NAH
Proximity describes not only a close physical distance, but also a feeling of familiarity between each other. "We are NEAR to each other". the choreography NAH explores the form that this mutual familiarity between dancers and spectators can take and how it is created. contemporary dance in particular is often surrounded by mystery: why do the dancers move in this or that way? is it still dance at all? does dance have to look beautiful?
in NAH, the dancers repeatedly approach the audience spread out on the stage and share with them their movement motives, choreographic processes and the emotions involved. does this knowledge create closeness? in the process, the audience is repeatedly given the opportunity to change their perspective in the space. and the space also moves with them and is part of the choreographic landscape, which is constantly changing. the attempt here is to shift the boundaries between spectators and dancers, but never to dissolve them completely. NAH continues marie-lena kaiser's artistic exploration of questions surrounding hierarchies and structures on stage by making supposedly impenetrable processes transparent as an artistic method.
do we need borders to get close to each other? NAH does not want to find answers, but would like to critically examine concepts of 'authenticity' and 'participation' and thereby suggest a new approach.
the sonic concept for this production is based on the idea of a hypnotic, spatialised, constant sound scape, not as a music that illustrates the dance, but more of a sonic environment, that offers the performers some impulses and, embeds the audience through a 6-channel speaker setup into the multisensory and immediate space that NAH evokes. drawing from the one sonic element the performance is using: the human voice and speech, musicalised elements appear and disappear within the 70-minutes performance.
choreography: marie-lena kaiser
performers: kati masami menze, jordan gigout, eslam elnebishy, johannes schropp, bianca sere pulungan
music: johannes schropp
dramaturgy, audiodescription: alex piasente-szymański
lights: laura salerno
stage: eva budniewski
costume: frederike marsha coors
production manager: elena martin casai
advising producer: martin rascher