Florian Lochner is an amazing dancer and choreographer. He danced in Hubbard Street and he also created “Flock”, a co-choreography company founded with Alice Klock in 2017, where he is co-director, co-choreographer, and dancer.
“Don’t let anyone put you in a box”
-How was your experience in Hubbard Street?
“I think that as a dancer, it was one of the best experiences that I had. It is an amazing company and it was my dream company. It was very special for me: I was surrounded by amazing artists”.
-How important is the process of researching as a dancer?
“I think it is very important to find your own voice and you know how you like to move, that is also what a lot of choreographers are looking for. I always admire when choreographers try to use me with my uniqueness and specialty, for who I really am.”
-How important do you think is the technical aspect of a dancer?
“It changed a lot: I came from a very technical school, it was very classical and they were very focused on the technique. In the beginning, I thought it was very important, but now, when people audition for something I’m not interested in their technical class, I don’t even want to see their technique. I’m interested in how they move: I want to see their impro video or their own choreography. But I’m not interested in how many turns you can do, how high you can jump.”
-What catches your attention in another dancer? What makes another dancer special to watch?
“I think when someone has something human. I am always fascinated when someone does a very simple action: it can be just a look or a small gesture, but when it is very generous and comes from themselves and it is very honest and vulnerable, that is what catches my attention. There can be a dancer in front of me doing whatever, but he doesn’t catch my eyes, because I’m more interested in small things, that’s more important to me.”
-How important is it to develop artistry as a dancer, so a personal taste in movement? And how can you develop it?
“I think what I did was always work on my own. Even when I was in the company I would like to use the weekend to use my free time. And it is hard when you are in a company: your job is being a dancer. But during the lunch breaks I went into the studio, put music that I like on, and researched movement. Take your free time,go to the studio, be frustrated, experience all the feelings that you have, and just continue. Don’t let yourself doubt, just go over and continue. Everyone is unique, everyone has something special. For some it takes longer, for some less.”
-How did the collaboration with Alice Klock start?
“During “Circle Places” in Hubbard Street, they asked us to choreograph things. And after we saw how much fun we had collaborating together, we just developed it. I and Alice were friends, but I feel that since we started creating together, she became more important; and now we found out how we have the same thoughts, the same ideas on what we want to say with our choreographies. It is so weird because a lot of people don’t understand how we are able not to fight all the time. But, when I’m with her, I have so much more fun, joy than when I’m alone in the studio. It started just for fun, in free time, to do small events. And one day we woke up and we actually created Flock.
-Why do you like to work with her? Why do you think that you can complete each other?
“With her I feel much stronger, and more relaxed. Now I’m back in Germany and I had a phone talk with her after a week, and I just feel better after. She is a friend, I really trust. Creating with her, I feel I’m just hanging out with my best friend and that is why things work.”
-In the description of “Flock”, it says that in your pieces you want to explore new definitions of what it means to be vulnerable and strong. What do these two words mean for you?
“When someone is vulnerable, honest, and open with the movement: this is what makes someone stronger. Each dancer has his own uniqueness and this is what we work on, try to show each dancers’ qualities and not try to put dancers in boxes”.
-What fascinates you about the process of creating a piece?
“I love being in the room and getting to know dancers. That’s what I miss at the moment: being with dancers, speaking all the same language, talking with our bodies. And for me it is just so fascinating to see so many amazing dancers out there and get to know them and their movement. And I love the energy created in the studio.”
-How do you usually work for the creation of a piece?
“It is different. But I don’t want to create something and put it on the dancers if it doesn’t fit. So I want to go into the studio and get to know the dancers. After that, I create something and if I had an idea before, I try to create that idea. With Alice is similar: one does one movement and the other the next one, we can play this game and it is so much fun. With Flock we usually have a story and we build the piece on that story.”
-When you create a piece for another dancer, what is the most important thing that you would like to see in the other body?
“I’m very interested in the quiet moments and simple things and how someone can tell a story with the body. When someone is not just moving but actually tries to tell a story.”
-How can you define dance today?
“It is movement: and everyone can dance, you don’t need to be scared of moving. For me it is a language I could express myself, I could put my artistry out there, I could say something with my movement and I could touch people with my movements. And I think I could change the world with dance. Sometimes I really feel we could change the world by creating as artists, and I think we do.”
-As a teacher, what would you like to transmit to your students?
“Not to be scared to do something wrong: there is no wrong for me. You don’t need to be scared to risk and fall in the studio. Because that is the place to do that; to get out of the comfort zone basically, because that is when it becomes interesting for me. Don’t think that if something goes wrong you fail: you cannot really fail. Don’t let someone put you in a box”
-How important is curiosity?
“I think it is very important. We always have to be curious. If we are not curious where do we go? I was always curious, it just brings us to the next thing: if you lose curiosity, maybe you are not in the right place.”
-What are your goals so far?
“I want that Flock to become bigger in Europe too. But my main goal is having a little farm, living there, and dancing there, bringing people there and collaborating with different artists, and opening it up for dancers, whoever artists in general that can work there. That is one of my dreams: to open up a space for artists and being in nature.”
-Describe yourself as an artist in three words
“Generous, caring, and curious.”
-What are you missing the most in this period of quarantine?
“The connection, the touch. The connection with your dance partner, it is not the same if it is just yourself moving. With each other there is a special connection that you can create and it is about touch with people. The connection with people in the room and sharing the same love and passion.”
-Can you give some advice to young dancers?
“To be open to everything. Don’t focus too much just on one thing because life always changes, nothing comes as you think it will, so be very open, strong to move forward. Don’t be so frustrated. Get to know people, and build a network. And be smart: how can we still learn from an audition, how can we learn from each other? And don’t fight with each other. To learn, wherever you go. Even when you fail: it doesn’t matter; if you want to go to a specific place go back and audition again next year, because sometimes it is not the right timing also.”
Thank you for letting us have an interview with you, Florian! It was an honor for us.
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