„Fragment-Continuum“: the polarity of these words interaction is of growing significance to art (production) and its life-connectedness.
Sebastian Prantl was born in Vienna, Austria and received his performing arts education in New York in the early 1980ies, where he studied at the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the Martha Graham School, the Juilliard School, the Alvin Nikolais Dance Theatre Lab, the Erik Hawkins School, the Herbert Berghof Acting Studio, the Whitney Independent Studio Programme (Yvonne Rainer)…
In 1988, together with the concert pianist Cecilia Li, he founded TAW (Tanz Atelier Wien – TRANS ART WORKS) in Vienna. Projects, productions, symposia are produced on an international basis. His orientation towards art-related themes and live music gives him a distinct label in the Austrian dance milieu. His choreographic ensemble work has taken him to India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Canada, the US and all over Europe…
As a key figure for independent dance in Austria, he strove for a centre for contemporary dance and choreography (Tanzquartier Wien), which finally was established in 2001.
He holds several Austrian federal theatre awards as well as a European art award. His teaching methodologies (on Real-Time-Composition and choreography…) brought him to various dance university departments/institutions all over the world. Since 2009, he has been the artistic director of the International ChoreoLab Austria – ICLA, first established in co-operation with DUK – Danube University Krems and later with SEB at the Art- & Nature Sanctuary of St. Margarethen, Bgld. This transdisciplinary project aims at providing postgraduate education as art-based research – a discursive, site-specific format, combining dance, choreography, theory and manifold life-connected training.
His solo/duo format together with his wife Cecilia Li remains the pivot point for international projects and co-operations. His wide artistic practice allows a constant integration of ideas, places and people. He beliefs in ‘chance’ as the most authentic trigger for art production, thus emphasizing catharsis of ongoing physical practice, which he also gives on to individual clients besides the professional dance milieu: ‘Body Mind Anchoring (BMA).
A strong link towards visual art and architecture determine Sebastian Prantls exemplary choreographic work as a ‘Gesamtkunstwerk’ in the real sense.