Choreography and Protest

Mass demonstrations on Taksim Square in Istanbul, the Occupy Movement, the revolts in Tunisia and Egypt – these events were the basis for a project at Kampnagel which identified correlations between choreography and protest. The project began with the observation that certain groups integrate choreographic and dance elements into their demonstrations, such as the European Rebel Clown Army, the “je danserai malgré tout” movement in Tunisia and the “Standing Man” on Taksim Square. The project investigated the potential of choreographic strategies for protest movements and staged eight training camps, which people were invited to attend without prior dance knowledge. The aim was to consciously combine reality with staged action and integrate real-life protest movements into theatre. The dance trainers included the queer activist Keith Hennessy, the artist and member of the English Rebel Clown Army John Jordan, the “Standing Man” from Istanbul Erdem Gündüz and the theorist Ana Vujanovic . In addition to the training programme, the project included new productions by Keith Hennessy, Saša Asentić and Omer Krieger. “Choreography and Protest” served as a platform for top-level choreographers, dancers, theorists and political activists, which enabled artists and audiences alike to go in search of the “social choreographies” (Andrew Hewitt) of today.

Artistic directors: Melanie Zimmermann, Caroline Spellenberg
Choreography: Keith Hennessy (US), Saša Asentić (CS), Sinisa Ilic, Marta Popivoda, Ana Vujanovic, Omer Krieger, Schwabinggrad Ballett, Erdem Gündüz (TR), John Jordan (GB), Taoufiq Izeddiou, Isabelle Schad, Jassem Hindi and others