Freeing bodies and minds trapped and tortured by professional dance training, Nicole Clore proudly presents the most promising graduates of its dance school at the opening event of Nextfest.
Nicole Clore has opened its workshop to the public once a year since 1986. Visitors will be able to get an insight into the workings of the world-famous choreographer, dance artist, singer-songwriter, theatre and film director, art writer, critic, psychotherapist, play and character designer and, last but not least, mother, who has created a highly sophisticated dance laboratory. The academy, which has played a significant role in the history of dance over the last four decades, has graduated renowned artists such as Milenka Vucic, Carlotta Stromboli, Niki Van Dyke, Isabelle Mézes, Eszter Salamon and Donna Gandalf. As in previous years, this year's exam concert is not without excitement.
For years, Csaba Molnár has been a key figure at Nextfest, but he has now outgrown the title of emerging artist and is a pillar of the middle generation. He returns as his alter-ego Nicole Clore to present the graduates of its dance school and to address the issue of generational change. Nicole Clore - Csaba Molnár defines the complex and often problematic phenomenon of (dance) education as a conceptual art project and says: "In professional dance education, bodies and minds have been captured, tortured and institutionalised. (...) The field of contemporary dance is plagued by a kind of vampire syndrome, constantly sucking the vitality out of 'virgin' bodies in an endless cycle of exploitation."
At Nextfest, we believe it is important to highlight the burning and topical issues that (also) arise in relation to performing arts education, and this is what Nicole Clore and its students will be doing in the opening event of the festival.
"The Show Must Go On / The Graduation is the first stage of a trilogy I have been working on since 2023. The piece is a genre-bending performance event that reimagines the traditional exam and graduation ceremony format within the fictional Institute of Unapologetic Self-Expression, an art school founded by Nicole Clore. Nicole was originally born during an educational project: through its character I led dance workshops and proposed a dance class platform based on role-playing and collective world-building. That's when I became interested in how I could develop this character further and place it in the context of a traditional dance performance. This gave birth to the first part of a trilogy that mirrors the stereotypical and problematic aspects of institutionalised dance education, within the framework of a fictional dance exam and graduation event."
Csaba Molnár - Nicole Clore
Excerpt from Nicole's letter to the World Federation of Dance Educators:
"In professional dance education, bodies and minds have been captured, tortured and institutionalized. Over the years, dance schools have produced countless clones. Discipline and obedience have been the cornerstones of pedagogical strategies, flooding the so-called dance market with over-propagated, anaemic individuals. Yet never was the system's hunger for authentic individuals more evident. This is a paradox: while the dance profession is desperate for fresh blood, sparks and authenticity, it contradicts itself, as it is deeply rooted in tradition and conformism. The field of contemporary dance is plagued by a kind of vampire syndrome, constantly sucking the vitality out of 'virgin' bodies in an endless cycle of exploitation."
The performance is part of the 5th NEXTFEST (5-9 March 2025), with which Trafó celebrates emerging artists, new forms and experimentation every year. The full festival programme can be found here.
Script: Csaba Molnár / Nicole Clore
Performers:
Nicole Clore: Csaba Molnár
MaryAnn: Andi Soós
Piétra: Júlia Vavra
Bodyguard: Vivien Piti
Waiter: Balázs Oláh
Students: Márton Gláser, Máté Horváth, Imola Kacsó, Luca Kancsó, Réka Oberfrank, Zsófia Szász
Light: Kata Dézsi
Production partner: Katlan Group, Workshop Foundation
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Creative Europe |
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Katlan Csoport |
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KIM – Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium |
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Life Long Burning |
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Műhely Alapítvány |
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NKA - Nemzeti Kulturális Alap |
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SÍN Művészeti Központ |
