...Keep Searching
Maybe I was born to do just that. change somthing
To search? To search what! And what for? For how long? ...how far?
What have I found until now?
I found new questions.
And questions again – it never ends.
I love that.
I guess, I was born to do that –
it's my gift.
My Search
My work in DANCE AND THEATRE throughout over 40 years is strongly characterised by an ongoing quest and continuous exploration.
Along this journey, a constant questioning of what has been achieved, and at the same time a positive feeling of ‘never having arrived’ have both taught me over all the years to keep going continuously, full of the desire to discover. To carry on the RESEARCH. That the path, the journey, is the more interesting part than the final destination; the search ever more essential than the goal – a goal which therefore shapes itself again and again anew, out of the intangible.
Time after time I became aware, that for me and my artistic work, the actual ‘process of creating’ was often far more interesting or more important than the ‘performance’ – that I was more curious and obsessed with this part than fulfilled with the final result. Even as I am always aware that this art-form and my own creations are created for and with a public – that without a viewer or witness for whom they are performed they would have no purpose, being instead completely self-centred – for me the search still remains more important and came far before the thought of a final production.
Meine Suche
Meine Arbeit in Tanz und Theater seit 40 Jahren ist geprägt von einer fortwährenden Suche und stetigem "In-Frage-stellen". Ein ständiges Hinterfragen des Erreichten während dieser weitergehenden Suche und gleichzeitig ein positives Gefühl des Nie-angekommen-seins haben mich über all die Jahre gelehrt, kontinuierlich und voller Entdeckungsdrang weiterzugehen, weiter zu FORSCHEN. Dass der Weg das Interessantere, die Suche der essentiellere Teil sei – und sich das Ziel so immer wieder neu aus dem Ungreifbaren, Unfassbaren definiert.
Immer wieder wurde ich mir bewusst, wie für mich und meine Arbeit der PROZESS des KREIERENS interessanter und wichtiger war als die eigentliche „Performance / Show“ – also das letztendlich sichtbare Resultat. Dass es von hier schon direkt weitergehen könnte… Selbst wenn diese Arbeit ohne Publikum gar keinen Wert hätte – und ich auch deshalb immer bewusst für und mit einem Publikum kreiere – so war und ist mir diese Suche immer wichtiger und kommt/ kam stets weit vor dem Gedanken an das „finale Resultat“.
Biography Thomas Mettler
Work in theatre and dance through ongoing research since 1982 (foundation at the school of Marcel Marceau) as mime, clown, actor, improviser and dancer.
Teaching for 40 years – 4 years full-time at professional acting or dance schools in London and Paris, and over 140 intensive-workshops brought him to Columbia, France, England, Italy, Germany, USA, India, Greece, Portugal, Finland, Spain, Israel, Palestine, Poland, Czech Republic, Ukraine and Switzerland.
He created numerous pieces and projects where theatre and dance mix - always with parts of improvisation.
Invitation to the festival “Cultural Capital of Europe 97” in Thessaloniki.
To deepen his research and work in dance and dance-improvisation he followed his most important teachers over a dedicated period of 3 years throughout Europe: David Zambrano, Nigel Charnock, Russell Maliphant, Laurie Booth and Kirstie Simson.
In 1995 he co-founded “on.off Werkstatt” in Bern, a centre for research, studies, exchange and creation with international leading guest-teachers and was its Artistic Director during 12 years.
With “6 Men Dance – a night of improv” he realises a long-time dream by founding and bringing together one of Europe’s finest and most daring Dance/Physical-Theatre/Improvisation collective with artists: Adam Benjamin (UK) – Rick Nodine (USA/UK) – Jordi Cortés Molina (ES) – Christian Panouillot (FR) – Dan Watson (UK) – Chris Aiken (USA).
In the fields of Inclusive Dance he choreographed for “StopGAP Dance Company” and “DanseHabile” and worked with “Beweggrund Bern” and “Adam Benjamin & Friends”.
2009 he began a collaboration with Astad Deboo/ India called 'Incontro' ('Encounter'). 2010 he created the evening filling piece "The Sweet Poison LOVE" with 9 dancers from 5 nations, which premiered at the 11th Kemptener Tanzherbst in Germany and toured through Switzerland.
From 2011 to 2013 he was engaged as Artistic Director of the DanceFilmFestival Lucerne.
2012 Co-Founder of the first monthly Contact-Improvisation-Jam in Ticino/ CH (www.ci-ticino.ch). 2013/ 2014 he finished his first dancefilm 'autumn leaves' and worked on two new "Incontro"s with international guests. His dance improv project 'When We Meet' with Zita Pavlistova had its Première in Prag during spring 2014.
2015 he created "Some Men Must Die" with 11 dancers/ actors in Kiev/ Ukraine which premiered at the GOGOL Fest 15. The piece was revised in 2016 for the KMATOS-Fest 2016. In Dnepr (UKR) he created 2017 the piece "Comig Together", leading and brining together 13 Ukrainian artists.
2017 he finished his feature-lenght solo „ – t r a n s i t i o – „ in collaboration/ with sculptures from Swiss sculptor Pascal Murer and with live musicians Vojtà & Irena Havlovi (CZ).
Since 2018 he is leading a new international improvisation ensemble, entitled “truly yours“ and working on a feature-lenght motion picture partly based on his stage play "Some Men Must Die".
2019 he was invited to create a new piece for the 100th anniversary of the „IVAN FRANKO NATIONAL ACADEMIC DRAMA THEATRE“ for its repertoire. "STINA -The Wall" premiered in December 2019.
2020 he started another new improvisation ensemble entitled „EnsembleSOLO - unleashed“
