DANCING WITH GHOSTS // Performance
Ackerstraße 169, 10115 Berlin, Germany
Vangeline (USA/FR) und Yael Gaathon (DK/ISR) / Blue Cliff
*German Premiere*
Blue Cliff is a performing arts company located in Denmark and working on the range between Butoh and theater. In “Dancing with Ghosts”, Blue Cliff presents two modern day Butoh artists, Yael Gaathon (DK/ISR) and Vangeline (USA/FR), bringing to the stage two solo pieces with complementary and contradictory styles and atmosphere.
There will be also artist talk both evenings after the performances.
I
Butoh Beethoven
… 4-star performance of BUTOH BEEETHOVEN received critical acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2015 and was dubbed ‘Exquisite…a resplendent piece of performance theatre; a true tour de force, literally a feat of strength, within and without.”
Choreography and dance: Vangeline
Music: Ludwig von Beethoven, Geoff Shelton
Costume: Todd Thomas
Photo: Michael Blase
New York butoh star Vangeline conjures ghosts of two passionate giants – founder of butoh Tatsumi Hijikata and composer Ludwig van Beethoven – in her hypnotic, electrifying and award-winning solo performance “Butoh Beethoven”. Vangeline's costume is created by New York designer Todd Thomas (Katy Perry Prismatic Tour).
To create this solo show, Vangeline drew upon the power of Beethoven’s music and the dramatically charged art of conducting (which she studied for four months). There are, she claims, forces at work here that go beyond a typical dance piece: ‘I’m exploring human history in all its beauty and violence. I’ve also learned to always invite spirits into my dance.’
“We are drawn into a world of passionate struggle, huge pain and the glories of composition, of performance, of pouring one’s soul into beauty to combat torment. Butoh followed in the wake of its founders’ harsh experiences during World War Two, while Beethoven fought to continue creating despite despair at his ailments… Vangeline’s exquisite control allows change where there seems no movement, as well as holding distorted shapes, sinking below crushing metaphorical weight and fighting to rise to the heights of glorious accomplishment…” 4-star review by Edinburgh Spotlight
II
By the Fading Light
Choreography and dance: Yael Gaathon
Music: Israel Bright
Light design: Mogens Kjempff
Photo: Martin Busburg
“By the Fading Light”, holding it’s world premier in Aarhus in June 2016, is a Butoh-theater piece about age and aging. In it Yael Gaathon (DK/ISR) unfolds the inner story of a woman past and present, journeying through memories, fears and acceptance.
Age and aging. Losing our looks and losing our mind. Coping with memories, with regrets, with ghosts of dreams that have died, with fear of death, with letting go.
So much loss, and yet… what do we gain?
Nothing compares with the wisdom of mountains.
Gefördert durch The Danish Arts Foundation, The City of Aarhus, Dansevaerket – Aarhus, Materials For The Arts - NY
15. + 16. June 2016, 20:00
Acker Stadt Palast
Ackerstraße 169/170, Berlin
Tickets: 13,- € / 8,- €
Reservation: karten[at]ackerstadtpalast.de or at the theatre
