Estonian choreographer, dance educator and performer Madli Teller had acquired a BA in Choreography and MA in Cultural Anthropology & Folk Art before entering the Choreomundus program in 2014. Since creating a BA performance on medieval themes in 2006 she has been working with known Estonian early music ensembles combining historical (Western European court and social) and contemporary dance. For her first MA she analysed gender issues in Estonian staged folk dance particularly in the framework of gender specific mass performances from 2006 to 2011.
Madli has been continuously teaching dance to both amateurs and professionals from ages 6 to 60 – mainly dance creation and improvisation for children; contemporary and folk dance for teenagers; folk, historical and jazz dance for adults. She has been choreographing for dance studios, choirs, actors and theatre productions. While working at student dance theatre Tee Kuubis from 2005 to 2014 as one of artistic directors and main organizers, her projects dealt with cultural history and arts using role play and methods from informal education. The theatre has been a fantastic playground for plenty of site-specific work, Madli’s favourite focus throughout the years. She loves to bring dance into surprising spaces that become a performer in their own right in the process, and create a possibility to communicate dance to audiences that might have not expected to experience it. Her additional training in historical dance, street performance and youth work has taken place in Finland, Turkey, Italy, France, England and Romania.
Madli is currently preparing groups for the next Estonian Song and Dance Celebration coming in the summer 2019, where she is also assisting one of the stage directors.
Conferences
Conference 'Eesti rahva- ja pärimustantsu stiilid: kontekst ja kompetents' / 'The Styles of Estonian folk and traditional dance: context and competence' (Tallinn University and Leigarid, Estonia, 2018) - Key-note speech: 'Rahva- ja pärimustantsu erinevatest kontekstidest' / 'Of different contexts of folk and traditional dance'
Conference 'Variation in Language, Literature, Folklore, and Music' (Tartu University, Estonia, 2017) - Workshop 'Studying variability in folk dance by using video-based dance analysis and embodiment method: Estonian experience' with Sille Kapper (paper in the process)
Conference 'Dancing Technologies: New Media and Dance Education' (Tallinn University, Estonia, 2017) - Presentation 'What could video based analysis and re-embodiment offer to dance knowledge and creation. Folk dance example' with Sille Kapper
Conference 'Terpsichore and her Sisters: the Relationships between Dance and other Arts' (Early Dance Circle, UK, 2016) - Presentation 'Motion in motion – between realms, bodies, and art forms. Arts in India and Anna Pavlova’s travel routes' with Ipshita Rajesh (published in Conference Proceedings)
Symposium 'Contemporary Approaches in Dance Anthropology' (Choreomundus, Hungary, 2015) - Presentation 'Turning technique in Estonian traditional polka – Archive, Pedagogy, Practice'
Conference 'Cut & Paste: Dance Advocacy in the Age of Austerity (Society of Dance History Scholars & Congress of Research in Dance, Greece, 2015) - Presentation 'Estonian Male and Female Dance Celebration – embodying the ideal national body'
Publications
Journalistic publications - a series of dance history articles as part of a creative research (in Estonian): 'Tantsuhullus viies pildis' / 'Dance crazes in 5 pictures':
1. Savoy on avatud. 1926 / The Savoy Ballroom is open. 1926
2. Rock’n’rolli rünnak. 1956 / The attack of rock'n'roll. 1956.
3. Tantsumaratoni 84. päev. 1934 / A dance marathon - Day 84. 1934.
4. Disko ei-tea-kus keldris. 1974. / A disco in a basement-who-knows-where. 1974.
5. Bronxi tänavanurgalt maailma muusikaärisse. 1983 / From street corners of Bronx to the worldwide music business. 1983.
https://kultuur.err.ee/643715/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-1-ja-2-osa
https://kultuur.err.ee/645810/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-3-osa
https://kultuur.err.ee/645801/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-4-ja-5-osa
Choreomundus dissertation
Couple turning experience in Estonian traditional dance. A case study on the members of folklore society Leigarid'
Abstract:
The European improvisational couple’s turning dances such as waltz, polka and rheinländer (schottische) were some of the most common social dances by the end of 1800s in Estonia. Their definitive technical elements went through considerable transformation when used for mostly stage folk purposes during the 20th century. The dissertation explores how 100 years after their active practice the insights drawn from archival video recordings, from previously published ethnographic accounts, and from participants of ongoing turning technique workshops are brought together into a system of references in an effort to access the technical aspects of the social style of these dances. The dialogic, somewhat reconstructive process involving archive, traditional and innovative pedagogy and embodiment becomes relevant for technique-focused knowledge building in the social dance community. Using content analysis, the factors contributing to turning experience as expressed by the informants are mapped out. They exceed far beyond the ‘proper’ execution of steps, posture or hold, which suggests the potential for more specific investigation. In the study process, the issues of conducting virtual ethnography and the potentiality of disembodied access to the field arise due to the methods of data collection employed.
Key words: social dance practice, micro-level communication, archival video, embodiment, knowledge building
Madli has been continuously teaching dance to both amateurs and professionals from ages 6 to 60 – mainly dance creation and improvisation for children; contemporary and folk dance for teenagers; folk, historical and jazz dance for adults. She has been choreographing for dance studios, choirs, actors and theatre productions. While working at student dance theatre Tee Kuubis from 2005 to 2014 as one of artistic directors and main organizers, her projects dealt with cultural history and arts using role play and methods from informal education. The theatre has been a fantastic playground for plenty of site-specific work, Madli’s favourite focus throughout the years. She loves to bring dance into surprising spaces that become a performer in their own right in the process, and create a possibility to communicate dance to audiences that might have not expected to experience it. Her additional training in historical dance, street performance and youth work has taken place in Finland, Turkey, Italy, France, England and Romania.
Madli is currently preparing groups for the next Estonian Song and Dance Celebration coming in the summer 2019, where she is also assisting one of the stage directors.
Conferences
Conference 'Eesti rahva- ja pärimustantsu stiilid: kontekst ja kompetents' / 'The Styles of Estonian folk and traditional dance: context and competence' (Tallinn University and Leigarid, Estonia, 2018) - Key-note speech: 'Rahva- ja pärimustantsu erinevatest kontekstidest' / 'Of different contexts of folk and traditional dance'
Conference 'Variation in Language, Literature, Folklore, and Music' (Tartu University, Estonia, 2017) - Workshop 'Studying variability in folk dance by using video-based dance analysis and embodiment method: Estonian experience' with Sille Kapper (paper in the process)
Conference 'Dancing Technologies: New Media and Dance Education' (Tallinn University, Estonia, 2017) - Presentation 'What could video based analysis and re-embodiment offer to dance knowledge and creation. Folk dance example' with Sille Kapper
Conference 'Terpsichore and her Sisters: the Relationships between Dance and other Arts' (Early Dance Circle, UK, 2016) - Presentation 'Motion in motion – between realms, bodies, and art forms. Arts in India and Anna Pavlova’s travel routes' with Ipshita Rajesh (published in Conference Proceedings)
Symposium 'Contemporary Approaches in Dance Anthropology' (Choreomundus, Hungary, 2015) - Presentation 'Turning technique in Estonian traditional polka – Archive, Pedagogy, Practice'
Conference 'Cut & Paste: Dance Advocacy in the Age of Austerity (Society of Dance History Scholars & Congress of Research in Dance, Greece, 2015) - Presentation 'Estonian Male and Female Dance Celebration – embodying the ideal national body'
Publications
Journalistic publications - a series of dance history articles as part of a creative research (in Estonian): 'Tantsuhullus viies pildis' / 'Dance crazes in 5 pictures':
1. Savoy on avatud. 1926 / The Savoy Ballroom is open. 1926
2. Rock’n’rolli rünnak. 1956 / The attack of rock'n'roll. 1956.
3. Tantsumaratoni 84. päev. 1934 / A dance marathon - Day 84. 1934.
4. Disko ei-tea-kus keldris. 1974. / A disco in a basement-who-knows-where. 1974.
5. Bronxi tänavanurgalt maailma muusikaärisse. 1983 / From street corners of Bronx to the worldwide music business. 1983.
https://kultuur.err.ee/643715/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-1-ja-2-osa
https://kultuur.err.ee/645810/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-3-osa
https://kultuur.err.ee/645801/madli-teller-tantsuhullus-viies-pildis-4-ja-5-osa
Choreomundus dissertation
Couple turning experience in Estonian traditional dance. A case study on the members of folklore society Leigarid'
Abstract:
The European improvisational couple’s turning dances such as waltz, polka and rheinländer (schottische) were some of the most common social dances by the end of 1800s in Estonia. Their definitive technical elements went through considerable transformation when used for mostly stage folk purposes during the 20th century. The dissertation explores how 100 years after their active practice the insights drawn from archival video recordings, from previously published ethnographic accounts, and from participants of ongoing turning technique workshops are brought together into a system of references in an effort to access the technical aspects of the social style of these dances. The dialogic, somewhat reconstructive process involving archive, traditional and innovative pedagogy and embodiment becomes relevant for technique-focused knowledge building in the social dance community. Using content analysis, the factors contributing to turning experience as expressed by the informants are mapped out. They exceed far beyond the ‘proper’ execution of steps, posture or hold, which suggests the potential for more specific investigation. In the study process, the issues of conducting virtual ethnography and the potentiality of disembodied access to the field arise due to the methods of data collection employed.
Key words: social dance practice, micro-level communication, archival video, embodiment, knowledge building