Turning dreams into reality through dance
- Dance
- Education in Art
As a young amateur dancer, Sterre Bijker didn't dare dream of a profession in the dance world, until the open day of the ArtEZ Dance in Education course in Arnhem. She will shortly be graduating from there as a dance teacher and filmmaker.“I found my passion in film.”
“I had been dancing at an amateur dance school from the age of six. I dreamed of doing more with dance, but I didn't dare say it out loud. During the audition workshop weekend that ArtEZ organised for the Dance in Education course, I was able to discover what suited me."
Finals student Sterre Bijker will miss the nurturing environment of the course: “We're almost like a family here. There's always someone you can go and talk to, everyone helps everyone else and there are a lot of options within the course. Leaving that behind will take some getting used to." Sterre advises prospective students to take advantage of the freedom the course offers for their own projects. “Sometimes I think: have I done enough? Have I enjoyed it enough? We have a busy programme, but there is space to do your own thing. Don't wait for something to happen, take advantage of that space and all the facilities here."
Learning the ropes
Sterre’s work is characterised by the use of visual elements, of which film is the most important. “Because of Covid, we had to start making online performances. During a three-day workshop organised by the course, I learned all the basics of recording dance on film. I had been interested in the visual arts for some time, but now I found my passion in film." Film features prominently in Sterre’s graduation project. For her own film Eight, which premiered this spring, she learned the ropes as a camerawoman and director. “In the film, eight dancers discover what their individual energies inspire in each other. What happens the first time you meet? The energy you feel can be pleasurable, but it can also feel strange and you may even experience friction. This film is about that encounter between the dancers."
“You can do things that are not possible live."
Sterre is a perfectionist and she sets great store by how dance looks. “In film, you can influence that by making choices for the viewer. You can get so much closer and you can do things that are not possible live, such as speed things up or depict a physically impossible flip." Sterre is keen to share her knowledge about making dance films. She has studied all the steps needed to make a good dance film. The result is a toolbox containing six important elements. Sterre: “If you go through the steps in the toolbox properly, you will make a successful dance film."
Dreams into reality
This year, Sterre also gave live performances. As part of the ArtEZ Speels Collectief, where she did her internship this year, in April she performed Beef Cake, a piece about manliness and masculinity with a mixed-abled group. And then there are the final performances for the whole course. “We are all looking forward to playing in June. But first I'm going to New York for a study trip. There we will be giving dance classes and celebrating the fact that we made all our deadlines."
Ideally, Sterre would like her future career to take her far beyond Arnhem. After graduation, she will depart for Berlin for at least a year. “I have friends there and my best friend in the class is German. Together we are going to discover what dance brings us in Berlin. I would like to do a film course and make dance films, for example for a festival, but I am going into the professional field with an open mind.”