In 2019 selecteerde Conny Janssen de Londonse makers Waddah Sinada en Rhys Dennis van Fubunation als winnaar van de Partner Award tijdens de internationale duetcompetitie RIDCC. De prijs? Aan de slag met de dansers van Conny Janssen Danst voor DANSLOKAAL. Door COVID-19 werd hun bijdrage aan dit talentontwikkelingsproject een jaar uitgesteld, maar in augustus 2021 gaat het er van komen: de ontwikkeling van nieuw werk en mee op tour in DANSLOKAAL 9. Onlangs brachten ze ter voorstudie vast wat dagen door in de studio van Conny Janssen Danst. Hoog tijd om het Londonse duo voor te stellen!
Foto boven: v.l.n.r. Waddah Sinada, Conny Janssen en Rhys Dennis na afloop van de RIDCC in Theater Rotterdam in 2019. © Anna van Kooij
Can you introduce yourselves? Where could the (Dutch) audience know you from?
‘Fubunation is a contemporary dance company from London and was founded by artistic directors Waddah Sinada and Rhys Dennis. We took part in RIDCC 2019 and won the Conny Jansen Danst Prize. We will be returning to work with the company in summer 2021 for DANSLOKAAL.’
You recently worked some days in our studio in Huis Conny Janssen Danst. What have you been working on?
‘We came to Rotterdam for a research trip to develop a new work. We were fortunate to be warmly welcomed by Conny and able to use the amazing facilities the company had to offer us during our time. We managed to work in the studio with Rotterdam based movement artist Shaquille George to workshop new material for a new project.’
What impression did Conny Janssen’s company and her performances make on you?
‘What strikes us about Conny’s work is the scale and beauty of the set design she works with. Striking visuals that add a beautiful layer that elevates her work.’
Next season you will be working on new work within our talent development project DANSLOKAAL 8. What do you hope to gain from this collaboration with Conny Janssen Danst?
‘We are looking forward to taking part in DANSLOKAAL as it is a chance to create a piece of work that we will not be dancing. This will be a different way of creating for us and a very welcomed change. We look forward to the difference her dancers will bring to our process and how they adapt and contribute to our movement language and artistic practise.’
What could Conny Janssen (Danst) learn from you?
‘Conny Janssen Danst could learn from us the way in which we like to approach work with artists. Which is to discover what people have to contribute to the creative process outside of the studio as well as within and to use that as a potential strength and a way to inspire ourselves.’
>> Vanaf augustus 2021 staan de deuren van Huis Conny Janssen Danst open voor Waddah & Rhys en kijken we uit naar het stuk dat ze creëren voor en met de dansers.
Bezoek Fubunation’s website
Benieuwd naar hun danstaal? Onlangs danste Fubunation het duet Ruins in het Victoria & Albert Museum in London: