Tanzfabrik Berlin (EN) – tanzschreiber

You Culture Vultures!

24. February 2025, Maia Joseph

Languages:
DE
and
EN

In Recess by Alex Piasente-Szymański questions how we can continue to produce meaningful art in a time of crisis. The piece premiered on 20 February 2025 at Tanzfabrik and ran until 22 February.
Continue reading “You Culture Vultures!”

It All Hangs on a Single Thread

17. September 2024, Maria Ladopoulos

Languages:
DE
and
EN

The German premiere of Muna Mussie’s performance-installation Oblio took place on September 15, 2024 in Tanzfabrik Berlin’s new project space Grüntaler9.

Those Who Never Take Root. A Performative Archive of the Queer Asian Diaspora

13. May 2024, Johanna Ackva

Languages:
DE
and
EN

For Floating Roots (9 – 12 May 2024, Tanzfabrik, revival), Inky Lee interviewed 17 1.5 and 2nd generation Asian and queer immigrants. Six of them are together on stage with two Deaf performers.

I am looking at a stage that is never still. There is a constant coming and going. Someone is always running in a circle, with thumping steps. Someone else is moving, slowly creeping, also in a circle, in the opposite direction. Or from one corner to another. Or around another person, without losing sight of them. I look left, then right, then left again. I try to grasp what is happening, what seems like soberly performed movements that appear aimless. Endless light changes immerse everything in blue, then pink, then yellow, blue, pink, yellow, etc.

The restlessness on stage washes over me like a wave. Along with a collage of accounts of migration, discrimination, loneliness and the feeling of neither belonging to the “old” nor the “new homeland”, which are the soundtrack of the piece, the performance makes me feel increasingly fatigued. And yet, this state of exhaustion probably does not even come close to how the gruelling process of years of fighting for asylum or the constant confrontation with sometimes crude and at other times subtle racist statements actually feels. I am spared all that as a white woman in Germany. Tonight, I am invited to witness the stories of those who are not able to take root anywhere and perhaps understand a bit of their rootlessness and restlessness.

©Ceren Saner

It touches on, for example, how parents send their eight week old child to Shanghai with its grandmother so they can work in Germany. Because there is no time to take care of a child. Or a teenager who stands in front of a mirror kneading its face in the hopes of achieving a smaller nose and larger eyes. Inky Lee’s performers, who are the source of some of these stories, are on stage for the first time and only for this piece. Bound by a neon yellow rope, they move towards one another in shifting constellations. Connections are made, stretched to their limits, and cut off. Groups arise and peter out. For long stretches of the piece, I find it hard to connect what they are doing with what I am hearing. But then there are also those moments during which the precarious constellations of bodies, like a family constellation, correlate with the narratives blaring over the loudspeaker or enter into a productive, inharmonious relationship. Moments which I would have liked to see more of.

Sometimes the voices from the tape falter and burst into tears. One of the two Deaf performers, who are able to express with their faces and expressive gestures that which cannot be put into words, catches my attention. It now becomes clear to me that the archive of experiences of queer people from the Asian diaspora goes far beyond what can be shared today. To that end, Floating Roots is perhaps not a conclusion, but rather the beginning of a process.

English translation by Melissa Maldonado

Floating Roots by Inky Lee was performed at Tanzfabrik Berlin from 9 to 12 May 2024.

Simmering Passion Under Control

4. March 2024, Inky Lee

Languages:
DE
and
EN

Shiraz, choreographed by Armin Hokmi, is a work inspired by the Shiraz Arts Festival, which took place yearly between 1967 and 1977 in Iran. The performance premiered at Heizhaus, Tanzfabrik Berlin from 29 February to 2 March 2024.

The Draw of Elsewhere or A Space of Contrasts

2. March 2024, Maria Ladopoulos

Languages:
DE
and
EN

The Fold performance series (Tanzfabrik) presents ElseWhere Rhapsody from 29 February to 3 March 2024 at Uferstudios. Performance maker Jen Rosenblit takes the audience on an eclectic exploratory journey of queer desire. A collage somewhere between tender intimacy and sensory overload spectacle emerges through poetry, song, eroticism, line dancing, and utopia.

Home Match of Monstrosities

2. December 2023, Johanna Ackva

Languages:
DE
and
EN

The series Fold (Tanzfabrik) ends the year with works concerned with ghosts and demons. In The Multiplicity of the Other shown from the 30.11 until 2.12.2023, Ixchel Mendoza Hernández dwells on the Other as a ghostly presence in one’s own body.

From a Void of Fire and Ice

22. April 2023, Richard Pettifer

Languages:
DE
and
EN

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.

This too was at Sinai

27. March 2023, Parvathi Ramanathan

Languages:
DE
and
EN

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?

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.

Magenta Craze

4. March 2023, Johanna Withelm

Languages:
DE
and
EN

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.

A Committed Sense of Rhythm

18. February 2023, Richard Pettifer

Languages:
DE
and
EN

“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.

Restive Bodies

7. November 2022, David Pallant

Languages:
DE
and
EN

In Sergiu Matis’ “UNREST”, shown from 02 – 05 November 2022 as part of the FEMINIST FUTURES FESTIVAL from Tanzfabrik Berlin, ancient myths resonate through a cavernous industrial space, and are taken up as a material to question both the nature and the future of humanity.

A Brief Chance for Dwelling

17. October 2022, Richard Pettifer

Languages:
DE
and
EN

Christina Ciupke and Darko Dragičević’s “Take me somewhere nice” offers a deep spatial contemplation of travel – transforming Uferstudio 5 into a dark portal, filled with conceptual water, for the 13 October 2022 premiere as part of Tanzfabrik Berlin’s Fold – New Works.

From Meteors to Mycelia

22. February 2022, Cory Tamler

Language:
EN

Sergiu Matis’s “DRANG”, which premiered at radialsystem on 17 February 2022 as one of the featured performances of Tanzfabrik’s Open Spaces festival, keeps its emotional distance while still offering to suck audiences into its world by playing with size and scale.

Body Undone

10. November 2021, Evgeny Borisenko

Language:
EN

In “Assembly Instructions” (shown at Uferstudios 3 – 6 November 2021 within the framework of Tanzfabrik Berlin’s autumn season) Nir Vidan daringly disassembles his body into fragments, pieces, contours, and shadows. This black-and-white solo work is graphic, stark, and brilliantly paced. Thanks to his clinically precise performance and thoughtful dramaturgy, Vidan paints compelling and evocative images and avoids simplistic narratives. I quickly succumbed to the magic of his work and lost myself in this intense and meticulous experience.

Stories of Bonds and Separations

18. October 2021, Evgeny Borisenko

Language:
EN

“Forces of Nature” by Ivana Müller, shown at Uferstudios on 12 and 13 October 2021 in the frame of Tanzfabrik Berlin’s autumn season, is an hour-long exploration of the notion of interdependence and collective effort. Unlike many other works that question the concept of group dynamics, “Forces of Nature” is literal and straight forward and allows for as many interpretations as the spectators’ imagination can produce. Bound by climbing ropes and a common goal, the dancers negotiate each gesture and movement as they slowly weave an odd rope-made shelter just to unlace it again at the end. In this smart and deftly staged show, Müller reflects on common effort, ecologies of togetherness and, quite unexpectedly, makes me reflect on my own stories of bonds and separations.

Fall into Dance – Play, Desire, and Walking in a Circle

29. September 2021, Elisa Frasson

Language:
EN

As part of Tanzfabrik’s four-month fall programme for 2021, “Wilson” by Sophie Guisset and “Invitation to Walk #1 – Kreisläufe” by Katja Münker offer the audience two distinct possibilities to experience movement and choreographic composition. The first sees the audience as a voyeur, and the second sees the audience as the maker of the movement path itself.

Symbols of Power

19. July 2021, Evgeny Borisenko

Language:
EN

Flags ripple, flap, and cut the air. Shrouds wrap motionless bodies. Exotic creatures slip from mediaeval banners. Military snare drums roar. Fierce battles morph into revelry, and sports events transform into funeral processions. Ginevra Panzetti and Enrico Ticconi have always turned to historical events, art movements, and traditions for inspiration. In their new diptych, “AeReA” and “ARA! ARA!”, they explore the symbolism of flags and mediaeval heraldry, as well as their political connotations. The first part of the diptych, “AeReA”, will be shown during Tanznacht Berlin Vertigo (Part 2) on 23 and 24 July 2021, while a digital version of “ARA! ARA!” premiered during Tanzfabrik Berlin’s OPEN SPACES – Making It Happen #2 on 10 June 2021. “Silver Veiled” is a dance film born from the same research process. It was originally commissioned by Dublin Dance Festival in 2021.

Performing Memory

27. June 2021, Evgeny Borisenko

Languages:
DE
and
EN

How can an archive be performed? How can a research process be shown on stage without the result being dull and didactic? How can a dance be devised about a show that premiered more than 40 years ago? In “Try Leather”, Britta Wirthmüller, William Locke Wheeler, and Justine A. Chambers explore the political and performative aspects of an eponymous 1975 solo by Canadian artist and activist Margaret Dragu. Choosing a dozen different archive records and key words each night, Wirthmüller and Wheeler offer their personal take on Dragu’s work and life in a show that combines dance, spoken word, and audio fragments.

How to Bee a Dance: On Love and Waggling

16. June 2021, Elisa Frasson

Language:
EN

“Bee Dances” by Indonesian choreographer ninus and Berlin-based choreographer Kareth Schaffer, online from 10 to 23 June 2021 for Open Spaces – Making It Happen #2 by Tanzfabrik, offers choreographic thoughts on what it means to create a dance piece together from within a cross-cultural perspective. An ensemble of six international dancers (including both choreographers) performs an hour-long piece in which they become a hive with elegance, softness, and a sense of love for dance as an extensive communication system.

Forming Bodies / Embodying Forms

2. November 2020, David Pallant

Languages:
DE
and
EN

TANZPLATTFORM 2022 >>> Julian Weber’s “Allongé”, which premiered on 31 October 2020 as part of Tanzfabrik’s OPEN SPACES festival, takes the sculptural work of Constantin Brâncuși as a jumping off point, and the movement vocabularies of pole dancing and ballet as its material.

Emotional Participation

24. October 2020, Katja Vaghi

Languages:
DE
and
EN

At first glance, Emmilou Rößling’s “The Fraternity”, performed during OPEN SPACES – How to get in Touch with… from 22 to 24 October 2020 at Tanzfabrik Berlin, seems like research on the topic of female togetherness. Beyond that, there is an emphasis on something more subtle, something which merges that which is felt with felt cloth.

Apes and Humans

11. September 2020, Annette van Zwoll

Language:
EN

On the opening night of the first part of Tanznacht Berlin Vertigo (9-13 September, the second part will hopefully take place in July 2021), Antonia Baehr and Latifa Laâbissi land in Studio 5 at Uferstudios where they merge with the chimpanzees Consul and Meshie.

A PROPOSAL FOR CHANGE

21. July 2020, Annette van Zwoll

Language:
EN

Tanzfabrik’s Time to Meet: Down to Earth — a festival as an experiment — was curated by Juan Gabriel Harcha, Elisabeth Leopold, and Felicitas Zeeden and offered a playground for artists to unlock our imaginations in the courtyard of Uferstudios.

Against Translation?

7. May 2020, Jette Büchsenschütz

Languages:
DE
and
EN

On the opportunities for performance art in the age of the contact ban and why the shuttering of theaters can also be seen as an opportunity. Reflections on the festival “Reclaiming the live aspect of the Performing Arts in the current times” initiated by Felix M. Ott and Diego Agulló and supported by Tanzfabrik Berlin

Distance Dance

8. April 2020, Jette Büchsenschütz

Language:
EN

The wide offer of online dance classes demonstrates how we can all stay connected to one another despite social distancing while dancing alone. On the complex interplay between closeness and distance in the time of Corona.

Aquaphile Transgression

3. March 2020, Jette Büchsenschütz

Languages:
DE
and
EN

As part of the festival OPEN SPACES – Laughing & Loving, Karol Tymiński stages an erotic intesity zone of ecstasy with “Water Sports”. One in which the borders between organic and inorganic desire are transcended.

Voices in the Dark

3. November 2019, Nicola van Straaten

Languages:
DE
and
EN

“Blind Date”, premiere Friday 1 November in the framework of OPEN SPACES at Tanzfabrik, is collectively authored and performed by Ayşe Orhon, Christina Ciupke, Clément Layes, Igor Dobriči, Jasna L. Vinovrški, and Litó Walkey.

Shuffle, repeat, play

4. March 2019, Beatrix Joyce

Languages:
DE
and
EN

Sandwiched between ascending tribunes, the stage is open and white. Large, wooden slabs are lying flat on the ground like abandoned kids’ bicycles, ready to be picked up and ridden at will. One performer, female, dressed in dark, everyday clothes, flips a chair upright and takes a seat. Three other performers are scattered across the space, as if they have landed in their positions by the roll of a dice. The tension in the room is tangible as all eyes are directed towards her.

Three Views on Instant Composition

8. December 2018, Sasha Amaya

Language:
EN

Three improvisations between musicians and dancers at the monthly Common Ground series provide different approaches to instant composition.

The Sound of Energy

29. August 2018, Sasha Amaya

Language:
EN

In correspondence with Lina Gómez
An artist profile on Lina Gómez and her work “Restraint”, which resounds with power, energy, and detail at Tanznacht Berlin.

The Dances that Make Us

29. August 2018, Sasha Amaya

Language:
EN

Interview with Peter Stamer
24 dancers enact nine moments from local dance history on the final evening of Tanznacht Berlin.

Interview: Antonia Baehr on “Röhrentier”

26. August 2018, Sasha Amaya

Languages:
DE
and
EN

For Tanznacht, Antonia Baehr brings back “Röhrentier”, a work of sound, structure, and spiders, created with and for composers-performers Johnny Chang, Neo Hülcker, and Lucie Vítková.

Tanznacht Opens with Memory Loss, Marionettes, and Vanishing Acts

25. August 2018, Sasha Amaya

Language:
EN

Tanznacht opens festival at Uferstudios with six works, including Xavier Le Roy, Julia Rodriguez, and Diego Gil and Igor Dobričić.

Back to the Future

20. July 2018, Alex Hennig

Languages:
DE
and
EN

In honor of its 40 year anniversary, Tanzfabrik Berlin invites us to look back at its beginnings – but not without opening the Uferstudios stages to young artists. A review of the program from 17 July 2018.