What would a world look like in which differences were honoured, relationships nurtured, and bonds of solidarity transcend the barriers of war, cultural, and geography? This year’s programme of Tanz im August aims to show living forms of expression that emerge from the interface of art, dance, and storytelling. Under its artistic director Ricardo Carmona the festival presents 18 productions at 10 venues – including 3 premieres, 10 German premieres, and 7 Berlin and international co-productions.
Umuko by Dorothée Munyaneza
The festival opens with the German premiere of “umuko”, by Dorothée Munyaneza. This is a work that centres on the creativity, bravado, and freedom of a new generation, and exemplifies the focus of this year’s festival: how people and cultures are influenced by history and stories, memories and encounters.
Several productions this year combine into an anthology of stories about ancestors, lost times, migration, and future paths. Tamara Cubas shares tales of migration jorneys of women from different continents. Soa Ratsifandrihana takes on a voyage of disaporic lifes.
Francisco Camacho & Meg Stuart explore ancient ruins on the island of Sardinia, and find landscapes of emotion. Amanda Piña delves into forgotten biographies, bring to light a memorial of the Brown history of European dance.
connections beyond words
Other works show how stories can be told with very different means and media. Marco D’Agostin writes a letter to a person who can no longer receive it. Rita Mazza looks into the intimate relationship between voice and Deaf identity, and Alessandro Sciarroni guides us through a landscape of dreams, movement, and deep connections beyond words.
This year too artists express their ecological awareness and fellowship with the natural world through dance. Michelle Moura questions the increasing human exploitation of natural resources, taking her inspiration from non-Eurocentric perspectives.
Jérôme Bel & Estelle Zhong Mengual take us through the canon of Western dance history, and show how non-human life forms and natural phenomena have been portrayed. Christos Papadopoulos replicates the underground network of fungi and the movements of flocks of birds or of a shoal of fishes.
The present-day crisis situation of humankind is not ignored either. Jefta van Dinther carries us off into an immersive installation about escapism, deep fakes, and our dependency on machines. Viktor Szeri examines the impact on us of today’s world, gives his body over to the effects of fatigue. KOR’SIA goes in search of a renewed concept of humanism, of hope beyond today.
Outbox Movement
Other productions addressing various dance lineages give us exciting insights into history. Yinka Esi Graves works with the roots of flamenco. Mette Ingvartsen explores the choreographic potential of skateboards and roller skates, while Amala Dianor pays tribute to urban dance cultures and social-media choreographies. Outbox Movement unites a variety of dance forms in an outdoor battle format – open to all!
The programme is complemented by a range of free audience formats, such as audience talks “Beyond the Stage”, workshops, audio descriptions, podcasts, a presentation of the book “Let’s Not Get Used to This Place”, by Meg Stuart / Damaged Goods, and parties.
Selected Productions
This year too Tanz im August offers its youth ticket for four selected productions – a ticket for young people up to the age of 14, who can visit the festival for the special price of €5 accompanied by adult ticket-holders.
The festival centre at HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU2) will be a meeting place for the duration of Tanz im August. A place where the paths of artists, audience, and dance professionals cross. New contacts can be made through shared conversation, relaxation, and dancing. The festival box office is also at HAU2.
2024 Venues
HAU Hebbel am Ufer (HAU1, HAU2), Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Kraftwerk Berlin, Radialsystem, Sophiensæle (Festsaal, Hochzeitssaal), St. Elisabeth-Kirche, Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz and Tempelhofer Feld.
TANZ IM AUGUST
36th International Festival Berlin
Presented by HAU Hebbel am Ufer
15–31 August 2024
2024 Programme announcement and booking for all productions on 4 June at www.tanzimaugust.de and at www.hebbel-am-ufer.de.
Tanz im August is a HAU Hebbel am Ufer festival. Funded by the Capital Cultural Fund.
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