TRAVEL DIARIESA choreographic journal by Gianfranco Celestino

Fact Sheet“TRAVEL DIARIES”

Year of creation: 2012

Duration: 60 min

CASTConception and performance: Gianfranco Celestino

Video consultant: Thierry BesselingDramaturgy consultant: Christiane Berger

Lighting design: Patrick Steffen, Jean Brücher, Gianfranco CelestinoThanks: Rajivan Ayyappan, Alessandra Coppola

Creation residencies: George Apostu International Culture and Arts Centre (Bacau, RO),

Mierscher Kulturhaus (LU), Point Ephémère - Centre de dynamiques artistiques (Paris, FR), CDC Le Pacifique (Grenoble, FR), Théâtre de l’Actée (Cosnes, FR)

Support: TROIS C-L, Ministère de la Culture.

TRAILERhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQpdEVkda1Y

PoSSIbLE PERIoDS foR TouRIngSeptember 2012 - August 2014

ConTACTGianfranco Celestinogianmcdad@gmx.net

The piece“Travel Diaries” is the ambitious and seductive act of staging a travel journal recounting an artist-in-residence program. The project was inspired by various artistic residencies held in different locations in 2010 and 2011. The creation of “Travel Diaries” is closely related to the journeys and work phases experienced during these various residencies. Each residence is a unique experience where places, situations and people encountered spark sensations, thoughts and emotions that fuel the artist’s knowledge.

During each residence my perceptions, personal reactions, emotions and reflections contributed to the writing of a kind of personal diary that accompanied me on all these trips. Like a suitcase fills up with souvenirs at each stop, this collection grows with every experience.

Gianfranco Celestino

The project has been nurtured by contributions from different media. These travel notes—the “souvenirs in the suitcase” — are video montages, short stories, brief choreographic sequences that make up the “pages” of “Travel Diaries”.

Work process

The project’s concept is based on a specific challenge: leaving the production of material that will be merged into “Travel Diaries” open to ever-changing circumstances.

The object of the research conducted during the artist-in-residence program has been to let the day make itself, without premeditating or interfering with the unfolding of the residence’s events, in order to record the facts as they happen. No particular purpose or theme has been selected by the artist to be at the centre of his investigation beyond being open and sensitive to the most interesting and impressive occurrences of the day. Choreographer Gianfranco Celestino kept his camcorder and notebook at his side as his basic work instruments. Always prepared to record what he experienced, Celestino wrote and filmed his residencies as if in a journal.

A further challenge imposed during the show’s development was to respect the recorded material’s authenticity and exclusively work with raw video footage and text written during the residencies. This limitation set the major issue for staging the project: the composition of the show itself and the formalization of previously recorded elements.

All video and text elements describe situations and events which were not reproduced later for “better” results. Nor have any of these elements been produced after the fact in order to fit the development of a structural through-line. The unfolding of events in the show’s structure reflect the course of the whole creative process, which was at the root of the entire artist-in-residence program.

The choreography was developed second, inspired by the text and video. The show’s composition began with the selection and formalization of video parts, followed by the choice of text sections, and was completed by the creation of the choreographic material.

Impressions

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Gianfranco CelestinoGianfranco Celestino was born in Torino, Italy, in 1971. When he was seven, he started his piano studies which he continued and accomplished at Conservatorio « G. Verdi », in his hometown. His classic music education continued for two more years in a post-graduation master course with the internationally acclaimed pianist Bruno Canino. In 1995, after few concerts with a flutist, as piano-flute duo, he decided to take the chance and to follow his call to dance. From 1996 to 2000, Gianfranco studied dance at the « Folkwang Hochschule » in Essen (D). In 1999 he participated in Venice at « Accademia Isola Danza », the academic experience directed by Carolyn Carlson organized by Biennale di Venezia. In the same year he received the scholarship to take part in the « Dance WEB » programme at Wiener Tanz Wochen in Vienna.

From the year 2000 he starts working with companies like UnitControl, in Luxembourg, Les Ballets C.de la B., in Gent, Belgium, Arazzo Tanztheater, in Köln, Germany.

Music studies, contributed to develop his very high music sensitivity which he explores continuously and whose he calls in use not only by dancing but also by choreographing. Since 2002 he lives in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and works on his own choreographic ideas. As a freelance choreographer, he created different short choreographies for several associations like Maskénada and TROIS C-L, the choreographic centre in Luxembourg.

His major personal works have been co-produced by Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, by Théâtre National du Luxembourg, by TROIS C-L and other numerous groups belonging to the national culture scene in Luxembourg. The Ministry of Culture in Luxembourg as well as the choreographic centre (TROIS C-L) are regularly supporting Gianfranco’s work. His last work “Travel Diaries” has been created during a two years artist-in-residence program organized by the TROIS C-L, in association with different european partners.

Press Review

CuRIoSITY AnD EmoTIon

A genuine emotional receptacle from childhood on, the body is like a travel journal in Gianfranco Celestino’s new dance piece. Through choreography, video, sound, and text, Celestino shares his travel impressions with us in the form of an hour-long personal journal. Bolstered by two years of artistic research and development, Celestino reports anecdotes and aphorisms with a touch of humour and a knack for sensitivity and poetry. All these elements are like scraps of paper that compose an evolving collage.

Like a suitcase fills up with souvenirs at each stop (Romania, Paris, Grenoble, Turin), the body soaks up places, cultures, events.

In the beginning, there is pure feeling, sensation, a kind of tremble or vibration which must be transformed into language. A deep and intimate language, which allows Celestino to tell us both about his fears and misadventures and his joys and discoveries.

To him, every encounter is a unique experience which nurtures and informs the body. Begun two years ago, the piece finds completion in the very moment of performance. The audience participates throughout the choreographer’s journey, being swept up in the swirl of his personal memories.

An evening in the pursuit of curiosity, sensation, and emotion.

LuXEmbuRgER WoRTDate : 30th May 2012

Author : Mireille Petitgenêt

Technical RiderSTAgE

• Original: 12m x 12m, Height: 8m // Minimum : 10m x 10m, Height: 5,5m• Wooden sprung floor • Black linoleum dance carpet, covering the whole stage surface (wall to wall)

mASkIng

• 4x Set of side wings ( 2m. ) • Black Backdrop

Please note that this area represents the required space for the dancer’s performance - side wings and space for lighting booms are not included.

If the performance was to be held in a smaller venue, the promoter’s technical staff must contact the company and provide the following information:

• The dimensions of the stage : Wide, Depth, Height• Preferably a Wysiwyg or a DWG plot of the venue SounD

P.A. system must be able to loudly and clearly reproduce all frequencies, free from anydistortion, hiss or interference.

• 2X monitors at back of the stage • Mixing console with the ability to connect a Laptop (mini jack to chinch)

LIghTIng

• 4X Mac 250 wash ( CMY ) • 6x PC 1000W. & Barndoors (hung) NC • 4x Par 64/ CP 62 1000W. (boom 50cm high) Nc • 1x Par 64/ CP 62 1000W. (floorplate) Nc • 5x ETC S4, 750W. 15- 30° profile (hung) Nc • 8x ETC S4, 750 W. 50° profile (floorplate) Nc • 2x Beamer 5000 Ansi Lumen (hung)

An adapted lighting plot will be provided by the company.Screen and camera will be provided by the company.

f . o . h

Chamsys / grand mA consoles preferred

If possible, the company technician will operate sound and LX from the same position. The control position needs to provide a clear view of the stage and the ability to hear the playback.

This technical rider can be adjusted to fit each venue. However, all changes must be cleared with the company`s technical staff at least 3 weeks prior to the first performance.

Light and sound have to be set up when the company arrives.

CREW

Technical Staff provided by the promoter:

• 2X lighting technicians (including an English speaking light operator, skilled with the venues’ DMX console)

• 1X sound engineer (with thru-out knowledge of the venue’s sound system, and live mixing experience)

• 1X stage technician • An English speaking Crew leader, with firsthand knowledge of the venue, preferably with

technical experience in theatre/ Dance productions.

SChEDuLE

If light, sound and stage are set up :

• 6 hours to focus light, programm the console and do a sound check• 2 hours are required for rehearsal purposes

A precise schedule will be submitted by the company.

DRESSIng RoomS

• The dressing rooms for the dancer should be heated and equipped with chairs, tables, mirrors, mirror lights, a hot shower, towels, an iron and an ironing board.

• 2 x 1 liter bottles of water per day, fruits, and sweeties PEoPLE on TouR

• 1 dancer• 1 technician

TRAVELLIng

The Promoterwill cover travel expenses for 2 people. (round-trip)

hoTEL

The Promoter will cover hotel expenses for 2 people in a minimum 2-star hotel.

ConTACTJean Brücher

lutejang@lutejang.com +352 621 160 320 +49 163 56 01 240