What happens when four contemporary choreographers explore chain dances, mill dances, figure-eight dances, Hamburg backward dances, Fürizwänger dances, mazurkas, quadrilles, and much more? What if they each work with a group of people interested in dance to perform their choreographies and combine them into one evening? What if we invite the audience not only to watch, but above all to dance themselves?
The conventional stage dance practice consists of dancing on stage and watching from the auditorium. Folk dances, on the other hand, are primarily for dancing. Their performance is at center, while watching it is a minor interest. For the project “HEUTE: volkstanzen” (TODAY: folk dancing), K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg, in cooperation with Tanzarchiv Leipzig e.V. and Schaubühne Lindenfels, invited four choreographers to engage intensively with folk dances based on their own practice. Jenny Beyer (Hamburg), Heike Hennig (Leipzig), Isabelle Schad (Berlin), and Doris Uhlich (Vienna) viewed the material (photos, films, music, texts, etc.) at the Tanzarchiv Leipzig, among other places, and connected it with their own artistic work. Following in the tradition of folk dance festivals (where folk dance groups from different countries and regions come together to show each other their dances and also dance together), an evening is created in which the audience is invited to dance themselves and watch the groups’ dances.
“HEUTE: volkstanzen” is a folk dance festival taking place in Hamburg and Leipzig, in which the practice of folk dancing between participating and watching (dancing and watching) is reflected not only in the development of the production, but also in the entire presentation format. The aim is to explore the potential of folk dancing as a physical and communal practice, both theoretically and practically, and to reflect on it from the perspective of contemporary dance and reinterpret it artistically. The influences of folk dancing on stage dance in the 20th century will be examined, as will its connection to hip-hop and other dances in group constellations. The fundamental choreographic and community-building structures of folk dance will be explored from the perspective of contemporary dance practice, and their potential for participation in contemporary dance and artistic-practical dance education will be harnessed for the long term.
In Germany in particular, folk dancing is often still accused of promoting a nationalistic view of culture due to its frequent exploitation by totalitarian regimes in the 20th century. It also has the image of being an outdated form of dance that refers to obsolete social and behavioral models. However, the practice of folk dancing is more vibrant and diverse than such prejudices suggest. Among other things, “HEUTE: volkstanzen” aims to demonstrate the potential of dancing together and what folk dances have to do with our everyday culture today.
Konzept, Künstlerische Projektleitung: Matthias Quabbe. Choreographie: Jenny Beyer (Hamburg), Heike Hennig (Leipzig), Isabelle Schad (Berlin), Doris Uhlich (Wien). Wissenschaftliche Mitarbeit: Theresa Jacobs, Patrick Primavesi (Tanzarchiv Leipzig e.V.). Musik: Sebastian Reier aka DJ Booty Carrell. Dramaturgische Assistenz, Projektkoordination: Lina Klingebeil. Assistenz Projektkoordination: Solveigh Patett. Bühnentechnik: Marian Regdosz. Licht: Dennis Döscher. Assistenz Choreographie: Lea Moro (Berlin), Marie Luise Hohmann (Leipzig). Recherche Workshop: Rolf Pauer (Hamburg), Winfried Lotz-Rambaldi (Berlin).
UA 17.10.2013, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg, Kampnagel
Gefördert von TANZFONDS ERBE – Eine Initiative der Kulturstiftung des Bundes. In Kooperation mit dem Tanzarchiv Leipzig e.V. und der Schaubühne Lindenfels Leipzig.
Grafik: Paula Franke. Foto: Anja Beutler.