Designed to support, promote and develop the Luxembourgish cultural scene and communicate its identity to the world, Luxembourg Showcase comes the Edinburgh Fringe next month to present artists making brilliant and bold dance works.
We will be spotlighting three artists each presenting work as part of this programme: Simone Mousset, Giovanni Zazzera and Jill Crovisier.
We sat caught up with multidisciplinary artist Jill Crovisier who is presenting their work The Hidden Garden at the festival. Jill speaks about her practice, who influences her and why it’s important for initiatives like Luxembourg Showcase to financially support artists.
Q: Tell me about your practice and artistic journey?
A: With a background in sports and a curious creative mind, my dance journey started at home where movement and music were always present. Dance is in that way very natural for me, as if it would be part of who I am. Followed by studies in dance, first in Luxembourg (where I am from) then abroad, I took a less conventional path as a dance artist and unconsciously transformed my weaknesses into my strengths.
My choreography finds its inspiration within the world from its cultural, social and political aspect using a multidisciplinary approach. Travelling the world from the age of 16 opened my mind and perception of dance. As a nomad of modern times, my mission is to transcribe stories of life and to connect people in a diverse and inclusive way.
Within a versatile approach my aim is to provide a platform of expression working with people from different backgrounds such as performers, athletes, actors, non-professionals from all ages, as well bringing my work closer to a larger audience in spaces such as theatre venues, festivals but also prisons, sport courts or open public locations.
My interests are countless and my visions transcribed in a variety of formats such as full evening group pieces, short propositions, young audience pieces, site-specific works, community collaborations and so on. I count over 30 choreographic creations as a company director, but also guest choreographer.
Combining visions about existentialism, heritage, nature, architecture and the human mind with a cinematographic aesthetic, my major aim is to empower people to find ways to express themselves and to reconnect with simplicity.
I work today on my own movement language and develop a specific signature. Aiming to obtain and provide an individualistic approach to choreography, I use not only my experience as a professional performer and dance observer but also my fascination for architecture, culture and nature as well the body itself and his mind. I feel close to what happens in the world and try to understand on a personal journey what it means to be part of the circle of life.
I am dedicated to expanding the potency of contemporary dance, to reconnect us with the essence of dance and see in it endless research possibilities. An important tool in my practice is the use of theatrical storytelling in dance and the development of character work. For me everything is connected, different elements float in and out. My choreographies are the result of an experience, an experience that I transcribe in time and space by using the body and sensations. I also work as a dance pedagogue and have been involved in dance therapeutic projects for the past 10 years.
Things run parallel and thus are strongly connected. I have a passion for music and see in it a structure that is connected to my choreography. The editing and research process of music is an essential element in my work as well as the inner groove rhythm of the body. I play with unexpected dynamic changes, different movement qualities, precise structures in space and strong images, always brutally honest, always accessible and existing within a deep meaning and clear reason. Photography and videography are part of my practice as well, as it makes it possible for me to document and express my art in a different perspective. It also provides a different access form to those not familiar with live performing arts. I feel close to others and share with conviction the message: What moves us makes us the mover we are.
Q: What drew you to presenting work as part of Fringe 2024?
A: What fascinates me in a festival such as the Fringe is that it is not focused on one specific performing arts form, but has a large variety of proposals which makes it very accessible to a large audience. Due to the proximity and the large offer in one city, many go and discover what might be new for them.
I personally want to create accessible work and getting a large audience to see it is my main goal. Furthermore, the Fringe is a well-renowned artist’s gathering place, and makes it possible to connect with people from the industry. I am excited to premiere my work in general in the UK and looking forward to feeling and seeing the reactions of everyone.
I was lucky to be selected by the Luxembourg delegation, which makes it possible for me financially. If I would have had to finance the festival by myself, I would not have chosen to participate. Turning 37 years’ old this year, this festival is also becoming a physical challenge, and on a personal level, a way to see where my body is at and how I manage all the performances. Performing this work consecutively is not so common for me and it makes this journey in that way very special.
Q: What can audiences expect when experiencing your work? What won’t they expect?
A: If we go through life with too many expectations we shut down our freedom of expression and creativity, as well as missing the moment itself, within its spontaneous preciousness. A performance is a shared moment as much for the performer, as for the audience. We are all participating in an experience and making this moment happen together.
I invite people to enter an intimate dimension and dive with me, within their own feelings and memories, on a journey full of contrast and colours. The Hidden Garden offers the possibility to reconnect with one-self and our environment. In that way it becomes like a reflection in a mirror. It leaves a space for what is often gone in the rush of our competitive and demanding lives. It leaves a space for humanity.
Most of all I see this connection as a privilege as many who face different realities, enter a venue and experience a performance. With mutual respect, this shared moment is a gift, no matter the result, no matter the expectation.
People in general are vulnerable and so are performances. This makes it so close to life, this makes it authentic. As an artist I learn from these encounters and I understand that many factors play an importance when it comes to a shared experience. At the end it is about feeling alive.
Q: Who or what influences you the most?
A: The life around me. I am today what the world, how I perceive it, has made me.
As a privileged young woman I had access to education and grew up in a safe environment in which I was able to express myself. I feel the urge to give something back and do not see my actions as necessarily produced within myself, but as a result of conscious and unconscious experiences and inspirations.
I feel that I am able to give access to something or somewhere, I owe a lot to the world itself. As a person, my mother is a big inspiration, she is the reason I exist and she is, for me, the strongest and most beautiful being. She represents for me the source of life and empowerment.
Q: What makes art so valuable to society/culture/communities, in your opinion?
A: Dance connects to one self and to others and therefore is, in my opinion, one of the strongest art forms. Nothing can be closer to our body and reveal emotions and sensations in such an authentic and pure way. Dance is like the poetry of our souls expressed in physicality rather than words.
Personally, I am passionate about exploring the intersections between choreographic writing, music and cultural exchange collaborations. My work emphasises authenticity and realism, using dance and physical theatre to communicate stories about life and identity. I place a strong emphasis on creating work that is inclusive and emotionally engaging, even for those who may not be familiar with contemporary dance or other forms of physical expressions. In that way I try to contribute to the accessibility of dance, to share the benefits of it and for the professional field to remember what dance means and where it comes from.
Art is also part of keeping our heritages alive and to retranscribe our needs and questions in a way that many have access to it. Art offers a safe place of reflection and self expression and makes it therefore a necessity. The therapeutic benefits of art for all ages and backgrounds show the importance to keep art practices alive.
The Hidden Garden will be presented at Summerhall from Tuesday 13 – Monday 26 August as part of the Luxembourg Showcase:
https://festival24.summerhall.co.uk/events/the-hidden-garden/