Marcela Giesche
Choreographer I
Performer I Teacher
Self Portrait 24
Twenty-four dancers are sitting in chairs on either side of a white square on the stage: the audience settles, and the piece begins. One by one, they take turns presenting themselves with short solos—some detailed, others physically impressive, and many inducing uncontrollable laughter. The element of improvisation is tangible and exciting, and the audience is curious to read the text scrolling at the bottom of the stage that announces the name, birth date, and country of origin for each dancer: South Korea, Germany, Columbia, Italy, England, Turkey, Canada, Brazil, China, Norway, Spain, USA, Japan, Cuba, Puerto Rico…
Although the piece seems at first glance to be about the individuals, the power of the work lies in the way the group works together to create the through-line of the entire piece. Since the the order of the solos is not prepared beforehand each dancer is responsible to feel what the piece needs as a whole before they begin their solo. The current solo is therefore always influenced by the context of what came before, and being at the beginning or the ending holds the special responsibility of opening or closing the performance
The inspiration for the piece came from an audition. In auditions you often have to present yourselves one by one towards the end. In that particular audition we all did 2 minutes solos one by one, and I remember being fascinated by seeing each dancer so intimately and vulnerable—someone who had dedicated nearly their whole life to study and practice movement - all coming together in those short few minutes.
In the piece that I created from this idea, the whole evening is in silence to highlight the power and musicality of bare movement as human expression. The cold setting gives feeling of an interview, waiting room, audition, visa application—any application process where you have to present yourself. The set design as well reminds of a blank white piece of paper where each dancer can leave his or her signature in the space.
Article in Thalo Arts Magazine – April 8, 2018
Concept and Direction: Marcela Giesche
Performance:
Volume 1. March 28 & 29, 2014 (DOCK 11, Berlin)
Kiani del Valle Pinero, Bar Altshuler, Ben Block, Shiori Tada, Arianna Rodeghiero, Meltem Nil, Sunniva Vikør Egenes, Leyla Postalcıoğlu, Katharina Schwärzer, Jonas Büchler, Sonya Levin, Rosabel Huguet, Sebastian Collado, Valentina Migliorati, Ofir Najary, Annapaola Leso, Sinja Maucher, Andrea Krohn, Isabel Cuesta Camacho, Ilana Reynolds, Winnie Ho, Jadi Carboni, Moo Kim, Felix Ariel Castillo, Shin Jung Park
Volume 2. 15 & 16 May, 2015 (Lake Studios Berlin)
Gali Kinkulkin, Kei Minoura, Kazuma Glen Motomura, Anni Latunen, Eve Kolinski, Paula Monticenos, Justyna Kalbarcyzk, Danilo Andres, Bridie Gane, Kora Radella, Ellinor Lyungkvist, Andre Soares, Karen Harvey, Yotam Ariel Calo'Livne, Karina Suarez Bosche, Kareth Schaeffer, Amir Moll, Kata Kovacs, Moo Kim, Elena Dragonetti, Zwoisy Maers Clarke, Verena Sepp, Michael Shapira, Monica Gentile, Angela Munoz
Volume 3. 20. & 21. May, 2016 (Lake Studios Berlin)
Gali Kinkulkin, Antoine Ragot (Saturday), Kira Kirsch (Friday), Monica Gentile, Kazuma Glen Motomura, Clare Schweitzer, Vasanthi Argouin, Tina Benko, Lexy Panetta, Peter Waschinsky (Friday) Luisa Scholz, Zuzana Stütz, Jürgen Kuhne, Lucilla Rudolph, Dagmar Spain, Thomas Der See, Sophie Ketteniß, Jana Gehrke, Nina Dohle, Simone Ulrich Bochmann, Mathilde Jesse, Michael Jesse, Katharina Jesse, Sarah Menger, Isabella Drischel
Production: Lake Studios Berlin, DOCK 11 Berlin
VIDEO Volume. 1: https://vimeo.com/67834258
