Continue reading “A Many-Headed Tale”Soldier M.I.A., by Ming Poon, picks apart the classic legend of Hua Mulan, before attempting to reassemble it for (and with) its modern audience. The work had its premiere on 23 November 2023 at the English Theatre Berlin.
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Light may not always possess or produce heat
Continue reading “Light may not always possess or produce heat”“Moving in Concert” by choreographer Mette Ingvartsen premiered in Germany with the opening evening of the Potsdamer Tanztage 2023. The performance that is read here as a formal study of the interaction of light and movement inspires a short choreography handbook.
Street Fabrik
Continue reading “Street Fabrik”After years of supposed development and support, ‘environmental stage’ is still an emerging category. Choreographed by Ini Dill, Street Fabrik was viewed at Haus der Statistik on 28 May 2023.
Part of the Breathing Landscape of the Bog
Continue reading “Part of the Breathing Landscape of the Bog”Mossbelly, which can be seen until 28 May 2023 at HAU2, is the culmination of Angela Schubot’s many years of exploration with moss and the trituration of plant material. A connection with her grandfather, whom she never met, emerged out of this project and prompted her to change her artist name to Angela Vitovec.
Dance Loves Music
Continue reading “Dance Loves Music”Following MOVE OUT LOUD (2021), choreographer Modjgan Hashemian returns to work with the ensemble of Theater Thikwa, which consists of disabled and non-disabled artists: Dance Loves Music Loves Dance is an interactive quiz-dance show that brings Thikwa dancers together with guest dancers. The work premiered on 17 May 17 2023 in Theater Thikwa and can be seen there again at the beginning of July 2023.
Against the Grain
Continue reading “Against the Grain”Against the Grain is a night of short dance works that champions diversity and, as organiser Manuel Meza states in the introduction to the evening, aims to “open doors” for those otherwise excluded from dance because of gender, race, ableism, body characteristics or other exclusionary factor, presented on 20 May 2023 at Theaterforum Kreuzberg.
On the colonizer’s continent
Continue reading “On the colonizer’s continent”In Pumpitopera Transatlantica created and performed by Mexa and showing at HAU2 on 19 and 20 May 2023 as the initial stop of the collective’s first international tour, absences and gaps in understanding are not mistakes. They are the lifeblood of a performance that rewrites the future without losing sight of the material reality of past and present.
The Nutritious Paradigm of Instant Noodle Soup
Continue reading “The Nutritious Paradigm of Instant Noodle Soup”The ensemble piece “Yum Yum” by Haus Sommer, led by choreographer and dancer Dasniya Sommer, playing from 12-14 May 2023 in Ballhaus Ost, confounds the supposedly unrelated while unraveling the possibilities of artificiality.
Dialogues of Visible Frequencies
Continue reading “Dialogues of Visible Frequencies”In “Foreland – Bach and Britten”, a supplementary program to soundance festival berlin, choreographer and dancer Nitsan Margaliot and cellist Isaac Lottman embody two suites from composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Benjamin Britten. The German premiere took place on 23 May 2023 in the St. Matthew Church.
Through the Bodies
Continue reading “Through the Bodies”A.PART Festival 2023 … macht Radau, taking place at ada Studio from 5-7 and 12-14 May, presents works by Berlin’s dance students and alumni. Each weekend introduces works of a different group of artists. Inky attends the opening night, which consists of five performances and a feedback circle.
When the Machine Learns to Dance: From Data to Movement
Continue reading “When the Machine Learns to Dance: From Data to Movement”In “K L O F. cyberographies of folk,” choreographer Irina Demina uses artificial intelligence to develop a new kind of folk dance: an attempt to reflect contemporary digitalized everyday life. The remount runs at DOCK 11 until 7 May 2023.
Reflections of the Omitted
Continue reading “Reflections of the Omitted”Dancer and choreographer Caroline Alves, also known as a member of the dance company Grupo Oito, presents the piece “Transatlantica” from 4 – 6 May 2023 at English Theatre Berlin: an autobiographical dance solo in which she probes the gaps in the colonial historical record via the story of her great-great-grandmother.
Order and Chaos
Continue reading “Order and Chaos”Following a digital version in 2021, the live premiere of “safe&sound” by choreographer Lee Méir took place from 27 until 30 April 2023 in Radialsystem. The piece deals with linear and cyclical forms of time and with rhythm as a social and political instrument.
Resist. Resist. Resist.
Continue reading “Resist. Resist. Resist.”The trio “Weaver” choreographed by Anne-Mareike Hess, attempts different weaves of connections of formations for female togetherness. The performance is shown at DOCK 11 from 27 to 30 April 2023.
The City Under the Direction of the Theater
Continue reading “The City Under the Direction of the Theater”On 21 and 22 April 2023, Johannes Wieland’s new work “we will be removed”, the second part of what will be a trilogy that began in 2016 with “you will be removed”, transformed the traffic island of Charlottenburg’s Ernst-Reuter-Platz into a large open-air stage.
From a Void of Fire and Ice
Continue reading “From a Void of Fire and Ice”In “Blazing Worlds”, Sergiu Matis reworks a 350-year-old science fiction text among others, for its premiere at Radialsystem (20-23 April 2023), part of the collaboration :LOVE: with Tanzfabrik Berlin.
Inside an Unfillable Hole
Continue reading “Inside an Unfillable Hole”Liz Rosenfeld’s “URSA-X”, playing in the fourth and final installment of the spring festival series Queer Darlings at Sophiensæle from 20-23 April 2023, is a meditation on the hole at all scales, from the microscopic to the planetary.
My Body, My Choice
Continue reading “My Body, My Choice”“Virtual S*Exploration” (for ages 14+), conceived by Jakob* and Christo Schleiff, utilises technology and VR to discuss the topic of sexuality. It premiered at FELD Theater für junges Publikum on 15 April 2023 with further performances until 18 April.
Embracing Associations and Putting Expectations to Rest
Continue reading “Embracing Associations and Putting Expectations to Rest”In “Am I two?” Vasundhara Srivastava and Hannah Heyde explore their experiences with society’s expectations of women. This search for updated definitions was presented at the ACUD-Theater from 13-15 April 2023.
Among Lifeless Master-Pieces
Continue reading “Among Lifeless Master-Pieces”“Messa da Requiem” is a 2016 work setting ballet to Verdi’s choral and orchestral score. Choreographer/director Christian Spuck revives the work with the Staatsballett Berlin and Rundfunkchor Berlin, for this premiere on 14 April 2023 at Deutsche Oper.
Flooding in Darkness
Continue reading “Flooding in Darkness”In “HIGH TIDE,” choreographer and performer Pauline Payen addresses the haunting power of grief. The 60-minute dance performance can be seen until 2 April 2023 in DOCK 11.
This too was at Sinai
What happens when a monk, a priest and a rabbi walk into a bar? Scratch that…you probably know that one already.
Okay, what happens when a Jewish performer walks up to their grandmother’s cupboard of antiques?
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Where do you think this was going? Is there space for this joke in a dance review today? In Germany? And who can make such a joke?
There is, in fact, no joke to make. But I take this chance to tread the nuance that art allows to reclaim what may be said. Performer David Bloom does it too, with “nigunim”. Premiered on 23 March 2023 at Uferstudios, the solo was part of Tanzfabrik’s ‘Narratives and Transgressions’ curatorial fold.
Continue reading “This too was at Sinai”Symphony of Shamelessness
Continue reading “Symphony of Shamelessness”Claire Vivianne Sobottke’s new work “à mort — A choreographic song cycle for three voices,” running from March 22 – 25 2023 at Sophiensæle, is a conglomeration of countless musical, physical, stage and costume design details, behind which lies an impressive ensemble performance. The piece recounts explicitly and with relish the futility of every attempt to contain the female naked body.
The Little Mountains on my Arms
Continue reading “The Little Mountains on my Arms”In “Goosebumps”, choreographer Modjgan Hashemian explores the skin as archive of story and touch. The piece for ages twelve and up premiered on 11 March 2023 at Theater an der Parkaue.
The Cool, Deep Maths of the Body
Continue reading “The Cool, Deep Maths of the Body”Questions of time, space, and mathematics dominate in “Deepspace”, a choreography based in scientific collaboration and research from James Batchelor, viewed at Trauma Bar und Kino in Berlin-Moabit on 14 March 2023.
The Music Rushes Through the Struggling Bodies
Continue reading “The Music Rushes Through the Struggling Bodies”The two-part, nearly two-hour evening “Beethoven 7” (Sasha Waltz & Guests) premiered on 11 March 2023 in Radialsystem. Choreographer Sasha Waltz asks questions about freedom and social constraints, set to the music of contemporary composer Diego Noguera and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony.
Splitting Roles
“Time Out of Joint” is a concept and choreography from Jule Flierl and colleagues, targeting the perception of female* politicians speech. Premiering 8 March 2023, International Women’s Day, at Sophiensæle.
Continue reading “Splitting Roles”The Colourful World of Lightness
Continue reading “The Colourful World of Lightness”“LUFT” is a dance performance for the audience from age three and up, created in collaboration between Nir de Volff and Theater o.N. It premiered at DOCK 11 on 2 March 2023. The theatre bustles with the energy of excited children on the Sunday afternoon of 5 March, when Inky attends the last show.
Magenta Craze
Continue reading “Magenta Craze”With “Magenta Haze,” Milla Koistinen investigates the behavior of individuals within a collective, as well as communal ecstasy and shared joy. As part of the :LOVE: collaboration between Tanzfabrik and Radialsystem, the work has its German premiere at Radialsystem from 2 – 4 March 2023.
The Ghost Has Not Left the Machine
Continue reading “The Ghost Has Not Left the Machine”Philippe Quesne’s “Fantasmagoria”, in its German premiere at HAU2 on 2 and 3 March 2023, looks at new materialism through the theatrical lens of eighteenth-century storytelling and scientific experimentation, searching for a vital spark.
Still Bursts, Frills, and a Mating Call
Continue reading “Still Bursts, Frills, and a Mating Call”“Oiseau” from Berlin-Paris company La Cage undertakes a detailed movement examination of birds, under the direction of Aliénor Dauchez and viewed at Kultur Büro Elisabeth in Berlin-Mitte on 26 February 2023.
For Small Heroes and Anti-Heroes
Continue reading “For Small Heroes and Anti-Heroes”What does it mean to be a hero? With “I NEED A HERO,” Camilla Pölzer presents a journey through the expectations and norms of the character of the superhero. The 50-minute performance for all ages nine and up premiered on 22 February 2023 at TANZKOMPLIZEN in Podewil.
Treading through sticky power dynamics
Continue reading “Treading through sticky power dynamics”Two Swedish choreographers of two different generations, Mats Ek (b. 1945) and Alexander Ekman (b. 1984), share a total of six evenings of performances (Three in February and three in March) at Deutsche Oper. “A Sort Of…” by Ek and “Cacti” by Ekman is performed by Staatsballett Berlin and premiered on 16 February 2023.
A Committed Sense of Rhythm
Continue reading “A Committed Sense of Rhythm”“Rhythm Is The Place” certainly has a sense of humour. Developed by clown-cowboy-dancer Juan Domínguez at Radialsystem and viewed on 16 February 2023, the performance has an array of eccentric and esoteric nods and winks – almost as if the performer is undertaking some kind of deadpan dad joke.
Of Romantic Love, Longing for Community, and Other Human Algorithms
Continue reading “Of Romantic Love, Longing for Community, and Other Human Algorithms”In “Beyond Love,” the final installment in her trilogy about the economic and technological interpenetration of emotions running from 8 to 11 February 2023 at HAU3, the choreographer Dragana Bulut focuses on hybrid forms of love and desire between humans and machines.
Putting in the Time
Continue reading “Putting in the Time”Makisig Akin’s “Asian/LOVE”, premiering at DOCK 11 on 3 and 4 February 2023, is a gift—if one you may have to work for.
Poetry in Passing
Continue reading “Poetry in Passing”With “Zur Zartheit von Rissen” (The delicacy of cracks, 3 – 5 February 2023), Lea Martini and Bella Hager present a finely crafted blend of sensory expedition, performance and retreat, and a quiet homage to Uferstudios’ Heizhaus.
On Reducing the Discursive Footprint
Continue reading “On Reducing the Discursive Footprint”In his choreographic self-portrait “Jérôme Bel / Ruth Rosenfeld,” which was shown on 23 January 2023 in HAU2, the established choreographer carries out a thorough and somewhat unsatisfying revision of his oeuvre to date.
fake it till you… …make it, …break it, …break through. Fake it till it breaks you!
Continue reading “fake it till you… …make it, …break it, …break through. Fake it till it breaks you!”TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> Bully Fae Collins’ “Songs of the Dopamine Carousel” and Liina Magneas’ “She’s constructing the exit” present true orgasms and fake excess (and vice versa) at the close of the festival and deal with the performance struggles of our time.
The Solution for (Almost) Everything
Continue reading “The Solution for (Almost) Everything”TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> On the double bill “Songs of the Dopamine Carousel” by Bully Fae Collins and “She’s Constructing the Exit Signs (Hope & Delusion)” by Liina Magnea at Sophiensaele.
Drama Without Drama
Continue reading “Drama Without Drama”Constanza Macras and the team of DorkyPark have created a funny beast in “DRAMA” – a smorgasbord of performance styles within an absurd satire, premiering at Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz on 19 January 2023.
Dance of the Future
Continue reading “Dance of the Future”The 7th edition of PURPLE – International Dance Festival for Young Audiences includes the world premiere of “In Future I am a Comet” by Yotam Peled at Theater Strahl for spectators age 13 and older.
Earth. Water. Fire. Red moon. – “The same way I miss nothing I miss everything.”
TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> Artist Slina da Soledade aka Slim Soledad and her guests premiered their new work on 14 January 2023 at the Sophiensæle.
Two texts by Diana Schümann and Elina Pantsyr
Continue reading “Earth. Water. Fire. Red moon. – “The same way I miss nothing I miss everything.””A Sensation of a Truth
Continue reading “A Sensation of a Truth”TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> Is there no way out in choreographer/performer Kévin Bonono’s “A Sensation of a Truth”, played over 13 and 14 January 2023 at Sophiensæle?
The Matriarchy Has Arrived
TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> In “Matria – Motherland” by Rocío Marano and “To be a fish in a Raki bottle” by Elvan Tekin, two choreographers rotate staunchly around concepts of masculinity, identity, and political engagement.
Text: Anna Chwialkowska
Continue reading “The Matriarchy Has Arrived”Two Positionings
TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> In “Matria – Motherland” by Rocío Marano and “To be a fish in a Raki bottle” by Elvan Tekin at Sophiensæle, two choreographers negotiated geopolitical references in different ways.
Text: Vera Knolle
Continue reading “Two Positionings”The Landscape of Dreams
TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> “Pariyestan: Tails of Sisters, 青蛇+白蛇: 緣起” by Parisa Madani invites the viewers into the world of dreams and fantasies. This “durational collective dream meditation” took place at Sophiensæle from 10 p.m. on 7 January to around 5 a.m. on 8 January 2023 in the frame of Tanztage Berlin.
Continue reading “The Landscape of Dreams”“Ahhhhhhhh……..”
Continue reading ““Ahhhhhhhh……..””TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> Marga Alfeirão and collaborators’ premiere “Lounge”, the second performance on opening night of Tanztage Berlin at Sophiensæle on 5 January 2023, blurs the lines between self and other in an erotic exploration of resting.
Centripetal Performance
TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> In Xenia Koghilaki’s “Bang Bang Bodies”, the opening performance (5 & 6 January 2023) of Tanztage Berlin at Sophiensæle, a force builds slowly and insistently, pulling the audience into the performers’ orbit.
Continue reading “Centripetal Performance”tanzschreiber articles about Tanztage Berlin 2023
Continue reading “tanzschreiber articles about Tanztage Berlin 2023”All reviews can be read here >>> From 5 to 21 January, the 32nd edition of the Tanztage Berlin, organised annually by the Sophiensæle, brings together 10 performances by upcoming Berlin-based artists, accompanied by knowledge-sharing formats. Authors and guest authors from the Tanzbüro Berlin’s online review portal tanzschreiber are reviewing the 10 pieces selected for the Tanztage Berlin 2023 on tanzschreiber.de. Some of the texts are written by the six participants of the tanzschreiber writing workshop “Texte in Bewegung” under the direction of Agnes Kern and Johanna Withelm.
To the Girl on Tram M4
Continue reading “To the Girl on Tram M4”Parvathi Ramanathan writes a letter to a girl on the tram after watching “Her Noise” by the Company Christoph Winkler which premiered on 29 December 2022 at Radialsystem.
A Phantasmagoric Gamelan Frenzy
Continue reading “A Phantasmagoric Gamelan Frenzy”In “AWAL / BEGINNING” created by choreographer Ruben Reniers and collaborators at the Rumah Budaya Indonesia Berlin, an explosion of performative pedagogy blends traditional and contemporary choreography in a phantasmagoric performance event taking place over three days from 16 to 18 December 2022.
Between Shadows and Phantoms: Realities and Their Traces
Continue reading “Between Shadows and Phantoms: Realities and Their Traces”With the showing “Mirroring” on 17 December 2022 in Tanzhalle Wiesenburg, Isabelle Schad and Josephine Findeisen provided some first impressions of a solo piece in the making: an assemblage of movements of the body and their visual and acoustic traces.
Strange Mutations
Continue reading “Strange Mutations”TANZTAGE BERLIN 2023 >>> On 10 & 11 December 2022 at Flutgraben, “Bicho Raro”, a video and performance work by dancer and choreographer Danilo Andrés, examined the strange world of bodybuilding. Another version of the piece will be shown under the same title during the Tanztage Berlin festival in January 2023.
Some Uncertainty in the Relationship
Continue reading “Some Uncertainty in the Relationship”A certain ‘sliding doors’ approach to interpersonal relationships and the realities they create marks Sita Ostheimer Company’s premiere “The Inevitable and You”, playing at DOCK 11 from 8 to 11 December 2022.
This galaxy that you create yourself
Continue reading “This galaxy that you create yourself”Tomi Paasonen’s “Pas de Q”, which takes place from 1-4 December 2022 at Sophiensæle, is a radical performance of community that gives the impression that drag and classical ballet have always been meant for one other.
Die Steuer-Erklärung
Continue reading “Die Steuer-Erklärung”Actually… what is taxation? “Die Steuer-Erklärung” by hannsjana premiered on 22 November 2022 at Sophiensæle, and took a languid look at the absurdities of the tax system, with curious results.