Today’s 10 Questions With… features Anne Kasdorf of The Space/Movement Project…

1.      What exactly is The Space/Movement Project?

We’re a group of dancer/choreographers who are fully dedicated to a collaborative artistic process. We produce contemporary dance work primarily in the Chicago area, and we also manage two rehearsal spaces that offer low-cost rental to local artists.

2.      How did this group come about?

The group was founded by three post-college dancers (one of whom, Stacy Wolfson, is still a member) who were feeling a bit exhausted by the city’s audition circuit. They were interested in performing and producing work but also recognized the financial and creative strain that going solo can create. TS/MP was born based on the idea that if they came together they could share the resources (space, dancers, production costs, etc.) necessary to fulfill their artistic goals. Although today our organization generally supports itself financially, the same supportive vision is still maintained.

3.      What is unique about TS/MP?

TS/MP consists of seven members and seven artistic directors. When we make a dance, each and every one of us is formulating its entire development. Originally we gave ourselves the freedom to individually choreograph short stand-alone dances. Back in 2009, we applied for the Joyce SoHo/Columbia College A.W.A.R.D. Show and opted to submit two stand alone duets that we proclaimed we would combine into a simultaneous quartet. They definitely called our bluff and invited us to compete. At that point there were five of us working together to mesh the two dances, sharing in every decision along the way. With the enormous success of this project, (we were selected to be competition finalists and later presented the work at the Joyce SoHo in New York City) we recognized that we were onto something that really worked within our company vision. We’ve been creating evening-length works using this model ever since. I don’t know of any other dance groups-at least locally-who are applying this level of collaboration to their process.

4.      What type of background do the dancers in this group have? [Read more…]