Dreams in a cloudy space

Antje Velsinger
Small Stage
Dates
08.02.2020 – 09.02.2020
Alte Frau umarmt junge sitzende Frau. Im Hintergrund ein Bildschirm mit Frau im Rolli.
Junge Tänzerin auf Boden, im Hintergrund eine Projektionsfläche.
Eine Projektionsfläche als Bühnenhintergrund, auf der eine alte Frau mit Oranger Perücke zu sehen ist.
Zwei Frauen, alt und jung, auf dem Bühnenboden, im Hintergrund eine große Projektionsfläche.
Zwei Frauen, jung und alt, in zärtlicher Verbundenheit.

When capitalist society glances at ageing bodies, it sees deficits. When describing older people, that which is lacking and that which can no longer be attained oftentimes comes into focus. Is it fear of one’s own fugacity, fear of the loss of capability, that creates reserve between the generations? Founded on interviews, a movement research and a video shoot at several retirement homes and senior citizen centres, Antje Velsinger is occupied with physical qualities beyond mere efficiency. To revise the gaze on old bodies holds many questions and insights. Different body generations meet in a number of dream sequences. They seek secure footing, sink, fall, support each other, enjoy and use several tricks to master everyday life.
A choreography emerges from a poetic composition of video and sound fragments, objects and the bodies of two dancers, one being 35 years old and the other one being 75 years old, blurring the boundaries: Between activity and passivity, isolation and withdrawal, joy and resignation.
Antje Velsinger works as a freelance choreographer and performer in Cologne and Hamburg. She studied choreography and performance in Gießen, was the 2014 resident choreographer at K3 Tanzplan Hamburg and part of the post-graduate “Performing Citizenship” programme from 2015 until 2017. “Dreams in a cloudy space” held its celebrated premiere at Tanzfaktur Köln in November 2019.

Duration: 70 min.

Accompanying programme
So 09.02. talk afterwards
So 09.02. with German Sign Language (DGS)

Artistic direction, choreographer: Antje Velsinger; Dance: Pauline Payen, Brigitta Schirdewahn; Performance video: Marlies Dietrich, Inge Jost, Antje Velsinger; Stage: Sophie Aigner; Video: Ayla Pierrot Arendt; Sound: Julia Krause; Costumes: Valentina Primavera; Dramaturgy: Heike Bröckerhoff; Lighting: Henning Eggers; Production Management: Sabina Stücker.
A production by Antje Velsinger, co-produced by tanzhaus nrw. Funded by the Freie und Hansestadt Hamburg/Behörde für Kultur und Medien, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes NRW, NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste, Fonds darstellende Künste and Kunststiftung NRW. Supported by tanzfaktur Köln, Lichthoftheater Hamburg, retirement home Deckstein – Clarenbachwerk Köln, Seniorenhaus Heilige Drei Könige Köln and by DRK Seniorentreff Haus Ottensen Hamburg.