x.dates
alban ovanessian
from 17 to 19 april – 8.00 pm
11 March 2003: A model from the Alexander McQueen fashion show, whom I imitate in my parents’ bathroom.
3 April 2011: My first bow, after my first stage performance.
18 March 2018 : My meeting with Kate Bush in a weird bush
20 June 2044: A conversation about my father’s Armenian funeral.
21 June 2044: My father’s Armenian funeral.
12 March 1985: A Prince concert.
A date, presented as a fact referring to a specific event, is a way of placing facts in chronological order.
By introducing an infinite collection of dates in which the performer is an actor/observer, X.DATES explores the relationship between date and context, where various performative media interact to stage and re-stage a date.
X.DATES works as a temporal, utopian laboratory, an experimental investigation into life experiences and fictional productions. By allowing spectators to envisage different realities, Alban Ovanessian deploys various dramaturgical strategies to answer the following question: how do you physicalize a date?
‘My name is Alban Ovanessian and I am a queer French-Armenian dancer, performer and choreographer. After appearing in film sets during my teens, I joined DOUBLE magazine in 2010 as an assistant fashion editor, where I worked with the CHANEL fashion house, among others.
After an introspective study of how to cover the body in an intimate and expressionist way, I wanted to assign a time/space to the scenographic, performative, physical body as a subject for study through the medium of dance.
My training in contemporary dance began late in life, at Studio Harmonic, under Corinne Lanselle, followed by the P.A.R.T.S institute where I discovered pieces by Rosas, Trisha Brown, Boris Charmatz and William Forsythe, while starting to write my own work.
In 2020, I joined Norrdans, based in Harnosand (Sweden) for two years, where I collaborated with Nicole Beutler, Martin Forsberg, Ludvig Dae, Ioannis Mandafounis and Stina Nyberg. I was twice commissioned for the group project in.through.WATER and the duo rosa.svart.station, co-choreographed with Rebecka Berchtold.
Since then, I have had the opportunity to work with choreographers/directors El Conde del Torrefiel, Maxime Dreesen, Ariadna Girones, Arno Verbruggen, Billy Morgan and Malika Ali.
In parallel, I have been working on my own choreographic/performative research, including X.DATES, which I have developed in several artistic residencies in Sweden, Iceland, Belgium, Armenia and France. For the coming seasons, I will be focusing on two major projects: HARD.T/CORE, a group project, and QUEER Armenia, developed in partnership with the Boghossian Foundation / Villa Empain.’
Alban Ovanessian
Chorégraphy – performance: Alban Ovanessian
Dramaturgy: Rebecka Berchtold
Music : Lisa Laurent
Voice recording, IA : Noam Rzewski
Costume, decor : Rémi Vergnanini
Light : Remco Wuyts
External viewpoints : Valeriia Buradhzhieva, Rachel Tess, Mamadou Wague, Jean Baptiste Portier, SOL, Julia Payton, Michal Perelmuter, Anna Giolo, Alba, Cannelle Grosse, Annabelle Kihoulou, Marion Paul.
Project supported by : P.A.R.T.S (Bruxelles, Be), Festival d’Automne 2018 (Paris, Fr), Centre National de la Danse Pantin (Fr), Norrdans (Harnosand, Se), Milvus Artistic Research Center (Knislinge, Se), Kunsterwerkplaats Pianofabriek (Bruxelles, Be), HEIMA Arts Residency, Lunga School (Seydisfjordur/Is), Art and Cultural Studies Laboratory of Yerevan (Arm), Institute of Theater and Cinematography of Yerevan (Arm), Ad Lib Belgium Libitum Lavallée (Bruxelles, Be), P.A.R.T.S Summer Residencies, RiTES Festival (Paris, Fr), DANS’HARMONIE (Bruxelles, Be).
Financial support: Bourse de recherche pour premier projet AdLib (Bruxelles, Be)
