PUSHING BORDERS
THREE POSITIONS IN CONTEMPORARY DANCE

For 30 years, euro-scene Leipzig has been a forum and trendsetter for contemporary dance in Germany. The anniversary festival in November 2020 had to be canceled due to the pandemic, and one year later, it entered a new era under new management. “Pushing Borders” was produced in collaboration with euro-scene in the factory halls of the Kunstkraftwerk Leipzig.

The three-part work focuses on contemporary diagnostic reflections: What relationship do people in today’s world have to themselves, each other, and nature? In their work, the choreographers explore boundaries in our society and their transgression, and performatively search for solutions related to the disquiet and disorientation caused within us by current crises.

With her performance Breathe, Finnish choreographer Milla Koistinen examines the motifs of people’s at times gentle, at times harsh behavior. In the interplay of resistance and subordination, she explores numerous alternative courses of action and questions their effects on the group and the individual.

Arno Schuitemaker’s work is characterized by a distinctly physical and sensory approach to existential themes. For one woman and two men, the trio If You Could See Me Now transforms what starts as a relaxed club dance into a hypnotic, undulating movement that eventually dissolves into a sizeable energetic entity.

In Mountains, a solo work for a female performer, Jefta van Dinther explores how we can both be and remain connected to our ever-changing world while we as humans are constantly beset by the inherent conflict between nature and culture. Brief mini-portraits of the choreographers and their comments on their works bridge the individual dance contributions. They speak about their inspiration and experiences and explain their artistic position in the broad field of contemporary dance.