In Love with Movement and Dance MSc in Computer Science Silly and Thoughtful
Cover Letter About Me Movement path Contact Me
I am Elan van Biljon and I would love to study dance at PERA.
I have only been dancing for 2 years, and through dedicated practice I have learned a lot.
My primary experience is in contemporary movement, but I have also explored other forms, like
contact improvisation, ballet, and neoclassical.
I aspire to facilitate a space for others to learn how to empower and express themselves through
movement and dance.
I have explored many movement practices, such as karate, yoga, gymnastics, rock climbing, and
pilates.
These diverse practices gave me a strong foundation in movement.
Since finding dance, I have deeply immersed myself in the Cape Town, South Africa community.
I learn to move from my inner self in contemporary classes, precision and control in ballet, and
connect with others in contact improvisation.
As a result, I have been invited to take part in multiple residencies and performances.
Some of the most recent are:
a real-time composition residency called
MusicDance
in November of 2023, First Thursdays at Ballet on Kloof, where I performed in a group piece and a self-choreographed solo,
and the Unmute dance residency at the Cape Town Artscape.
These experiences also highlight how much I still have to learn.
I am passionate about empowering others and passing on knowledge.
I have felt the impact of movement and dance on my life, and I would love to share that with others.
Until now, I have been teaching people about the sciences while working as a researcher and software
programmer.
So, I have strong teaching skills.
But, I still need to learn the knowledge base and context of what to teach in a movement and dance
setting.
So, that is what I want to learn at PERA.
Thank you very much for looking at my application.
Please contact me at
elanvanbiljon@gmail.com
if you want to know more.
Descriptions, photos, and videos of my performances will be here soon!
Real-time composition, 2 week recidency with 1 performance per week
self-choreographed solo, group co-choreographed piece
group contact improvisation
I'm a curious and silly yet thoughtful person that loves to learn and connect with others. I try to communicate with others, knowing that we perceive the world differently and can still come together because of the discussion instead of pulling apart. I try to imagine the world and people in it complexly, and as a consequence, I try to meet people where they are. I would much rather learn than be perfect. I know the individual things I do to tackle the world's big problems are entirely insufficient. Still, I do them anyway, and I try to find others to do them with because the only way we get anywhere is how we got here: together.
I have moved in many ways and learned many things from this. Here is a timeline to briefly summarise my broad experience:
2022 - present
I fell in love with dance and in a short time have explored so many parts of the dance space. I have learned to express my inner self through movement. While dancing, I feel a deep state of flow and satisfaction.
2020 - present
The most powerful things I have learned from rock climbing is that I can do far more than I realised and that failure is part of the process.
2020 - present
I started doing pilates to recover from a trail running injury and found that it brought strength into all my other movement practises.
2016 - present
Yoga has helped me extend the range of positions my body is strong in. It also gave me more confidence in my ability to use my hands as a base.
2013 - present
Slacklining has taught me that we are often best able to move when our body is soft. When we can absorb momentum and redirect it in a benefical way.
2009
While I didn't do parkour for very long, I developed some foundational skills. I learned to use my momentum to move me towards my goal and to protect myself from injury (rolling after a vertival drop, for instance).
2004 - 2005
I learned to commit to doing technically difficult and scary movmenets. I also developed a sense of where my body is in space.
2002 - 2007
I learned a lot about controlling my body and mind doing karate as a child. I also developed a good strength and mobility baseline.
2001 - 2004
The first movement practise I remember doing was some gymnastics as a child. We explored different ways to move: tumbling, cartweels, handstands, balance beams, bars, etc.
I love to move my body. So, when I'm not working I am usually dancing, rock climing, hiking, trail running, or swimming. I love to take photos and videos of these things to share my experiences with others. In the rare times when I'm not moving, you can find me reading a fantasy book or maybe creating some art (sketches, digital painting, writing, etc).
