Czech choreographer and dance teacher Jarek Cemerek was in October working at The Juilliard School in New York, where he was invited to give his master classes in contemporary dance and also to work choreographically with the students of the highest year.
The Juilliard School is considered the most prestigious school in the field of performing arts in the United States and has long been among the best-rated art schools in the world. In this case, receiving an invitation from this important educational institution is not only an appreciation of the artistic and pedagogical qualities of Jarek Cemerek, but also a certain way of representing the Czech Republic in the USA. Jarek Cemerek worked at The Juilliard School as a teacher and choreographer already in 2011 and 2012.
Jarek Cemerek's master classes, which primarily focus on dance release technique, also include insights into health science, psychology, philosophy and ethics. And as the participants of these master classes express, Jarek Cemerek "forces you to evolve. It grow. And that is what you want to do if you are to take dancing seriously". At The Juilliard School, Jarek Cemerek held also a discussion for the students, which they themselves had requested.
During his stay in the USA, Jarek Cemerek created a choreography “Metamorphosis” for the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, which had its premiere on Thursday 12/10. He formulated the main idea for his choreography as follows: “Our life is a metamorphosis that consists of miscellaneous, disordered, and previously unknown phases. Its result is, therefore, a mystery. How much good or evil will be able to emerge when it is revealed depends on each of us. We are never the passive object of metamorphosis, as it may often seem.” By the way, Jarek Cemerek watched the premiere online in the Czech Center building in New York, where he just attended the opening of the exhibition.
JAREK CEMEREK is an established dance artist working around the world, including DV8, Royal Opera House (London), The Juilliard School, Conservatoire de Paris, New Zealand School of Dance, Gothenburg Opera. He is a holder of many awards, e. g. he won Czech Dance Platform’s Dance Piece of the Year and Dancer of the Year or his work as University Professor and his extraordinary commitment to dance education oriented towards international standards were honored by the Bruckner University in Austria with a Special Acknowledgement.
