Boglárka Börcsök

THE ART OF MOVEMENT
by Boglárka Börcsök
in collaboration with Andreas Bolm
a TANZFONDS ERBE project

In her film, the young Hungarian dancer and performer Boglárka Börcsök encounters three elderly Hungarian women, all above the age of 90 years: Éva E. Kovács, Irén Preisich and Ágnes Roboz were part of the Art of Movement that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century from a mix of dance and gymnastics today referred to as Modern Dance.

Börcsök retraces how each of these women resisted, reformed, and transformed their lives and dance practices in order to survive the major social transformations of the last century; the rise and command of nationalism and socialism and the consequent banning of the Art of Movement.

Boglárka's role switches between dance student, observer and dialogue partner.

Irén, Éva and Ágnes tell and revoke their memories and movements while returning to the stage, performing in their living room or lying on a sofa. Haunting footages of newsreels from the 1930's and 1950's create a layer that weaves through their personal stories and aged bodies: young women dancing in Hussar uniforms followed by soldiers of the Soviet Army performing at the City Theater in Budapest. The film brings us back to the present time where the three elderly dancers and their bodies transform into their own living archives: how memories and movements are transmitted and how do they live on?