UPRO (AT)

Bahar Gökten and Daniela Rodriguez Romero are founding members of dance collective nutrospektif – currently tanzhaus nrw Factory Artists – which aims to create an urban dance experience in a stage context, lending visibility to it. The two dancers introduced young urban dancers* from Cologne and surrounding areas to choreographic methods and experimental movement research in the project series “Street to Stage”, which lasted for a span of two years. This series focused on the tension in which the urban dancers* themselves are situated: A “moving of oneself” between institutional educational opportunities, informal dance culture, occupational perspective on the future, pressure on decision-making, the urge for self-realisation and the desire for recognition of their dance and skills. What position do young dancers* occupy in this? Which decisions do they take for themselves, and what insights do they express for their generation? The feature-length play “UPRO” (AT) bundles the thoughts that they collected together as well as personal positions and debates, marking a new stage in their artistic development.
In their shared artistically explorative work, Bahar Gökten and Daniela Rodriguez Romero are dedicated to the movement principles as well as to the cultural practice of urban dance styles such as hip hop, breaking, or popping, and they generate choreographic methods. They develop stage plays, innovative improvisational formats and genre-crossing co-operations. In all this, the support of up-and-coming dancers* forms an elementary component of their creative philosophy, proof of which can be found in their longstanding implementation of educational offerings and creative projects for and with young people.

Duration: 60 Min.