Author: Laura Tóth.
I took part in a five-week and a three-week creative process with choreographer Francesco Scavetta in Sweden. Surrounded by forest, Vitlycke is a jewel box, with rehearsal rooms, bedrooms, and kitchens. The dancers participating in the production were selected from different countries, and a total of six of us took part in the creative process.
Choreographer Francesco Scavetta and the dancers of Nowhere Like Here in Sweden, 2025.
As a creator in the Hungarian contemporary dance scene, but often also as a dancer, I am overwhelmed by additional tasks that take away my focus from the joy of creation. It often occurred to me that being a dancer at this residency was a privilege. Never before in my life have I been able to concentrate on my work and still have time for my mental and physical health, with my only additional task being to cook for myself.
The autonomy of contemporary dancers was also noticeable in the team; we were always ready to take on the extra tasks involved in the production and did everything we could to ensure that everything ran smoothly.
Of course, there are ups and downs everywhere, and it took time for the team to gel, for us to understand Francesco’s world and how he works, his creative method, which is perhaps a never-ending process.
Hungarian dancer Laura Tóth in the performance Nowhere Like Here.
Perhaps what stayed with me most was the experience of seeing a choreographer who was so humane, patient, and kind. I also had a shift in perspective, in which, as a dancer, I now value the creative process, movement research, and its end product, the performance itself, in a completely different way. At home, due to the lack of time and the fast pace, I have often found that we sacrifice everything for a creation that is good for us, which in Alexander technique is called “end gaining.” We focus so much on the goal, for example, sitting down on a chair or picking up a bottle, that how we do it, contrary to the anatomy of the body, plus taking on tension and bad habits, somehow doesn’t matter.
For the first time as a dancer, I was able to focus on the process and prioritize research over performance. I have gained so much, and I won’t say that I will long for endless research and learning. Of course, this also means that as a creator, I am becoming increasingly reluctant to finish a piece. If I could, I would prolong the creative process, because for me, that is where the real value lies. After the performance, there is always a period of mourning. Learning, research, and creation are what truly fulfill me, and that is why it was very important for me to have this opportunity to experience this as a dancer as well.
Hungarian dancer Laura Tóth in the performance Nowhere Like Here.
About the author
Laura Tóth is an award-winning choreographer and performer, who has presented her work at international festivals such as Masdanza and Stuttgart Solo-Dance-Theatre. She has performed with leading Hungarian companies like Gangaray and Central Europe Dance Theatre and is currently active with Willany Leó Improvisational Dance Theatre and the international ICODACO program. Her work bridges structured choreography and improvisational depth.
The performance Nowhere Like Here, choreographed by Francesco Scavetta, is being created as part of the Beyond Front@ Bridging Periphery project.
