In an emotional exchange between the late Doran George and their former teacher and colleague Eva Karczag, they reflect on memories of Doran’s time studying at the European Dance Development Centre in Arnhem. Eva shares photos Doran gave her in London, and Doran reflects on their work and its engagement with social concerns, the body as a ‘site of abstraction’, and their lineages in somatics and contemporary dance, while Eva responds in movement.
This conversation was produced as part of What Now 2013, in partnership with Siobhan Davies Studios and Artsadmin and supported by Arts Council England. The festival was curated by Frank Bock with assistant curator Luke Pell, with the intention to ‘draw attention to how bodies already exist in collective relationships…there is critical agency in the way that we direct ‘togetherness’ in the current time.’
Doran George (d. 2017) was an artist and scholar. They completed a doctorate at U.C.L.A. on somatic training in contemporary dance. They published in dance, film, and performance art journals and art publications. Doran chaired academic conferences, presented at numerous symposia, and curated independent programmes such as The International Transgender Film Video Festival in the UK and The Netherlands; States of Play: nurturing radical dance practice at Chisenhale Dance Space, and for This Is What I Want festival in San Francisco they created the symposium Slow Sex: Queer exit strategies from capitalist economies of attraction.
Doran George taught in universities, art colleges and professional dance settings. For their performance work, they received arts funding from L.A. Cultural Affairs, London Arts Board, Arts Council England, British Council, Finnish Arts Council, as well as various venue commissions and regional funding. Doran trained at the European Dance Development Center in Arnhem (NL) and completed an M.A. in Feminist Performance at Bristol University (UK) and PhD in Culture and Performance, University of California (US), Department of World Arts and Culture, where he went on to hold a postiion as professor.
Eva Karczag is an independent dance artist. For the past four decades she has practiced, taught, and advocated explorative methods of dance making. Eva performs solo and collaborative work internationally, and was a member of Strider (1973-75) and the Trisha Brown Dance Company (1979-85). She was on the faculty of the European Dance Development Center, (EDDC) Arnhem, The Netherlands from 1990-2002, has a Master of Fine Arts degree (Dance Research Fellow) from Bennington College, VT, USA, and is a certified teacher of the Alexander Technique. Her performance work and her teaching are informed by dance improvisation and mindful body practices including Ideokinesis, Taiji and Qi Gong, and Yoga.
Adapted from bios published in 2013.
