PHILOSOPHY 

Xeni Alexandrou / Andrea Rama

21. April - 05. May 2019

Andrea Rama and Xeni Alexandrou are working on their new project PHILOSOPHY which will premier in Open Spaces of Tanzfabrik in Berlin, on July 2019. 

PHILOSOPHY is a dance solo that deals with the representation of the human form in a surrealistic environment. The dancer performs in front of a large-scale broken mirror, introducing a second human being,

who does not exist: her/his own reflection in the mirror.

The inspiration for this project is the Third Man Argument, first offered by Plato in his dialogue “Parmenides”

(132a–b), and is a philosophical criticism of Plato's own theory of Forms. He posits that if a man is a man because

he partakes in the form of man, then a third form would be required to explain how man and the form of man are both man, and so on, ad infinitum. So we always need a third entity - a third man - who confirms that, indeed, the form of a man and the man are both one and the same thing: a man.

PHILOSOPHY builds the “impossible human” on stage. Very much like Aristotle’s „Third Man Argument”, new possible forms that the body might be able to take on - apart from the primary form that he/she assumes in everyday life - are being suggested. 

The mirror’s power of refraction as well as the refracted, inhibited movements promote a potentiality of the dancer’s new forms on stage, and - by extension - of every existing human.

Concept, choreography: Xeni Alexandrou // Performance/Co-creation: Andrea Rama // Sound design : Yorgos Laliotis 

Production Porson's Khashoggi. In residency at La Ménagerie de Verre (Paris), Tanzfabrik (Berlin), Duncan Dance Center (Athens) and NRW Mittelzentrum Bonn.

With the support of Focuna/Fonds Culturel National (Luxembourg)

GENETRIX  

József Trefeli  / Rudi van der Merwe /  VICTORIA

09. - 19. Januar 2019

“To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child. For what is the worth of human life, unless it is woven into the life of our ancestors by the records of history?” Marcus Tullius Cicero

GENETRIX is an international contemporary dance collaboration bringing together the experience and knowledge of three choreographers/performers and a video artist; two artists based in Australia and two in Switzerland. Each of the three choreographers/performers focuses on a grandfather to explore their respective Asian, African and European heritage to create three interlinked solos in one evening-length work. The medium of video provides context through projected images developed in collaboration with each choreographer embodying these ghosts from the past. The creative process explores the themes of history, patriarchy, superstition and epigenetic inheritance by means of personal histories.

Epigenetic inheritance is an unconventional finding. It goes against the idea that inheritance happens only through the DNA code that passes from parent to offspring. It means that a parent's experiences, in the form of epigenetic tags, can be passed down to future generations. As unconventional as it may be, there is little doubt that epigenetic inheritance is real. In fact, it explains some strange patterns of inheritance geneticists have been puzzling over for decades. https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/epigenetics/inheritance/  

BIOGRAPHIES

József Trefeli - Australian born of Hungarian origins, naturalised Swiss in 2017, József graduated from the University of Melbourne VCA with a Bachelor of Arts in Dance in 1992. After working with numerous Australian choreographers Trefeli embarked on a journey to explore dance around the world before settling in Switzerland where he has since been based. József has achieved critical acclaim for his many and varied dance performances and numerous choreographic works that have toured the globe. In collaboration with Gábor Varga, József received a Swiss Dance Award in the category of Current Dance Works of the seasons 2015 – 2017 for the choreography “Creature”. - jozseftrefeli.org

Rudi van der Merwe was born and grew up in Calvinia, South Africa. He studied theatre and French Literature at the University of Stellenbosch (1996-99) all the while maintaining independent activity working in theatre, dance and television. From 1999 to 2002 he studied Modern Literature and Cinema at the University Marc Bloch in Strasbourg

and partook in ex.e.r.ce at the CCN of Montpellier. Since 2004 he has worked as a performer with, among others, Gilles Jobin, Cindy van Acker, Perrine Valli and Yan Duyvendak and has collaborated with Ayelen Parolin, Dana Michel, Jòzsef Trefeli, Marie-Caroline Hominal and Béatrice Graf on a variety of diverse and multidisciplinary projects.

His creations include I’d like to save the world, but I’m too busy saving myself created in collaboration with Susana Panadès Diaz, Solstice, Miss En Abyme, Trophée and Buzz Riot. In 2014, he obtains a diploma in post-production from CADSchool Geneva and in 2015 a postgraduate diploma in cinema from Raindance London.

- rudivandermerwe.com 

VICTORIA trained at the VCA, Melbourne, Australia. She performed and toured extensively with European and Australian companies Cie Nomades, Cie Gilles Jobin, Micha Purucker, Jozsef Trefeli, Fiona Malone, Bernadette Walong, with Australian Dance Theatre for Superstars of Dance. She co-created and toured ‘Starstruck’ and ‘The Ballad of Herbie Cox’ through Europe, Canada, Los Angeles and Australia. Victoria was Dancehouse Housemate XI in which the work ‘Floored’ was presented in 2013. Victoria created ‘Do You Speak Chinese?’ which premiered with critical acclaim in March as part of the 2015 Malthouse season for Dance Massive and toured to Shanghai International Arts Festival RAW!Land and Bendigo 2015. Victoria choreographed  ‘Fire Monkey’ with Arts Fission, Singapore and ‘Grotto’ for AsiaTOPA. Recently she has created, ‘Viral’, for PPY Sydney Dance Company and toured What Happened in Shanghai to Shanghai. Victoria’s practice investigates physicalising concepts in relation to histories of self, peoples and place. - victoriachiu.org

Özlem Alkis

24. Juli bis 6. August 2017 

Özlem Alkis creates transdisciplinary formats and present her works in various mediums; stage, installation and video. She was born in Istanbul and lives now in Cologne. She is one of the co-founders of the Amber Art and Technology Festival in Istanbul, which she also co-directed until 2012. In 2012, she directed Istanbul edition of Special Issue European Project that encourages developing discoursive practices in Performing Arts. In September 2015, with other artists she founded ehrenfeldstudios e.V., Cologne.

„I am interested in creating trans-disciplinary formats in which my understanding of movement and dance would evolve in unforeseen directions through these collaborations. For that reason, I choose my partners for each piece according the necessities of each topic. Our exchange starts with getting to know each other’s practices and sharing each other’s methods.

I find it important working with the same group of dancers, so that our shared history in building common praxis and language for each piece could be developed further (accumulate) in dancers’ body. In doing so, we can understand better what kind of knowledge that each mover carries in her own history and develop strategies through.

Building shared history (building praxis and language) helps me to recognize what do we know “doing” and what we do not yet know. “The unknown” makes me excited. Something that is not yet imagined, something that cannot be imagined. Something that appears only through shared process of praxis through the conscious and unconscious exchanges between participating (collaborating) artists. 

This is why I am interested to create zones of “unknown” that are also “unstable” during the rehearsal processes that one can question further one’s own understanding of dance, movement and aesthetics. I could say that this is beginning of composition; to shift and slightly alter what do we already know about the things.“ (Özlem Alkis) 

Rhiannon Morgan & Andra Rama

18. bis 24. Juni 2017 

Public Showing 24.06., 18:00 Uhr, Tapetenfabrik

Rhiannon Morgan completed her studies at the age of 17 in the Conservatory for Music and Dance of Luxembourg. She sings and play violin. She graduated with a BA from The Rambert School Of Dance and later on completed her Masters degree at London Contemporary Dance School (2009/2010), The Place (UK). As a professional dancer she collaborated with Akram Khan (2012), Cocoon Dance Company(2010/2012),

Henri Oguike Dance Company ( 2011-2013), Nicholas Vladyslav (2013), National Theatre of Northern Greece (2013/2015) and Anu Sistonen (since 2011/2016) to name a few. For the last 6 years she has been teaching workshops all over Europe and has been collaborating with Andrea Rama in several on going projects as well as assisting him during various workshops and classes for professional dancers.

Andreas Rama has graduated from the State School of Contemporary Dance in Athens (GR). He's co-founders of Porson's Khashoggi since 2010. The company works intensively with the dimension of time as a fundamental element of movement. The audience is invited to participate in rapid journeys and slow travels around the performance. P.K. creation's has been presented in Germany, Luxembourg, France, Italy, Poland, Greece & China. Andrea colaborated with contemporary dance artists & theater directors such as Sasha Waltz & Guests (since2013), Anton Lachky(2011), Fang-Yu Shen (2014), MS Schittmacher(2015), Roes Dance Theater (2009), K. Rigo (2008), Antzela Brouskou (2011), Gianni Kaklea (2012) to name a few. In 2014 Wim Vandekeybus invited him for research process. He's teaching at Dance Companies/ Institutions as National Choreographic Center of Luxembourg, Henny Jurriëns Foundation (NE), Tanzfabrik Berlin, Marameo Berlin, Die Etage, Seneca Intensiv, State Theater Heidelberg, Equilibrio Dinamico (IT), TanzBüro Basel, Centrum Kultury Lublinie & Szczecin (PL), Austria, Aktina Prof School of Dance (GR), Minsheng Contemporary Museum (China), ZKM Museum of Media Art (DE), HFG University of Media Arts (DE)  a.o. Short Description

Project “3,14π” proposes a new and developed idea of Dance through Running. Starting from the notion that to Run is a natural thing which also holds a potential to be developed as movement in general. Run, as a simple every day movement which would result in a direct impact with the audience. A movement that is familiar to each of us. The process of a circular Run in an anti-clockwise direction imitates the set up of races. Our observation is that our minds tend to interpret that "run moves right to left", so we perceive right to left movements (as viewers) as more natural and assimilate easier with our eyes/minds. How direct and simple can the impact of a Running process be in terms of human participation and observation? A process that requires a full body presence. Creating a certain tone and rhythm that colours the actual space and the ways we relate to self, the other and to the rest of the environments. A process of building our rhythms as second by second/minute by minute we organise an addictive ritual that opens all possible pathways. The varying textures and density in each footprint as the sole of the foot comes into contact and leaves the ground tracing a sound signature with steps and breaths. Our breaths and steps becomes the physical soundtrack. What can we build emphasise/ develop and challenge with the sounds of our bodies?

No matter our speed, style or where we start, we end up in a place where we still will be running. Adapting, staying flexible and merging all sources of inner or outer input, “3,14π” proposes an investigation in equal terms of physical condition/precision of movement vocabulary which by reacting/listening awareness creates a strong kinaesthetic impact. Everything we do through running inspires, guides and reminds us how vital it is to be active, each decision a responsibility for the environment we wish to create/inhabit. The environment/space of the run and its ability to connect us all directly to the sense of freedom it generates as we Live, Work and Run as part of the Global Community.

Tian Rotteveel                               

HEARTCORE                                                          

in Kooperation mit ZAIK Köln                            

vom 10. bis 17. Dezember 2015         

HEARTCORE ist ein performativer Forschungsraum für den körperlichen Ausdruck menschlichen Klangs: die Vorbereitung, Ausführung und der Nachhall von Lauten im Körper. Die Performer_innen schlagen einen Klangpfad ein, folgen eigenartiger Musik und eignen sich auf ihrem Weg Fantasiesprachen und klingende Mantras an. Zwischen aktivem Zuhören und dem Erzeugen von Live-Musik orientieren sie sich an immer neuen Strukturen und schwingen mit ihnen durch den Raum – bis ins Innerste des Herzens.

TIAN ROTTEVEELhat am Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag (NL) Musikkomposition studiert, Tanz an der SEAD (AU) und studiert derzeit Choreografie am HZT Berlin. In seiner Arbeit ist Klang ein Prozess, der sich in Musik, in Sprache, aber auch bloß in schiere Empfindung materialisieren kann. Tian hat u.a. zusammengearbeitet mit: MAE-Ensemble, Rosa Ensemble, Igor Dobricic, Diego Gil, David Zambrano, Jeremy Wade, Lea Martini und Kristina de Châtel.

Premiere: 11. Februar 2016, Sophiensaele Berlin

Weitere Aufführungen: 12./ 13./ 14. Februar 2016

Sung-Im Her 

YOU ARE OKAY!    

im Rahmen der Tanzrecherche NRW #17                

vom 28. September bis 15. November 2015

Werner Nigg (CH)

im Rahmen einer Koproduktion mit dem NRW-Mittelzentrum Bonn                         vom 24. August bis 28. September 2015