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Did you know that since 1988, Switzerland has hosted a biennial international dance festival entitled “Steps”? Let’s rewind a little and try to trace the historical origins of this festival…..
It is now fourteen years since the “Migros Culture Percentage” conceived and staged “Steps”. Anyone who has lived or even vacationed in Switzerland will undoubtedly have bought groceries at some point in Migros. Indeed, the latter represent a federation of co-operatives, and are the largest retail chain in Switzerland. However, not content with offering choice goods and services ranging from bananas to Salsa classes, they are also statutorily obliged to donate 0.5 % of their retail and 1 % of their wholesale turnover to such cultural events as “Steps”. Here at last is the mystery link between the purchase of quality Swiss bananas and the initiation of a quality international dance festival. Migros are committed to “…put[ting] aside… [their] own growing material power for always increasing social and cultural achievements” (Gottlieb Duttweiler, founder of Migros).
This honourable endeavour resulted in a 2002 dance festival that showcased an extensive range of contemporary dance via 78 performances in 23 Swiss cities, by 12 dance companies, from 8 different countries. Rather impressive figures - but what fundamentally sets this festival apart from others are its three-fold aims outlined below.
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Charleroi Danses Plan K in Body/Work/Leisure
Photograph by Pino Pipitone
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Firstly, renowned international artists who are leaders of their own particular dance style are represented. This year we saw such choreographic pioneers as Frédéric Flamand and his company “Charleroi Danses - Plan K,” as well as the Chinese painter, dancer and choreographer Shen Wei with his “New York Company Dance Arts.” Moreover, the senior company (40 years plus) of “Nederlands Dans Theater” presented their collaboration with the Australian Meryl Tankard, and Nacho Duato brought his “Compañia Nacional de Danza”.
Doug Varone
photographer Lois Greenfield
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The second aim of “Steps” is to offer opportunities for Swiss audiences to experience such new international discoveries and innovations. “Rennie Harris Puremovement” (an African-American hip-hop, capoeira and rap dance company from Philadelphia) delighted audiences with their acrobatics at performances that were sold out well in advance. Other contributors from the USA were José Navas and Walter Haman (dancer and cellist respectively), who created an intriguing link between music and movement. Anat Danieli Dance Company (Tel Aviv), Doug Varone and Dancers (New York), as well as Bill Seaman’s Californian art work (coupled with Regina van Berkel’s dance work from Frankfurt), were also memorable components of the festival.
The third and final aim of the festival is to enable Swiss dance artists to expose their work throughout their indigenous country. An insight into the work of such choreographers as Philippe Saire (avant-garde) and Martin Schläpfer (neo-classical/modern) was duly given. Schläpfer’s “BallettMainz” also performed with the “Stadttheater Bern Ballett”, “luzerntanz”, and other eminent national dance companies.
Shen Wei Dance Arts in Behind Resonance
Photograph by Mark Sadan
Christophe Haering (Head of Performing Arts for “Migros Cultural Percentage”) insists that the promotion of contemporary dance should be actively pursued, and that new aspects of dance are continually being explored throughout the world. These discoveries should be shared with others via international festivals such as “Steps”. Young dance artists who would perhaps never be given the opportunity of showing their work at such a prestigious festival are eagerly incorporated into the show’s programme, alongside much more prominent artists. This is just one of the exciting - and rather unusual - objectives of the festival. Haering believes that another important aspect of the festival is that it highlights the way in which dance has its own unique method of communicating to the public, thereby transcending linguistic barriers. This is extremely significant when contemplating the vast geographical coverage of the festival throughout a host country that has four nationally recognised languages.
Rennie Harris Puremovement
Photograph by Jon Stark
This year, the festival’s title was “rencontres et dialogues interdisciplinaires”, literally translated as “interdisciplinary meetings and dialogues”. The exciting combination of work from choreographers, dancers, artists, musicians and architects alike certainly fulfilled the expectations within this somewhat grandiose title.
So, next time you’re out shopping for Migros bananas in Switzerland, consider how your acquisitions help to contribute to such a significant event as the “Steps” dance festival, and throw an extra bunch into your shopping trolley…. or even better, make a date in your diaries for “Steps #9” in April 2004!
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