For their latest piece, for the time being (premiere on 10 March 2026 at Radialsystem), Sasha Waltz and Guests worked with the improvisation principles of Authentic Movement and Deep Listening.
I am not a connoisseur (or connoisseuse?) of Sasha Waltz’ choreographic oeuvre. I’ll start this text with that disclaimer since I assume that most readers will have seen more of her work than I have. How we perceive a piece is admittedly different when we can simultaneously see past moments; when the history and unfolding of the work, perhaps even an impression of its future, are visible. In the case of Sasha Waltz, it would have been possible for the viewer – and in this case I mean myself – to glean such a history-laden perspective. However, that was not the case. I had only ever seen one production of hers at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. And if I hadn’t known better, I would hardly have believed that for the time being, whose premiere I attended yesterday, was by the same person.
That alone is impressive. As is the fact that Waltz herself is one of the seven performers on stage in this intergenerational ensemble. Despite this constellation, she neither comes across as the awkward choreographer and “covert boss” of the ensemble, which is exclusively improvising this evening, nor do the 63-year-old dancer’s impromptu movements and choreographic decisions fall short of those of the other ensemble dancers, some of whom are much younger. On the contrary, I am fascinated by how the ensemble constantly rearranges itself from scene to scene with shifts that occur in dialogue with the light and music, the way the dancers position themselves between proximity and distance, connection and individuality, protagonist and group. These bodies, which oscillate between emotional expressiveness and abstract shapes before my eyes, touch me, especially the way they persist in their search for a common language despite their differences. It’s like group therapy, I think. And I mean that 100 percent as a compliment. It’s like group therapy that I think everyone should try.
The concept of witnessing is fundamental to the alert attentiveness gripping the packed rows of audience members around the stage. There are only a few moments when someone from the ensemble, much like the audience, is not bearing witness to what is happening on stage. The gaze is magical, its effect like that of a spotlight. And this is perhaps the right moment, speaking of spotlights, to mention that the piece would have benefitted from a little more light. The semi-darkness is clearly intentional, and I very much appreciate the way it softens the visuals, including my own perception, in favor of the audible and emotional. However, the effect was that the movements of the sole Black ensemble member were significantly harder to see than those of the other dancers.English Translation by Melissa Maldonado
for the time being, by Sasha Waltz & Guests premiered on 10 March 2026 at Radialsystem.
