In conversation with Ula Sickle

What does it mean to bring street culture into the black box of a theatre hall? At what point does raving become contemporary dance? Where do the dance floor and stage merge? And how can we somehow hold on to the idea of social intimacy associated with nightclubs when social distancing sets the scene?

During the summer, we talked with Ula Sickle, a Canadian choreographer and dancer based in Brussels. Her practice runs across various disciplines and often incorporates alternative movement histories, typically excluded from the canon of contemporary dance. Her new piece Echoic Choir with vocalist Stine Janvin premiered during the Wiener Festwochen in Vienna, June 3rd. On October 5th, they will perform it at STUK in Leuven. The piece is a response of sorts to the lingering effects of the pandemic, turning the reality of physical distancing measures into artistic parameters. Using acoustic voices, spatial resonance, and specific lighting, they have sought to create a collective and immersive sensorial event, blurring the divide between performer and audience. But how to do so? How can you invite the audience into a shared space, when proximity is literally not an option?
(More about Ula’s work in: www.ulasickle.com/)

Interviewed by Bas Blaasse and Batsheva Ross.

This piece is part of a series with interviews, readings, and other sound pieces which are regularly published on this site.