a figure of speech
in a manner of speaking
as a matter of course
a figure of speech
in a manner of speaking
as a matter of course
a figure of speech
in a manner of speaking
as a matter of course
"The choreographies that I have developed untill now are made with minimal means; this given has somewhat influenced my approach to dancing, to making work, and has influenced the aesthetics."
Artistic biography
Merel Roozen has followed an education in contemporary dance and choreography and has worked in this field as a performer, choreographer and teacher. Beside her current work in the field of dance and choreography, Merel as well explores other artistic forms, such as writing and visual art.
Merel Roozen was born on December 5th 1985 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Between 1998 and 2004 Merel lived in Harlingen (NL). Before she started her Bachelor education in Arnhem (NL) she lived again in Amsterdam for one year, to return there as well after obtaining her Bachelor degree. In 2012 Merel moved to Vienna, Austria, and lived there for two and a half years. Since 2015 Merel lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
In 2005 Merel was accepted at the contemporary dance department of the ArtEZ University of the Arts in Arnhem; where she received her Bachelor of Dance, with the two year specialisation Dance Maker, in 2009.
Since then Merel has worked as a dancer in the Netherlands, Austria, England, and Germany.
Between 2009 and 2011 Merel was active in the improvisation scene in Amsterdam (NL), where she was part of several collaborations and performances.
Merel followed a Feldenkrais education (Feldenkrais Method) at the Feldenkrais Institute Vienna (AT).
Merel has taught dance and movement classes or workshops at the Russian School of the Arts in Rotterdam (NL), the Manchester Metropolitan University in Crewe (GBR), Universitätssportinstitut Wien (AT), Institute for Applied Theatre Studies (ATW) of the Justus-Liebig-University in Gießen (DE), Ensemble Musikfabrik in Cologne (DE), ZuKT department of HfMDK in Frankfurt am Main (DE).
During her Bachelor education she made several choreographies, among them All here now (2008), which she performed at the Korzo theatre in den Haag, and De Brakke Grond in Amsterdam (Its festival). And her graduation work The young man feeling no pain (2009). After her Bachelor education Merel continued her practice in making choreographic work. She was invited for One Nights Dance of Dansateliers Rotterdam (NL), where she developed the short study On the Bird (2010) for. And she made several study pieces independently; among them a series of solo studies at WUK in Vienna, called RAYS - Solo? Form, and the performers effort (2012-14).
In 2014 Merel was accepted for the Master Choreography and Performance (Ma CuP) at the Institute for Applied Theatre Studies (ATW) of the Justus-Liebig-University in Gießen (DE), and the University of Music and Performing Arts (HfMDK) in Frankfurt am Main (DE). In 2015 Merel received a Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds scholarship (NL) for young talents. She developed four short choreographic works in the frame of her studies: A duet by ANDi (2015), Georges Aperghis: Faux Mouvement (2016), Der Tag ist schön (2016), and Der Raum singt (2017).
In 2016 Merel received funding from Kulturamt der Stadt Frankfurt am Main, and support of Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Hessische Theaterakademie, Z - ID_Frankfurt, and Frankfurt Lab for the production Shattered Days/The Big Sleep, which premiered in November 2016 at Frankfurt Lab in Frankfurt am Main (DE). For 2019 she developed the choreography Der Tag ist schön - The day is beautiful, which premiered in June 2019; funded by Kulturamt der Stadt Frankfurt am Main, supported by Hessische Theaterakademie, Frankfurt Lab, Z - ID_Frankfurt, and Gallus Theater. In 2020 Merel received two scholarships from the Hessische Kulturstiftung. In 2021 she received a research scholarship supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, as well as a scholarship from the Hessische Kulturstiftung. In 2022 Merel received funding from Kulturamt der Stadt Frankfurt am Main and Hessisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kunst for the production Der Raum singt. The premiere will prospectively take place in April 2023 in Frankfurt am Main.