Artist Talk

Simone Wierød is a Danish choreographer based in Copenhagen.

Her work revolves around the question of how we, through the language of choreography, can address current agendas in society. Her main tool is bodily movement, but other choreographic elements in her works are objects, space, and sound.

She uses choreography as a tool to investigate and understand the cultural, social, and political context she lives and works in. A key concept for her work is functionality, as she values a simple aesthetic and use of minimal measures to achieve the expression wanted. She works from a conceptual base and uses a play with structures, kinetics, musicality, and dynamics as an essential part of her work.

Simone Wierød graduated from her dance education in 2014, and her work has so far been shown in 24 different countries on 4 continents. She has been awarded for her choreographic work, most recently for “SOLUS” and her ironic dance duet “WWW.”

Besides working as a choreographer she is a board member at Independent Choreographers (De Frie Koreografer), HAUT theatre, and a part of the team behind several choreographic festivals and art events in Copenhagen.

Silvina Grinberg graduated from the San Martin Theater Dance Workshop. Since 2000, she has been producing and directing her own productions such as “Los esmerados”, “El escondido”, “The escape of the worm”, among others. She has also choreographed for the San Martin Theater Ballet and directed at the Cervantes National Theater and TACEC. Having worked internationally in Chile, Italy, and Germany as a dancer, teacher, and choreographer, Silvina is currently president of the Cocoa Datei Civil Association.

SIAM OBREGÓN

Siam Obregón is a Mexican independent filmmaker and creative director based in Montreal, Canada. She completed her BFA with a Specialization in Film Production at Concordia University. As an artist, she focuses on movement, observation, and the intimate. Her work is shaped by her Mexican heritage, and her personal experience of immigration. With 7 years of experience in performing arts and 5 years in film, she explores the way these two mediums merge in interdisciplinary forms.

KYANA LYNE

Kyana Lyne obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the School of Performance at Ryerson University in Toronto in 2018. After obtaining her diploma, Kyana relocated to Montreal where she was a performer for the choreographers Andrea Peña, Alan Lake, Victor Quijada. She also collaborated with the company ENTITEY / Jason Martin as an outside eye. His work INHABIT (2020) was presented in Halifax as part of Kinetic Studio’s Open Studio series.

Antonin Comestaz is a French choreographer based in The Hague (NL). Characteristic for his work is its playful tone and a personal, inventive, and detailed dance vocabulary with elements borrowed from folk, mime, breakdance, commercial dance, ballet, contemporary dance, and cartoons. Within a piece, drastic shifts of styles and genres may occur, knitted together by a fine sensibility for the absurd (which is considered by him as synonymous with humor and defined as something that doesn’t make sense but nevertheless is instinctively understood).

Antonin regularly creates works under the wings of the Korzo production house in The Hague, but also for various companies and distinguished dance academies. Alongside choreography, Antonin composes music for his own works as well as commissions work for other choreographers.

Antonin graduated from the Paris Opera Ballet School in 1999 and went on to dance with the Paris Opera Ballet (1999-2000), the Hamburg Ballet (2000-2008), Tanz Theater München (2008-2010), Ballet Mainz (2010- 2012), and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam (2012-2013). During his tenure at these companies, he has created several short pieces, including: “Flesh and Blood” selected at the 22nd International Choreographic Competition Hannover (2008), “Playground” (2009), and “She”, which received the 1st prize for the dancer, the 3rd prize for the choreography, and the audience award at the 14th Stuttgart International Solo Dance Theater Festival (2010).

In 2013, Antonin leaped into freelancing as a choreographer. That year he created the cross-genre piece “Out of the Grey”, commissioned by Korzo, which was one year later selected as one of the Priority Companies by the Aerowaves network. In 2015, he created and self-produced the duet “Then, Before, Now, Once more” which has been performed throughout the Netherlands and was invited to numerous international choreographic competitions and festivals.