the City of Geneva,  the Republic and Canton of Geneva, and Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council

Dates passées

26 Sep 2020
Dancewalk – Baldenwil-St-Gallen
Day 5: dancing 14,4 km from Baldenwil to St-Gallen
25 Sep 2020
Dancewalk – St-Peterzel-Herisau
Day 4: Dancing 13,9 km from St-Peterzel to Herisau
24 Sep 2020
Dancewalk – Ricken-St-Peterzel
Day 3: Dancing 16,3 km from Ricken to St-Peterzel
23 Sep 2020
Dancewalk – Bilten-Ricken
Day 2: Dancing 20,6 kilometers from Bilten to Ricken
22 Sep 2020
Dancewalk – Glarus-Bilten
Day 1: Dancing 18,5 kilometers from Ennenda to Bilten