There are so many artists in this world with so many opinions of what a Performance means to them, but my explanation is very simple. A performance is a mental and physical construction that the performers make in a specific time, in a space in front of an audience, and then an energy dialogue happens. This exchange between the audience and the performers is what makes the piece come alive.
I believe that my role as an artist is to give the audience something to think about, be able to stimulate their memory, touch their feelings and I expect to receive some sort of response back. It can be physically, verbally or energetically.
Experiencing the unknown, asking all types of questions and incorporating these ideas or doubts into movement or in a performance setting are the challenges that I want to face. Most of my movement comes from a place of play and curiosity. If I stop having fun and entertaining my body, dance can take me to a very serious place in which I’m not so interested in.
NDT is a house that allows art to live, to be recycled and renewed. It gives us the chance to explore all sorts of ideas together with incredible choreographers. It lets us get lost in our own research and it shows us so many other beautiful horizons. NDT is so many things but it is mostly a company full of uniqueness, love and freedom of expression… and I can only be so grateful to be part of it. – Ivo Mateus
