CADA/East board member, Eleanor van Veen is travelling to Kjipuktuk/Halifax this week to show a work in progress at Kinetic's Open Studio Series. Kinetic is an organization that provides a platform for both leading and new generation artists to share excerpts of in-progress and completed works (and learn more about their practices through performance).

We caught up with Eleanor to hear about the work in progress being shared, how she heard about Kinetic, and what the process of working with them has been like so far.

"I first heard about Kinetic's Open Studio Series when I participated in Festival of Dance Annapolis Royal's (FODAR) 2021 Artist Residency with Nostos Collectives and Naishi Wang in Annapolis Royal, NS.

For a couple of years I've been wanting to apply, but had not yet developed a choreographic practice. Now, after a year of a lot of solo studio time, I've refined a movement practice and shared it through my teaching. I'm still figuring out how to translate my movement practice into a choreographic practice.

My partner, Luke Gruntz, and I were selected for Woodland Farm's Artist Residency in 2022. In our month-long research we shared, collaborated between music and dance, felt deeply, and created a work titled "IN WITH". It was during this time that we applied for Kinetic's Open Studio Series Showing. I think the support of our residency and our unique collaboration strengthened the application. Over 6 months later, I'm re-visiting and re-learning this solo in a different body. I've adapted and changed the solo to honour my different body and different interests. 

The process of corresponding with Liliona and presenting at Kinetic's showing has been wonderful! We are extremely honoured and grateful for this opportunity - they are covering our flights, accommodations, and per diem. I think we are 1 out of 2 artist groups that are travelling from out-of-province. All others are local. They have been organized, transparent, thoughtful, and caring."


"IN WITH" is a work in progress that was created in collaboration between Eleanor and Luke during an artist residency at Woodland Farm on Salt Spring Island in September 2022. This piece explores inner-conflict; an encounter between inner voices and outer perceptions, explored through physical manipulations, rigorous movement, emotional states, flows, and interruptions.

Movement by Eleanor van Veen (IG @eleanorvanveen)
Music by  Luke Gruntz (IG @lukegruntz)

Click Here for more information on how you can see this and other works on Friday April 21 + Saturday April 22* at 8:00 p.m at DANSpace, 3rd Floor, 1800 Argyle Street (Kjipuktuk/Halifax). *ASL Interpretation & Livestream.