International artists Rudi Cole and Júlia Robert Parés from the dance company Humanhood last week led the 18th edition of Dance Hybrid Malta, which continued contributing towards the legacy of professional dance development in the field of contemporary dance and choreography in Malta.
The event comprised five days of intensive dance study, research and practice split into two parts – the first sessions dealt with Humanhood practice and the second part comprised a repertoire and creative workshop.
The Humanhood practice sessions focused on the core foundation of the company’s movement language and physical exploration developed by Rudi and Júlia. Inspired by their experience over the past decade both in the Western training and the Eastern physical and spiritual approaches, including Tai-chi, Qi-gong, Moving Breath and yoga, the sessions gave the participants special awareness regarding the articulation of the spine while focusing on their state of mind and the groundless of their body.
The practice pushed the limits of the participants’ mind and the stamina of their body
The sessions were characterised by circular, fluid and rhythmic movements, working with intention and totality and using the coordination between visualisation and breath. The practice pushed the limits of the participants’ mind and the stamina of their body. The whole experience was guided by Rudi and Júlia, and supported by a sonic journey.
The repertoire and creative workshop enabled the participants to experience what it is like to move in Humanhood’s works and dancing to original soundtracks.
The repertoire sessions offered the participants an insight into the ideas and the movement repertoire of each company production. It was an opportunity to learn in detail the different movement sequences and the intention behind them, receiving information about the mental application and internal state of the company dancers when performing the work. During the creative sessions, Júlia and Rudi shared some of their choreographic tools and movement quality.
The sessions offered a unique opportunity for local dancers interested in getting to know more about Humanhood’s creative process and work closely with Rudi and Júlia, as well as for young artists and movers who wanted to develop their choreographic skills.
Rudi and Júlia leading an intensive dance study session in Malta.Júlia Robert Parés
Originally from the Spainish town of Sitges, near Barcelona, Júlia started a physics degree before shifting her full attention into dance, graduating from the London Contemporary Dance School. She has worked with acclaimed choreographers, including Jasmin Vardimon.
Influenced by her seven years of experience in piano, Júlia has a natural intuition for melody and harmony both in choreography and music, and brings her physics background to the choreographic ideas and composition of the work. Júlia is the co-artistic director and choreographer of Humanhood, being the yin component of the company.
Rudi Cole
Born and raised in Handsworth in Birmingham, UK, Rudi has been dancing since his childhood with Ace Dance and Music and graduated from the Northern School of Contemporary Dance. He worked as professional dancer with various renowned international choreographers, including Akram Khan and performed a solo role in the 2012 London Olympic Games. In 2015, he founded Humanhood together with Júlia.
Rudi has an acute sense of rhythm and works on harnessing the raw essence of it in both the choreography and the company’s movement language. He is the co-artistic director and choreographer for Humanhood, being the yang component of the company.