When the Backup Dancers Take the Lead

What happens when what usually stays in the background gets to shine? In Main Backup, Fredrik Petrov, Sara Enger Larsen and Josephine Gracia Slaaen explore backup dancing, micro-movements and entertainment.

Main Backup is a performing arts project by Fredrik Petrov. Last week, he was in residence at DansiT together with Sara Enger Larsen and Josephine Gracia Slaaen, where they began developing the project.

– Why are you curious about the concept of entertainment?

– It stems from a fascination with why we allow ourselves to be entertained and what mechanisms actually create that experience. I’m interested in taking entertainment seriously as choreographic material: what captures our attention, builds anticipation, and creates excitement, and what happens when these mechanisms are isolated or shifted, asks Fredrik.

– I wanted to collaborate with two performers who also work commercially, to see whether we work in the same way or not. What distinguishes us from one another, and what can we borrow from each other? he adds.

– What have you explored this week?

– The different components of a show. The whole idea is: What happens if you remove the main element – for example, the artist? What are you left with?

– Can we focus on backup dancers, on micro-choreographies? What happens when they become the main focus?

– What do you mean by the title Main Backup?

– Yes, it came about somewhat by chance. It plays a little on “main”, as in the main element, and “backup”, as in a supporting role. It’s also a play on how you back up files on a computer, he says with a smile.

– I think a little about art and entertainment, and how they are often positioned against each other. What is the art in entertainment, and vice versa? We’ve talked about what it means to excite and entertain. I feel that there is a lot of desire and joy in the project, says Sara.

– Art versus commerce – is there a tension there in the dance field?

– There is a perceived boundary between the independent arts sector and the commercial sector, and different forms of expression are often assigned different values. But I’m less interested in maintaining this opposition than in exploring what happens when these languages meet. What kind of artistic expression can emerge that belongs neither entirely to contemporary art nor to the world of the show? says Fredrik.

– You are bringing what is usually in the background into the foreground. What do you hope to achieve by doing that?

– There are several perspectives on that. From a choreographic point of view, I think it’s very exciting not to work with large-scale choreography, but instead have everything happen through micro-movements. Yet by giving these movements space, they nevertheless become the main element. I’m interested in seeing how far we can play with that, says Fredrik.

– And from a more abstract perspective: We live in a society that celebrates the leading role. Everything is supposed to be big, but most of us are somewhere on the sidelines. It’s about highlighting and appreciating the supporting players. The main performer would not be the same without the people supporting them, he says.

– Do you have personal experience of being a backup dancer yourself? Is there something you recognise in that?

– Yes, 100 per cent. But I’ve found a lot of joy in it, says Fredrik.

– As a choreographer, you are also a supporting player. Highlighting the choreographer’s role is a reminder of just how meaningful that work can be, too, says Josephine.

– You have worked together many times as dance artists, but this is the first time you are working together on an entirely new piece. What is that like?

– It’s very valuable. We feel comfortable with each other and don’t need to spend time getting to know one another. That’s hugely important in creative processes. It’s vulnerable to put yourself out there and bring your thoughts and ideas into the room, says Josephine.

– What has it been like to be in residence at DansiT?

– It has been a dream week. There is something so wonderful about being tucked away here. Time flies. Things are really coming together, says Fredrik.

– What is the next step in the project?

– The next step is to continue the exploration and further develop the project. This week has made me even more certain that there is a performance here, says Fredrik with a smile.

– What do you dream of achieving with the piece?

– It’s a little early to say, since we are still getting to know the idea. But I want a sense of play, of joining in the game. A sense of lightness and immediacy when engaging with the deeper layers of the performance, concludes dance artist and choreographer Fredrik Petrov.