Last week Diane Madden concluded 3 weeks of teaching contemporary technique to the 2nd year students of the Training Cycle. In her class, Diane Madden is building up material and skills towards a longer Trisha Brown repertoire workshop in Spring 2021, in which students will be creating their own version of Brown’s “Son of Gone Fishin’” 1981.Diane has been giving workshops at PARTS based on Trisha Brown’s repertoire for many years. Since 1980 Diane has been an integral part of Trisha Brown’s work: as a dancer, rehearsal director and Associate Artistic Director.It is a special honour for PARTS that Diane Madden is associated with the school for the entire Training Cycle, from 2019-2022.

This lecture will be live streamed and can be followed remotely.Contemporary theoretical discourse addressing the anthropocene often invites a series of interrelated comments: that the Eurocentrism of the humanities ignores that indigenous peoples have and/or are already experiencing extinction, that it is human technological hubris that is ultimately to blame, or that is a particular organization of social and political relations which have terraformed the planet. Immediately the question of who is the ‘we’ (as human being or human species or bourgeois or Western) that faces extinction is central.

We are happy to announce that, on Monday August 31st, we opened the new academic year 2020-21 with live programs for Training (2nd year) and STUDIOS (2nd year).Of course we are talking about a lot of safety measures, smaller groups, bubbles, extra space to guarantee social distancing, timeslots, facemasks, sanitizers and circulation plans, but we have made it work.

On the first day of the new academic year 2020-21, Theo Van Rompay, co-founder of P.A.R.T.S., stepped down as Deputy Director of the school. He will retire on September 1st, 2021 and during the last year of his employment he will focus on a number of special projects.Charlotte Vandevyver, previously coordinator of the STUDIOS program, took up her position as the new deputy director of P.A.R.T.S. With Director Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, a new female duo will now lead the school. As an addition to the team we also welcome Yannick Roman as the new Financial and Administrative Manager.

On September 4th 2020, PARTS had its 25th anniversary.After an inspiring journey of 25 years we are very proud that both cycles, Training and STUDIOS, are recognised by the Flemish government as a Bachelor in Dance (since June 2019) and Master in Dance (since July 2020).

Just before the official start of the school year we organized a three day program BACK. CURRENT: a come together between the students, teachers and staff as a transitioning from the lockdown into the new school year. To reflect on what happened, focus on the present and look into the future.

On August 31st the normal programmes for Training (2nd year) and STUDIOS (2nd year) will restart. On this first day of the new academic year 2020-21, Theo Van Rompay, co-founder of P.A.R.T.S. who is retiring soon, will step down as Deputy Director of the school. Charlotte Vandevyver will take up her position as the new deputy director of P.A.R.T.S., to lead the school together with director Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker.

The academic year is running towards its end, the Summer holiday is just around the corner.On Saturday June 27th we organized the last open-air class in Duden park with David Hernandez.Since May 18 - when the National Security Council decided that training outdoors for group sports was allowed again – we have organized a weekly 90’ outdoor dance class in the park for a group of maximum 20 people. A very welcome relief for all the students that have been locked up in small Brussels spaces with no access to flowery backyards, mountain-view meadows or sunny beaches. Luck was on our side, the weather was always very nice.

De directie van de school heeft beslist alle lessen te schorsen tot einde van het academiejaar. De veiligheid van studenten en leraren kan niet gegarandeerd worden, omdat social distancing in vele gevallen geen optie is voor een dansschool. Bovendien zijn onze studio's onvoldoende groot om met groepen van 20 studenten te werken, terwijl permanent 1,5 meter afstand tussen alle dansers zou moeten bewaard worden.De online-lessen voor de studenten worden voortgezet tot einde juni. Vele leraren van PARTS hebben grote inspanningen geleverd om hun lespraktijk aan te passen aan het online-onderricht, inbegrepen techniekleraren voor ballet en hedendaagse dans.De meerderheid van de studenten van de Training cyclus is inmiddels naar het thuisland teruggekeerd.

Much to our regret, we have to announce that the eleventh edition of SummerSchool 2020, planned from July 13th to August 14th, will not be able to take place. The risk of infection by the covid-19 virus is still very present, and despite a currently slightly improving health situation, there are no guarantees at all that classes and workshops could take place in safe conditions. Provisions for social distancing will almost certainly still be in place during the summer. This makes the dance classes and workshops that were planned impossible. A very intensive use of our studios by a very large group of dancers, in ever-changing line-ups, is completely forbidden according to today's safety regulations, and remains almost certainly not recommended during the summer months.

While we all confine ourselves at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus, PARTS offers its students an alternative online program with live streamed classes. For the Training cycle we organise daily online yoga classes with Laia Puig Escandell and Stephane Bourhis, a weekly Pilates class with Gabriel Schenker, and 3 times a week contemporary technique classes with Diane Madden, who adapted her class to small confined spaces and remote exchange. For the workshop on William Forsythe’s Improvisation Technologies, teachers Fabrice Mazliah, Tilman O’Donnell and Liz Waterhouse worked out an assignment especially adapted to living rooms, concluding with a collective improvisation on zoom. Furthermore, we started the music project with Noé Soulier and Tom Pauwels, in collaboration with musicians from the Contemporary Music programme of School of Arts Ghent, and the philosophy seminar with Ludo Abicht.All of these live stream sessions are recorded so that the students can access again at a later date.

To limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus, PARTS follows the measures taken by the federal government. PARTS suspends all classes and public activities until April 3rd 2020.

Given the current circumstances, we are unable to guarantee that the SummerSchool can take place. A final decision will be made by June 1st, 2020. However, we have decided to keep registrations open and to add a Covid-19 section to our cancellation policy.1. In case, we cancel due to negative advice from the Belgian government regarding the Covid-19 virus, all participants will receive a 100% refund.2. In case, the participant cancels due to negative advice from their country of origin regarding the Covid-19 virus, the participant will receive a 100% refund.Updates on the SummerSchool will be posted on our website. In the meantime, you can email summerschool@parts.be with additional questions or click here to find out more about our programme.Thank you for understanding and stay well

During an X-Week, the normal operation modus of the school is suspended.The invited artists can work a whole week with the students, in or outside school. The subject may be composition or improvisation, but also politics or visit museums and exhibitions. We ask the artists to unveil their way of approaching art towards the students. For this week of artistic practice PARTS invited the artists Stina Nyberg & Zoë Poluch, Diederik Peeters and Ula Sickle.

About birds and other animalsPhilosopher Vinciane Despret enters into conversation with Bojana Cvejic about her work, following a seminar for the students of the Studios programme.After philosophical and psychological studies, Vinciane Despret specialized in ethology, the study of animal behavior, and became fascinated by the humans who work with animals. Borrowing a path from philosophy of sciences, her work combines ethological and psychological research with the goal of understanding and explaining how scientists build their theories, how they interact with historical and social contexts, and what relation is established between them and animals.

Throwback to the public presentation "Exchanges" of last Friday, a final sharing of the 5 weeks during exchange project between Ecole des Sables and PARTS.Thank you Ecole des Sables for your hospitality.Thank you Ogutu Muraya (Kenya), Faustin Linyekula (Congo), Panaibra Gabriel Canda (Mozambique), Nadia Beugré (Ivory Coast) and Qudus Onikeku (Nigeria) for sharing your artistic practice so generously.Thank you to Ise An Verstegen (Netherlands), Patrick Acogny (Senegal/France), Mamadou Baldé (Senegal), Ntone Edjabe (Cameroon), Saky Bertrand Tchébé (Ivory Coast) and the musicians for transmitting your technique and insights on African dance.And thank you all participants for your curiosity and hard work!

You are very welcome to join us for the public presentation of the theatre workshops of the 1st year Training students.Free entrance – no reservation is needed.Doors open at 14h45 (program 1) and 17h45 (program 2), the performances start at 15h and 18h sharp (latecomers are not admitted).Each program consists of 2 pieces, 4 in total. There is a short break between the 2 programs. You are welcome to watch both of the programs !Program 1 at 15h :Group of Carly WijsGroup of Thomas RyckewaertProgram 2 at 18h :Group of Eva SchramGroup of Scarlet Tummers

Ise chose Acogny and Acogny chose her.In her work as a dance artist Ise Verstegen interweaves worlds with an inclusive, transcultural vision and body language. Since 2008 she has been working closely with Germaine Acogny, the mother of modern African dance. Acogny technique is a dance technique and philosophy based on West African and Western dances. Ise's work and transmission start from embodiment, connection, collectivity and the respect, possibilities and natural strength of each body through rhythm and movement. From here she addresses social issues.Ise Verstegen is a teacher at the Amsterdam Academy of Theatre and Dance (AHK), and she works internationally and nationally as an 'Acogny dance-practitioner'.

From January 2nd until February 6th, 14 students from the STUDIOS program at P.A.R.T.S. and 10 young choreographers and dancers from the African continent meet and exchange at Ecole des Sables, the school initiated by Germaine Acogny in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal. This is the third exchange program and the collaboration between P.A.R.T.S and Ecole des Sables goes back until 2013.

PARTS@WORK#2 – Sunday 26/01, 15h.The performance is for free, no reservation is needed.Doors open at 14h45, the performance starts at 15h sharp(latecomers are not admitted).PARTS@WORK is a series of informal showings of work created by PARTS students.PARTS@WORK #2 consists in several pieces, all personal work of the 1st year Training students.Hope to see you there !!

From January 2nd until February 6th, 14 students from the STUDIOS program at P.A.R.T.S. and 10 young choreographers and dancers from the African continent meet and exchange at Ecole des Sables, the school initiated by Germaine Acogny in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal. This is the third exchange program and the collaboration between P.A.R.T.S and Ecole des Sables goes back until 2013.

PARTS@WORK is a series of informal showings of work created by PARTS students.PARTS@WORK #1 consists in a number of short pieces, all personal work of the new Training students, made in the first three months of the schoolyear. These performances are free, no reservation is needed.Hope to see you there !!Image Charlotte Cétaire

In deze lezing staat de praktijk van de Afrikaanse diaspora-kunst centraal: als archief, verzet en transformatie. Het gaat uit van een Afrogene benadering, waarbij de "geografie van de rede" wordt geherstructureerd en de verschillende tijdlijnen, genres en praktijken worden benaderd vanuit het perspectief van het ritme als een mobiele instelling. Het probeert zich uit de sfeer van mystiek, obscuriteit en tropen te verplaatsen naar toegang, recht op ondoorzichtigheid en benaderbaarheid. De lezing probeert moedig het ongemakkelijke en moeilijke gesprek aan te gaan met het perspectief van een genereuze zwarte woede.Lezing op woensdag 6 november om 19.30 uur in PARTS. Iedereen welkom!Thomas "Talawa" Prestø is de oprichter en artistiek leider van het Tabanka African & Caribbean Peoples Dance Ensemble in Oslo, Noorwegen. Het gezelschap en de bijbehorende bewegingstechniek, de Talawa Techniek, is al 21 jaar in de maak. De Talawa Techniek is een van de weinige volledig gecodificeerde technieken die uit Afrika en de diaspora komen. Tabanka Dance Ensemble is het Noord-Europees grootste full time zwarte dansgezelschap. Het gezelschap werkt buiten de westerse canon van de kunstproductie om zeer kinetisch hedendaags werk te creëren dat put uit de Afrikaanse, Caribische en diasporische bewegingspraktijken. De bedrijven en technieken slogan en kernprincipe is Ancient Power - Modern Use.

Van 18 tot 29 november organiseren het Taipei Performing Arts Center en het Centre national de la Danse (Parijs) de eerste editie van Camping Asia. Dit is een evenement waar meer dan 100 studenten van 12 kunstscholen uit heel Azië en de rest van de wereld samenkomen om samen te werken en te leren.

We organiseren regelmatig semi-public talks met docenten van P.A.R.T.S. Zo krijgen onze studenten een idee van de docent zijn/haar personal practice, werk als performer, eigen artistiek werk, en allerlei andere dingen waar hij/zij mee bezig is. Op maandag 30 september hadden we ons eerste gesprek met David Hernandez.

Onderzoeker Stephen Zepke geeft deze week een seminar in het Studios-programma van PARTS.Op donderdagavond 26/9 om 19u geeft hij een publieke lezing waarin hij reflecteert op de mogelijkheid van de kunst om na te denken over de toekomst, of er nog iets 'nieuws' kan worden verbeeld en gecreëerd.Gratis toegang, reserveren is niet nodig!

In 2019-20 start PARTS met een nieuwe generatie studenten en een nieuw programma!Op 2 september zijn de studenten van Generatie XIII begonnen met het eerste jaar van de Training Cyclus 2019-2022. Ze zijn 40, die 24 verschillende nationaliteiten uit vijf continenten vertegenwoordigen.Op 23 september start het nieuwe Studios programma, met een programma van 2 jaar met 14 deelnemers uit 11 verschillende landen. Kom af en toe een blok werpen op de website of schrijf je in voor de nieuwsbrief voor nieuws over publieke activiteiten!

Vorige week ging Somnia in première, een voorstelling van Anne Teresa en Jolente De Keersmaeker voor de 44 afstuderende studenten van de Training cyclus, in het sprookjesachtige decor van het Kasteelpark in Gaasbeek.

In september 2019 start PARTS een nieuw tweejarig geavanceerd programma, STUDIOS genaamd.

Op 1 september 2020 zal Theo Van Rompay (1954), mede-oprichter van P.A.R.T.S., zijn functie neerleggen als adjunct-directeur van de school. Zijn opvolging is nu al verzekerd, aangezien een jaar eerder, in september 2019, het nieuwe ‘Studios’-programma van start gaat, waarvoor een coördinator moest worden aangesteld. Charlotte Vandevyver (1982) zal vanaf 1 mei 2019 de implementatie van dit nieuwe ‘Studios’-programma realiseren. Op 1 september 2020 neemt zij dan haar functie op als de nieuwe adjunct-directeur van P.A.R.T.S., om samen met directeur Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker de school te leiden.

42 PARTS-studenten vergezellen Rosas voor de Slow Walk in Parijs op 23 september tussen 12u en 16u. Vijf groepen doorkruisen het centrum van de stad in een zeer langzaam tempo, en komen samen aan op de Place de la République, waar Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker het publiek uitnodigt om deel te nemen aan haar workshop en te dansen tot 17u.