video/quicktime (950499461 bytes PT1H16M22S) Geneve September 7, 2021 All rights reserved eng http://phaidra.cab.unipd.it/o:449891 Foofwa d’Imobilité (Interviewee) Vaghi, Katja (Interviewer) PHAIDRA University of Padua MovingImage Dancewalk, Descendansce 1.3, Don Quixote, FAVNE, Histoires Condensées, In/Utile: Incorporer Pina Jackson in Mercemoriam The Making of Spectacles Utérus, pièce d'intérieur Alighieri, Dante Balanchine, George Baryshnikov, Michael Cunningham, Merce Nijinsky, Vaslav Nijinska, Bronislava Nureyev, Rudolf Von Manen, Hans, Brazil, Cuevas Company, Festival D'Avignon, Geneva, Marocco, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Movement Research, New York, New York City Ballet, School of American Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Switzerland, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Caricature culture, Classical Ballet, Improvisation (Being Here Present tool), Stand-up Comedy hdl:11168/11.460167 https://phaidra.cab.unipd.it/o:460167 The Swiss “neo-post” dance performer, choreographer and dance pedagogue FOOFWA D’IMOBILITÉ is interviewed by dance scholar KATJA VAGHI about his creative process, the role of dance history, and irony in his work. Beginning from his early (mediated and embodied) memories of dance coming from a family of dancers, and his training as a ballet dancer, he shares his pivotal experience with the Merce Cunningham dance company and his subsequent work as an independent artist since 1998. His work with his own company Neopost Foofwa occupies a pivotal position between tradition and innovation in the choreographic field. The company was founded “around the intuition that there are beautiful new things (Neo-) to be created after and with the past (-post)”. The knowledge of different dance languages grants him the ironical and critical detachment towards dance, introducing postmodern twists and reflections in his work. Foofwa is also one of Switzerland’s most technically accomplished dancers. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: [00:02:14] What is your first personal memory linked to dance that informed your choreographic poetics? [00:09:01] When did you start defining yourself as a choreographer? [00:14:55] What kind of knowledge do you hold in your body? Would you like to let go of something? [00:26:30] How does dance history fit into your work? What is the role of irony in relation to tradition and memory? [00:34:30] Do you differentiate dance history from the memory of dance? [00:43:45] What is the relation between bodies, history, memory and identities? [00:51:05] During your practice of dance transmission, how do you relate to the memory of your training experience? [00:56:11] What is your relationship with memory conservation: Have you organised an archive of your creative process? [01:02:01] How does the presence of the spectator fit into your creative process? [01:12:46] How do you imagine the possible continuation of the memory of your work? Interview with Foofwa d’Imobilité by Katja Vaghi