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Photos: Martina Thalhofer

actII_photo Martina Thalhofer 2.JPG

AcT II

Choreography/dance: Irina Demina

Music: A. Adan “Giselle” (2nd act)
Editing: Irina Demina
Light design:
Kim Byung goo/Paul Andersen/Daniel Paiva de Miranda

Classical ballet meets Berlin techno club, meets Lars von Trier, meets folk dance, meets “Self-unfinished”…

“ACT II” is a solo remake that relocates the folk legend of dancing female spirits Vilas into contemporary dance landscape. A starting point is a ghost-like figure of Vila, Slavic version of nymphs. According to the pagan legend Vilas are the spirits of brides who died before wedding, at the night time they come back from the underworld and lure young men to dance, dancing them to death.

In the Western world Vilas are indelibly connected with the Romantic ballet “Giselle” with its interpretation of spectral Vilas appearing in the second act, who almost snatch away the hero's life-breath, but must disappear at the break of dawn.

In an abstract humorous way, turning things upside down, I invite us to reflect on the topics of female sexuality, femininity, mysticism, depth and wisdom coded in folklore traditions.

How traditional are the traditions?

Who are these folklore female figures today?
And how would they be (folk) dancing?
And who am I (are we) in this world of poetic embodied folklore?
A hologram image?
A crack of reality?
An awkward grace?
A skinless body?

An uncomfortable truth?
?

with kind support:
ADA Studio (Berlin), Seoul Dance Centre (Seoul), Fjelldansen/Frikar SMIA (Valdres, Norway), Lake studios (Berlin), DOCK 11 (Berlin), Deep in the Mountains (PyeongChang, S. Korea), Alfred Töpfer Stiftung F.V.S., Goethe Institute Norway.

Thanks to:
Gabi Beier, Joachim Schlömer, Peter Pleyer Lisa Kruse, Soodong Jung, Jae Woo Ahn, David Samu, Joshua Rutter.

Performances:
ADA studio (Berlin),
Seoul Dance Centre (South Korea),

Tripple Bill, Lake studios (Berlin),

Performing Arts Festival (Berlin),

Frikar Smia (Valdres, Norway)

Kulturfabrikken Sortland (Sortland, Norway)

DOCK 11 (Berlin)
Submerge Festival (Berlin)

Photos: Cho Hyun woo/Seoul Dance Centre

Video of the full performance is available with password.

Feel free to write to irademina@gmail.com

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