JAREK CEMEREK - MY MISSION
“My goal is to stay true to dance and to protect dance as a unique cultural treasure.”
Jarek Cemerek is an established choreographer, teacher and dancer working around the world. He studied classical dance at the Conservatory in Ostrava (CZ), choreography and dance pedagogy (MA) at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague.
Already as a 17 years old conservatory student he was chosen for performing of solo roles in the National Theatre in Ostrava. But fascinated by various possibilities of dance movement, despite the love for the ballet, he penetrated progressively the styles of the modern and contemporary dance. His deep experience with the process of transformation from a ballet dancer to a contemporary dancer, his profound understanding of individual styles and his long life study of psychology, sociology and anthropology are the strengths which he has used in his pedagogical work. Although his main domain is contemporary dance, he also teaches other disciplines (improvisation, composition, choreographic coaching, contact improvisation, classical ballet, ballroom and jazz dance). A thorough understanding of the biophysical principles allows him to use a rich vocabulary of movement in teaching. He accepts non-dance performative art forms, but always as tools to ensure that the dance/movement language remains dominant.
He danced for a variety of organizations (Royal Opera House in London, Stadttheater Bern, Cie. Willi Dorner in Vienna etc.) and had the opportunity to work as a teacher or choreographer, sometimes in both roles, at leading dance schools in various parts of the world (The Juilliard School in New York, Conservatoire National Supérieur in Paris, New Zealand School of Dance, Shanghai Theatre Academy etc.) as well as in major dance companies (DV8, Gothenburg Opera, Carte Blanche etc.).Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London presented his piece Void, for which he was chosen from 160 choreographers participating in the audition. He was awarded Czech Dance Platform’s Dance Piece of the Year and Dancer of the Year.
As a teacher or choreographer, he has worked with many dance companies, schools and dance festivals, including DV8, Carte Blanche, The Juilliard School, Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris et de Lyon, New Zealand School of Dance, New Zealand Dance Company, Gothenburg Opera Dance Company, Korea National University of Arts, Dance School of Shangai Theatre Academy, KHiO Oslo, Skånes Dance Theater (Sweden), Codarts Rotterdam, Steps on Broadway, Dance New Amsterdam and Peridance in New York, Palucca Schule in Dresden (Germany), Balettakademien Göteborg (Sweden), The Hartt University USA, The Place in London, Marameo in Berlin, Stadttheater Bern (Switzerland), the Royal Ballet School in Holstebro (Denmark), Willi Dorner (Austria), University of Stavanger (Norway), Iceland Dance Company, NorrDans (Sweden), The National Theater in Prague, Losers Cirque Company (CZ) and many other.
How dancers describe J. Cemereks teaching: “By embracing individual physicality he forces you to the uncomfortable, to the unstable. He forces you to evolve. To grow. And that is what you want to do if you are to take dancing seriously. “ or “The sequences and choreographies we were taken through were very varied in their feel, style, and speed. I was exposed to a ton of different material and how Jarek can keep all of these choreographies in his head and without hesitation present new material after new material amazes me. “
From dance critiques: “But it is Void, made by Jarek Cemerek (…) that best tells of these dancers’ brave gifts. (…)The piece is superbly danced, and unforgettable. Must see.” (Clement Crisp, Finantial Times);
In “Footholds,” the final premiere, Mr. Cemerek, a Czech choreographer, incorporates hip-hop and contact improvisation to create a scene of falling, rolling and curving bodies, (..) with a tender and agile touch, reveals the struggle of what it takes to hold onto your culture (…) there is a standout section in which seven men use movement as a way to change their personas.” (Gia Kourlas, The New York Times)