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Meg Stuart (born 1965 in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
) is an American choreographer and dancer who lives and works in Brussels and Berlin. Her company, Damaged Goods, operates from Brussels since 1994.


Start as a dancer and choreographer

Stuart moved to New York City in 1983 where she studied at
New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...
. She continued her studies at
Movement Research Movement Research is a non-profit organization that offers dance classes, workshops, residencies and performance opportunities for artists in New York City. Its focus is on improvisation, post-modern dance, and experimentation. It was founded in ...
(New York) where she studied several release techniques and was active in the Downtown New York dance scene. In the eighties she worked as a dancer for Nina Martin, Lisa Kraus, Federico Restrepo and Marcus Stern. For five years (1986–1992) she was part of the Randy Warshaw Dance Company. On the invitation of the Klapstuk festival in Leuven (BE) in 1991 she created "Disfigure Study", her first evening-length performance, which launched her career in Europe. In "Disfigure Study", Meg Stuart approaches the body as a vulnerable physical entity, one that can be deformed, deconstructed, and displaced but still resonates with meaning.Damaged Goods
Meg Stuart Official biographical page
on company website. Retrieved: May 8, 2019.


Damaged Goods

Interested in devising her own structure, Stuart founded Damaged Goods in Brussels in 1994. Damaged Goods is an open and flexible structure, which makes the production of highly diverse projects and interdisciplinary collaborations possible. Together they have worked on a broad range of projects, ranging from solos such as ''"XXX for Arlene and Colleagues"'' (1995), ''"Soft Wear"'' (2000) and the evening-length solo ''"Hunter"'' (2014) to large-scale choreographies such as ''"Visitors Only"'' (2003), ''"Built to Last"'' (2012) and ''"UNTIL OUR HEARTS STOP"'' (2015). Other projects include video works, installations and site-specific creations. Her work has travelled the international theatre circuit and has also been presented at Documenta X in Kassel (1997), at Manifesta7 in
Bolzano Bolzano ( or ; german: Bozen, (formerly ); bar, Bozn; lld, Balsan or ) is the capital city of the province of South Tyrol in northern Italy. With a population of 108,245, Bolzano is also by far the largest city in South Tyrol and the third la ...
(2008) and at PERFORMA09 in New York.
Damaged Goods Damaged goods or Damaged Goods may refer to: * Goods that have been damaged, where goods are items that satisfy human wants and provide utility * A person considered to be less than perfect psychologically, as a result of a traumatic experience ...
has an ongoing collaboration with (Brussels) and HAU
Hebbel am Ufer The Hebbel am Ufer (HAU) is a theater and international performance center based in Berlin. It was founded by combining three theaters in Kreuzberg, Berlin: Hebbel Theater (now called HAU1), Theater am Halleschen Ufer (theater at Hallesches Ufer) ...
(Berlin). Before they also worked together with
Schauspielhaus Zürich The Schauspielhaus Zürich ( en, Zürich playhouse) is one of the most prominent and important theatres in the German-speaking world. It is also known as "Pfauenbühne" (Peacock Stage). The large theatre has 750 seats. The also operates three s ...
(2000–2004),
Volksbühne The Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") is a theater in Berlin. Located in Berlin's city center Mitte on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz (Rosa Luxemburg Square) in what was the GDR's capital. It has been called Berlin's most iconic theatre. About The Vol ...
am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz Berlin (2005–2010), Münchner Kammerspiele (2010–2015) and
Ruhrtriennale The Ruhrtriennale (compound of ''Ruhr'' and ''triennale'' "lasting 3 years"), also known as Ruhr Triennale, was founded in 2002 and is a music and arts festival in the Ruhr-area of Germany which runs between mid-August and mid-October, and happens ...
(2015–2017)


Improvisation and artistic collaboration

Improvisation is an important part of Meg Stuart's practice. She initiated several improvisation projects, such as ''"Crash Landing"'' and ''"Auf den Tisch!"''. In 2016 Stuart hosted City Lights – a continuous gathering in the Berlin HAU Hebbel am Ufer, in collaboration with an all female group of local artists. Stuart strives to develop a new language for every piece in collaboration with artists from different creative disciplines and navigates the tension between dance and theatre. Previous collaborations include works developed with visual artists
Gary Hill Gary Hill (born April 4, 1951) is an American artist who lives and works in Seattle, Washington. Often viewed as one of the foundational artists in video art, based on the single-channel work and video- and sound-based installations of the 1970s ...
and Ann Hamilton, and composers such as
Hahn Rowe Hahn Rowe is an American violinist, guitarist, composer, and engineer/producer, involved in a wide range of projects. He also performs using the stage name Somatic. Career Originally a violinist and guitarist with New York City dream-poppers H ...
and Brendan Dougherty. Through improvisation, Stuart explores physical and emotional states or the memories of them. Her artistic work is analogous to a constantly shifting identity. It constantly redefines itself while searching for new presentation contexts and territories for dance.


Teaching

Alongside her work as a choreographer, Stuart regularly teaches workshops and master classes at dance schools, festivals and institutions. In the book Are we here yet? (2nd edition, 2013), she reflects on her practice in conversation with editor Jeroen Peeters and describes the exercises, tasks and narratives that she uses in workshops and the creative process.


Awards

Meg Stuart and Damaged Goods received the K.U.Leuven Culture Price (2000), the German Theatre prize Der Faust (2006) for her choreography of "Replacement", the prestigious French Prize for Criticism (2008) for "BLESSED", a New York Dance and Performance Award (2008), also known as BESSIE Award for her oeuvre, the Flemish Culture Prize (2008) and the Konrad Wolf Preiz 2012. In 2014 Meg Stuart received the Grand Prix de la Danse de Montréal, a prize that is awarded since 2011 to dance artists that contributed greatly to the art of dance. That same year the German magazine Tanz – Zeitschrift für Ballett, Tanz und Performance crowned her choreographer of the year for her productions "Sketches/Notebook" and "Hunter". In 2018, The Venice Biennale awarded Meg Stuart the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement in the category of dance. She receives the prize for her constant developing of new languages and methods for each new creation, in which she keeps on redefining new contexts and territories for dance. Meg Stuart/Damaged Goods also received the
Deutscher Tanzpreis The Deutscher Tanzpreis (German Dance Prize) is a prestigious prize for artistic dance in Germany. It has been awarded annually since 1983. The ''Deutscher Berufsverband für Tanzpädagogik'' awarded the prize until 2012. From 2013 to 2017, it wa ...
Award for outstanding performer from Dachverband Tanz Deutschland that year.


Choreographies/collaborations

*'' Disfigure Study'', 1991 *''No Longer Readymade'', 1993 *''Swallow my yellow smile'', 1994 *''XXX for Arlene and Colleagues'', 1995 *''No One is Watching'', 1995 *''Inside Skin #1 They live in Our Breath'', 1996 *''Splayed Mind Out'', 1997 *''Remote'', 1997 *''appetite'', 1999 *''Comeback'', 1999 *''Snapshots'', 1999 *''I'm all yours'', 2000 *''Private Room'', 2000 *''sand table'', 2000 *''Soft Wear'', 2000 *''Highway 101'', 2000/2001 *''Alibi'', 2001 *''Henry IV'', 2002 *''Das goldene Zeitalter'', 2003 *''Visitors Only'', 2003 *''Forgeries, Love and Other Matters'', 2004 *''Der Marterphahl'', 2005 *''REPLACEMENT'', 2006 *''It's not funny!'', 2006 *''Blessed'', 2007 *''Maybe Forever'', 2007 *''All Together Now'', 2008 *''Die Massnahme/Mauser'', 2008 *''Do Animals Cry'', 2009 *''the fault lines'', 2010 *''Signs of Affection'', 2010 *''Off Course'', 2010 * ''Atelier'', 2011 *''VIOLET'', 2011 *''Built to Last'', 2012 *''Sketches/Notebook'', 2013 *''An evening of solo works'', 2013 *''Hunter'', 2014 *''UNTIL OUR HEARTS STOP'', 2015 *''Inflamável'', 2016 *''Shown and Told'', 2016 *''Atelier III'', 2017 *''Projecting _
*_''the_invited''_(Jonathan_Inksetter,_2003,_12_min) *_''Somewhere_in_between''_(Pierre_Coulibeuf,_2004,_67_min) *_''The_Only_Possible_City''_(Meg_Stuart,_2008) *_''I_thought_I'd_never_say_this''_(Philipp_Hochleichter,_2008,_video-installatie) *_''Inflamável''_(Meg_Stuart,_2016,_16_min) *_''Study_of_a_Portrait''_(Meg_Stuart,_2016,_video-installatie)


_Collaborations

Various_projects_by_Meg_Stuart_were_created_in_collaboration_with_dancers_and_performers,_amongst_others: *_Florence_Augendre; *_Simone_Aughterlony; *_Heine_Røsdal_Avdal.html" ;"title="pace['', 2017 *''Celestial Sorrow'', 2018


Improvisations

*''Crash Landing'', 1996–1999 *''Auf den Tisch!'',2005–2011 *''Politics of Ecstasy'', 2009 *''Atelier II'', 2012 *''City Lights – a continuous gathering'', 2016


Projects

*''Running'', 1992 *''This is the Show and the Show is Many Things'', 1994 *''Revisited'', 2007 *''walk+talk #2'', 2008 *''Intimate Strangers, Brussels'', 2008 *''walk+talk #16'', 2011 *''Intimate Strangers'', Ghent, 2011


Video works

* ''Smell the flowers while you can'' (Johan Grimonprez, 1994–2012, 6 min) * ''Meg Stuart’s Alibi'' (Maarten Vanden Abeele, 2001, 24 min) * ''the invited'' (Jonathan Inksetter, 2003, 12 min) * ''Somewhere in between'' (Pierre Coulibeuf, 2004, 67 min) * ''The Only Possible City'' (Meg Stuart, 2008) * ''I thought I'd never say this'' (Philipp Hochleichter, 2008, video-installatie) * ''Inflamável'' (Meg Stuart, 2016, 16 min) * ''Study of a Portrait'' (Meg Stuart, 2016, video-installatie)


Collaborations

Various projects by Meg Stuart were created in collaboration with dancers and performers, amongst others: * Florence Augendre; * Simone Aughterlony; * Heine Røsdal Avdal">Heine Avdal
; * Alexander Baczynski-Jenkins; * Milli Bitterli; * Francisco Camacho; * Varinia Canto Vila; * Thomas Conway; * Ugo Dehaes; * Jorge Rodolfo de Hoyos; * Mor Demer; * Christine De Smedt; * Joséphine Evrard; * Davis Freeman; * Eric Grondin; * David Hernandez; * Abraham Hurtado; * Márcio Kerber Canabarro; * Adam Linder; * Antonija Livingstone; * Benoît Lachambre; * Anna MacRae; * Roberto Martínez; * Renan Martins de Oliveira; * Andreas Müller; * Anja Müller; * Kotomi Nishiwaki; * Rachid Ouramdane; * Sonja Pregrad; * Vania Rovisco; * Roger Sala Reyner; * Maria F. Scaroni; * Yukiko Shinozaki; * Mariana Tengner; * Kristof Van Boven; * Frank James Willens; * Thomas Wodianka; * Sigal Zouk. Other artists that operated as co-creator were a.o. * Gary Hill (''Splayed Mind Out''); * Ann Hamilton (''Appetite''); * Magali Desbazeille (''Sand Table'') * Jorge Léon (''I’m all yours''); * Philipp Gehmacher (''Maybe Forever''); * Tim Etchells (''Shown and told''). Dramaturges that often collaborated on projects by Meg Stuart are a.o.: * André Lepecki; *
Bettina Masuch Bettina Masuch (born 1964) is a German dramaturg and theatre director as well as artistic director at the Festspielhaus St. Pölten. Life and work Born in Solingen, Masuch studied German language and literature, philosophy and applied theat ...
; * Jeroen Peeters; * Bart Van den Eynde; * Myriam Van Imschoot. For music and sound design, Meg Stuart often collaborates with: * Bart Aga; * Brendan Dougherty; * Paul Lemp; * Vincent Malstaf; * Hahn Rowe. Textual contributions for various productions were produced by Tim Etchells. Video, film and other visuals were created by amongst others * Chris Kondek; * Jorge León; * Vladimir Miller. Costumes were created by a.o.: * Nathalie Douxfils; * Sofie Durnez; * Nadine Grellinger; * Nina Gundlach; * Claudia Hill; * Tina Kloempken; * Jean-Paul Lespagnard; * Dorothee Loermann. Light design was created by Amongst others: * Sandra Blatterer; * Marc Dewit; * Åsa Frankenberg; * Michael Hulls; * Jan Maertens. Set designs were created by a.o.: * Janina Audick; * Doris Dziersk; * Anna Viebrock; * Jozef Wouters.


References


Further reading

*
A Journey in Identity, From the Clinical to the FeralExtended discussion about her work
with Catherine Sullivan


External links

*
goethe.de
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stuart, Meg American women choreographers American choreographers American female dancers American dancers Living people 1965 births Members of the Academy of Arts, Berlin