CPH STAGE 2022
UPPERCUT DANSETEATER/ RAPHAEL SOLHOLM
CPH STAGE June 2-11 cphstage.dk/en
INTRO
THIS STAGE HAS NO BOUNDARIES!
JEFFREY SCOTT STRATTON
Writing a preview of a theatre festival is not dissimilar to trying to understand a piece of performance dance or art. Assessing the work as a whole does not always yield dividends, but analysing parts of it does. This can often require the writer/viewer to reappraise everything they thought they knew. In a word: infuriating. The definition of success Identifying underlying themes is mostly futile. Just when you thought you had an understanding of the essence, an element comes along that smashes your conceptions to smithereens. Often there is no method to the order. Components come and go, and sometimes they come back again – establishing any kind of continuity is best avoided.
world of performance dance and art is one that will remain forever alien. You would imagine that curating a bold festival fizzing with untold creativity is a nightmare. But CPH STAGE, with its ninth edition since its launch in 2013, has vast experience in such matters.
or require no knowledge of any language to enjoy. Of these, CPH Stage has asked us to highlight six of them: the aforementioned translated trio and three awe-inspiring performance dance pieces: Act of Gravity (page 10), What was must die – Limbo (page 11) and.Radical Vitality (page 5). Ahead of the staging of the latter, we are immensely proud to have interviewed her creator, the legendary choreographer Marie Chouinard (pages 4-5).
At the Intersection, They Get a New Sofa
“We engage two juries – one from Denmark focusing on Danish works with a strong density in artistic expression. And one from abroad who looks at Danish works that are relevant and on point for international audiences. The aim is to build a bridge to people who are curious about discovering Danish performing arts.” Exciting translations The performances won’t be to everyone’s tastes – although there are some notable exceptions that are universally accessible – but there are no half-measures.
No boundaries If you had difficulty following that logic, you’re probably not the only one, and for many the
The one thing you can be sure of is that CPH STAGE is boldly taking the shackles off its participants and encouraging them to go in the
CPH STAGE 2022 GUIDE
Danish theatre is often elusive to those who have not mastered the language, so it is exciting to note that three of its most celebrated plays of recent years – Why Me? (page 8), Rocky (page 9), and At the Intersection You Get a New Sofa (page 2) – have been translated into English for us to enjoy.
“CPH STAGE is the national festival in Denmark – presenting works from all over the country and also from abroad. The festival combines a 33 accessible productions fringe atmosphere with a curated programme This supplement contains 33 listings of proto guide you as an audience with highlights ductions that are either performed in English from both Denmark and the international field,” FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT CPH STAGE told CPH POST.
And afterwards it’s open to interpretation whether it has been a success. Limited attention does not measure anything – the creator will know in their heart whether they have been true to themselves, or lowered their ideals for the sake of conformity.
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direction their artistic expression takes them.
June 1-2 & 6-11, 20:00, June 2, 12:00, June 3-4, 22:00; Aveny-T, Frederiksberg Allé 102, Frederiksberg; in Danish with English supertitles
Based on excerpts from award-winning Danish author Helle Helle’s critically-acclaimed novel ‘They’, this heavily visual monologue performed by actress Rosalinde Mynster is one of the highlights of the festival. A woman relives her life as a teenager. In flashbacks and fragments of everyday episodes, her mother’s terminal illness and her own young teenage life unfold. In the performance, a young woman walks around a forest of glowing LED bars. She relives her life in fragments. Her memories are evoked as text, light, colors, images, and sounds. The memory of her and her mother’s lives dominates everything. The actor acts as a memory machine. CPH STAGE is so insistent international audiences watch this, they have gone to the trouble of providing supertitles in English. Co-produced by Hotel Pro Forma and Aalborg Teater, it shouldn’t be missed. Publisher: CPH POST • Editor: Hans Hermansen • Info: hans@cphpost.dk • Tel: +45 2420 2411
dramatic works • live productions readings • podcasts educational and networking initiatives
www.hit-theatre.com
OPTIONS
CRYSTALLISATION OF A CHOREOGRAPHER MARIE CHOUINARD: MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF MAKING MAGIC THROUGH DANCE
ALL PHOTOS: SYLVIE-ANN PARÉ
SANDRA ABDELBAKI With a purpose to create and offer a space for inner liberation, choreographer and dancer Marie Chouinard has created fulfilling universal experiences through her choreographies and brought new perspectives on body exploration and communication to the dance profession. A global phenomenon In 1978, Choinard showcased her first creation, ‘Crystallization’, and since then she has created dozens of dance pieces including more than 50 solos and group works. Through her creations, she depicts her understanding of the poetics of the body and the intimate connections among human beings. In 1990, she founded her own dance company, La Compagnie Marie Chouinard, presenting her work in different parts around the globe. Widespread recognition She is also a multidisciplinary artist who is passionate about film, drawing, poetry and different kinds of arts.
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CPH STAGE 2022 GUIDE
Chouinard has received multiple awards and recognitions including the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts, and Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. As part of a tour, Chouinard is showcasing one of her creations, ‘Radical Vitality’, at the CPH STAGE festival on June 6 and 7. You kicked off your career journey in dance and choreography in 1978. Can you take us back to the moments of your first show and the feelings you encountered? The first image that comes to me when you ask this question is when I was backstage waiting to go on stage. I opened the little window that was there, and it was snowing outside. I just put my hand outside the window to catch the snowflakes in my hand – and I felt this was the best benediction, the best blessing I could get. I was receiving that blessing from the water, from the spirit, from everything around me, and I felt genuinely happy. I remember that during that time, I was trying to offer one choreography which was called ‘Crystallization’, and it was not
at all that I wanted to become a professional dancer or a choreographer. I was simply young and trying so many things. So, it was like a oneshot deal – and then I never stopped.
And what drives you to always be working? It’s passion, and it also feels like a game. Similar to how kids like to play, I also play the game of creation and communication. I’m playing the game of being a human being in connection with other human beings, and I enjoy the dynamic of being alive and taking the chance.
The preparations for this piece started years ago before the pandemic. We worked on it for a long time. I wanted to create a performance with many solos and duets, and incorporate Haiku. Haiku is a traditional way of short-form poetry for Zen masters in Japan and it takes your mind to another level. So, I had in my group pieces many little duos and solos and I thought I would go back to them and recreate them or transform them a bit so they become independent work from the whole piece. But as I am always excited with creation, I created new solos and new duets, and then I chose the selection and the order in which to put them. Basically, it is a work of raw material and it depicts the art of creating. Just like an architect, you construct a piece and it’s made of millions of little decisions and choices – like matching the dancer to the solos according to their inner quality – and then you finally start fine-tuning the piece.
Let’s move on to talk more specifically about the show in Copenhagen taking place at the beginning of June. Can you tell me more about the preparations for the piece ‘Radical Vitality’?
When you go through the creation process, do you think of it more as a personal expression or a collective experience? In fact, I do not see any link with it on a personal level. Besides the fact that I am an artist and
How has your journey in dance evolved throughout the years? Something you have to know about me is that I’m always working. I’m really passionate about putting in effort until the vision and feelings I have get incarnated – and that requires a lot of energy and dedication. I am always spiritually and emotionally connected to what is bigger than me.
I need to create, I am always trying to be a medium or a canon between what is bigger than me and the object of creation. I want my creations to be a universal experience. In that sense, would you say that the creations become political? They are absolutely political. It is political to simply breathe. It is political to remind people that we are breathing and that we have a spirit and a soul that needs to be incarnated. For me, everything is political. It is political to be a woman, to be a human being, and to manifest our humanity, our generosity and our love for life and humankind. So, what do you want the audience to take away from the show? I hope that for the audience, the show is a moment where they can connect with their journey as human beings, where they can connect to their inner freedom and the inner liberation of their inner systems. I want it to be a moment of rejuvenation for the inner activities of the inner soul and the spirit in their organisation. I hope it’s an occasion for them to travel and witness an experience that is a bit different from their habitual way of perceiving life and human beings. Maybe in that little moment, they would have the opportunity to shift a little thing in their love and sensation for life and in their appreciation of something that is nourishing: their love for freedom, for life and love. On another level, I also hope that my creation, which is not usually traditional, is an artistic
and aesthetic object that their intelligence can appreciate. If we want to move on to talk more about the dance profession in general, what do you think of its current global status? The artistic practice of dance is so small in the field of art. I think that dance is really still so underground. This makes it more difficult to reach more people. I would hope that dance as an art is more accessible and more people would get to know it. Very often when I see people coming for the first time to see one of my shows, they tell me that they never thought of dance in that way. You can find support for the dance profession in many countries but many others still suffer from a lack of support. What are your future plans? Are there new pieces cooking? I want to always be creating. I want to fulfill the purpose of bringing occasions to other human beings where they can connect to beauty, humanity and love. My purpose is to always celebrate love. And what is fun about creations is that you never know when you will create the piece. It is a fun adventure to step into a new creation. For example, when I started with the ‘Radical Vitality’ creation, I did not know where it would lead me. You just work and discover. I currently have five or six things that I am working on. They are all progressing and I am curious to see how they will go.
Radical Vitality June 6-7, 20:00; Bellahøj Friluftsscene (located close to Bellahøj Amfiteater), Bellahøj (5km NW of Cph K)
Only the very best are invited to attend the Venice Biennale, let alone open it. But Radical Vitality did just that in 2018. Since then, this world-class dance performance has wowed the world over. And the good news is that in this Bellahøj park, there’s plenty of room to enjoy the show. Presented in collaboration with Dansehallerne and Bora-Bora, this is a highlights reel celebrating 30 years of Compagnie Marie Chouinard. Overseeing proceedings is none other than the great choreographer herself. In the interview above, CPH POST caught up with the maestro in early May to hear more about the show.
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June 7, 20:00, June 8-9, 18:00, June 10, 14:00; Bådteatret, Nyhavn, Cph K
June 2 & 9, 19:00, June 3, 10 & 11, 15:00, June 4, 16:30, June 11, 12:00; Glyptoteket, Dantes Plads 7, Cph K
Livingstones Kabinet presents a brand new piece of English-language animation theatre with live music that is both compelling and darkly comic. The production touches on inherited trauma, racism, and our tendency to quickly reach false conclusions. On June 7, there is a post-performance panel discussion about inherited trauma.
In the prestigious surroundings of the historic Glyptoteket art museum, experience operatic music among its famous statues. Inspired by the poems of Sappho of Lesbos, the lyrics might be in Danish but they should be heard by everyone.
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TradiTional irish Pub
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My Quiet Home
Closing party
June 9 & 10, 20:00; Dansekapellet, Bispebjerg Torv 1, Cph NV
June 11, 21:30; Aveny-T, Frederiksberg Allé 102, Frederiksberg; free adm AVENY-T hosted the opening play, festival highlight At the Intersection, They Get a New Sofa, so it stands to reason it should host the CPH STAGE official after-party. Free of charge to enter, DJ Vistis Vinyler (Jonas Visti) promises to set the dancefloor on fire.
Poetic, touching, powerful! Ukrainian dancers Kateryna Kuznetsova, Yekateryna Bysheva and Oleksandra Maksimchuk fled their homeland to escape the War in Ukraine, but nobody can doubt the indomitable courage of this performance, staged in collaboration with the Holsterbro Theater and Dance Company. This is as contemporary as dance gets!
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LISTINGS
kim wendt
Why Me? June 8-10, performances at 20:00, 16:00 & 21:30; Teater V i Prøvehallen, Porcelænstorvet 4, Valby; teater-v.dk
Twenty years ago, a comedy about cancer would have been unthinkable. But since then, we’ve had The Farewell, 50/50 … hell, even Breaking Bad is a darkly comic tale. But this isn’t the case with ‘Why Me’. Come to the theatre prepared to be moved by a script that touches heavily on the pain caused by the disease, as well as the loneliness. Not least, the star of this production is the actress who inspired the script: Christina Seldens. Hers is a tale of woe, for sure, but also one that offers much hope and joy. Together with writer and director Kamilla Wargo Brekling, she has helped to fashion a deeply authentic monologue that will stay with you long after the curtain has been raised.
Asuwaju
Do you hear the roars outside the building
June 2-3 & 9-11, 12:00-16:00; Friisland, Kattegatvej 39, Nordhavn; friisland.dk
June 3, 4 & 8, 18:15, 14:15 on June 4, 13:00 on June 8; Union, Nørre Allé 7, Cph N
Live Art Denmark’s tribute to strong, historically important women will be performed 80-100 times over the five days, each time for around 15 minutes. This will be an experience like no other, submerged in the Yoruba language at the mercy of Taiwo’s installation and dancing.
This English-language play takes us inside the palace of a West African leader (Hervé Toure) hours before it is stormed. Exploring African idealism, the aftermath of colonialism and continued bloodshed in the continent, the roars are deafening by the end!
The Smile off your Face
Scheiny’s All Star Yiddish Revue The Little Mermaid
Choreography on the Face
June 2-4, every 30 min from 14:00-21:30; Edison, Edisonsvej 10, Frederiksberg
June 2, 18:00; Det Jødiske Hus, Krystalgade 12, Cph K
June 6, 20:00; Metronomen, Godthåbsvej 33, Frederiksberg
June 8 & 9, 18:00; Det Lilla Rum, Skotterupgade 16, Cph N
A proud entry among the Guardian’s top 50 shows of the 21st century, this is an experience like no other, and you share it alone. Belgian company Ontroerend Goed will blindfold and tie you to a wheelchair. The rest is left to your imagination.
This is a shoo-in for fans of Netflix series Shtisel, a showcase for sassy, swinging Jewish music that lifts the human spirit. But as lively as Vienna-based Jewish-American performer Deborah ‘Scheiny’ Gzesh and her band are, the sorrow of their forefathers is never far from her lips.
Pernille Rübner-Petersen performs songs telling the story of HC Andersen’s original fairy-tale with piano accompaniment from Johann Gustav Skov-Hansen. Be warned: this is not the Disney version and there will be blood in the mermaid’s brutal and cruel destiny.
Imagine an English-language performance lecture where you cannot hide, for you, and the rest of the audience, are part of the show. Enjoy micro-choreographies performed on each other’s faces – the big question is whether they mirror the one going on in your mind.
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CPH STAGE 2022 GUIDE
ENGLISH-LANGUAGE LISTINGS
Rocky! June 9, 20:00, Danish versions on June 10 (20:00) & 11 (15:00); Edison, Edisonsvej 10, Frederiksberg
This acclaimed Fix & Foxy production has been doing the rounds for a few years now, winning acclaim at every turn, feint and punch. Inspired by the Sylvester Stallone film, Morten Burian narrates and then acts in this politically-charged monologue about how modern Denmark has trampled on the underdog. Served by powerful imagery, this one is hard to forget – particularly in regard to recent events that have seen the left become as big a threat to social order as the right. Whatever you do, book tickets for this performance. Don’t leave it too late, as it is likely to sell out in the time it took Ivan Drago to demolish Apollo Creed.
Avatar Me
Moon
June 8-10, 13:00, 14:00, 16:00, 17:00, 18:00, 20:00 & 21:00; online; requires phone or computer
June 8 & 9, 17:00; Teaterøen, William Wains Gade 18, Cph K
Using your phone, you could be anywhere, and this is the premise of Fix & Foxy’s Avatar Me: a disengagement from your surroundings, life, mind and body – as long as you are prepared to receive a link to open up another dimension. Pre-show, listen to ‘Once in a Lifetime’ by Talking Heads!
Sailing to the moon might be impossible, but that hasn’t stopped artists taking it as their inspiration. Director Peter Kirk, performer Tilde Knudsen and musician Klaus Risager take it as their starting point for a cabaret/song cycle about longing, desire and transformation.
Playback
RE(W)RITE!
The Smoker
Somatography
June 10, 20:00, June 11, 17:00; Husets Teater, Halmtorvet 9, Cph V
June 8, 10 & 11, 19:00 & 21:00, June 11, 17:00; Serapions-Ordenen Sekretariat, Haveselskabetsvej 3B, Frederiksberg
June 9-10; 19:00, in Danish June 6-8; Skolen på Amagerbro, Lybækgade 20, Cph S
June 7 & 8, 18:00, June 9, 16:00; Exact location TBC, Sønder Boulevard, Cph V
The Mini Playback Show, a pre-Pop Idol German contest in which children impersonate adult singers, is choreographer and dancer Joana Tischkau’s inspiration for a montage that explores the white German desire for black impersonation, now translated into English.
Corona did tear us apart, but this is the new order: Cantabile 2’s profound group experience for us to celebrate being close to one another again. Observe and participate in a collection of deeply moving sensorial experiences.
Teater Lux’s futuristic tale about a smoker who travels to the Amazonian Rainforest to find somebody without an artificial lung transplant, who can help him counteract the global ban on tobacco. Does that sound wacko enough for you, Crazy Horse?
Venture outdoors with Dansehallerne to paint the town red, or to at least redraw it, through dance and choreography. A map will guide the audience through a moulded reality of public space, taking them somewhere between the real and the imagined.
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NON VERBAL LISTINGS
Act of Gravity June 9-11, 20:00; Den Grå Hal, Christiania; talks in English on June 9 & 10 (Thomas Hertog), 11 & 12 (Jácome Armas), 15 & 16 (Marianne Vestergaard), 17 & 18 (Alejandra Castro)
Still going strong since its foundation in 2005 by choreographer Tina Tarpgaard, who remains in charge today, the dance community in Copenhagen looks to Recoil Performance Group to set the standards. Its choice of work reflects a group unafraid to take on the big subjects, and this time around it is the force that affects us all, and pretty much everything else in the universe: Gravity! Act of Gravity has been developed in collaboration with Science & Cocktails, a series of talks that have become so popular of late they’ve moved to DR Koncerthuset to satisfy the demand. From June 9-18, Science & Cocktails has recruited four distinguished academics to deliver their scientific expertise in a series of, well lubricated of course, lectures – a fitting afterthought for a dance performance that strides the line between art and science.
Oceanic
Le Sacre du Printemps
June 7 at 18:00, June 8 at 14:00; Dansekapellet, Bispebjerg Torv 1, Cph NV;
June 2, 19:30; Østre Gasværk Theatre, Nyborggade 17, Cph Ø
As one of Copenhagen’s most renowned performer-choreographers, Marie Topp knows how to take her audience on a journey: this time through a hallucinogenic sea and mythological landscape, performed to a hierarchy of sound with a feminist perspective
Spring can take forever to come, but how much do they want it? So bad, they’ll undergo sacrificial rituals and dance themselves to death. Choreographers Germaine Acogny and Malou Airaudo take on Pina Bausch’s iconic, sacred work – for one night only. Expect fireworks.
The Syncopators
Song of 8
Tuesday Night Sleeping Club 2.0 Little Miracles of Life
June 4-5, 15:00; Solbjerg Plads, Frederiksberg
June 7 & 8, 18:00, June 9, 16:00; Husets Teater, Halmtorvet 9, Cph V
June 7, 21:00; tune into the HelloEarth ‘Live Stream’; tuesdaynightsleeping.club
June 8 at 20:00, June 9 at 13:00; Nørrebro Teater, Ravnsborggade 3, Cph N
Five octopus-like creatures appear in a city square. In collaboration with Dansehallerne and FRBDAGE, Norwegian choreographer Ingri Fiksdal invites us into the future. At stake is how our bodies will evolve. After all, it makes sense for us to have more than two legs.
Ethereal, ground-breaking, borderline annoying, this vocal and dance piece from Institute of Interconnected Realities will certainly take you into a different dimension. As three performers take to the stage, the shadows encroach and our reality is distorted.
It’s crazy to think 90+ percent of us are asleep at the same time. Tapping into the miracle of this giant sleeping collective, the live stream asks us to consider this space of interconnectedness, intuitive time and invisible political presence. Into the night!
Paolo Nani Theatre presents a solo performance featuring a drawing-artist seemingly lost in his thoughts and creation. But even he cannot ignore the noises from the street and next door. Watch as the ‘intruders’ infiltrate his work and leave a lasting impression on us all.
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NON VERBAL LISTINGS
What was must die - Limbo June 4, 6-8 & 11, 20:00, June 5, 17:00, June 9, 18:00; Fabrikken for Kunst & Design, Sundholmsvej 46, Cph S
You’ve probably seen images from Plejer er Død on posters around town, or the videos online, as the first instalment of Uppercut Dance Theater’s trilogy was warmly received by critics and audiences alike. And you no doubt remember them: striking dancers, bathed in resplendent crimson, taking it in turns to wear a pig’s head. After all, the title ‘Samba’ is taken from the dance in which everyone draws the spotlight. In part two, ‘Limbo’, it is the turn of the outsider: principally to bridge the gap between the abandonment of the first and fulfillment of the third instalments. Our inner-pig must break free from the stronghold of uncertainty, overcome the abyss of doubt and embrace the zenith of transition. Six-star reviews from CPH Culture and Sceneblog suggest Plejer is very much alive!
Benched
M.I.S. – All Night Long
June 10, 14:00 & 18:00; Dansekapellet, Bispebjerg Torv 1, Cph NV; uppercutdanseteater.dk
June 9 at 18:00, June 10 at 20:00; Teater V i Prøvehallen, Porcelænstorvet 4, Valby; teater-v.dk
Lauded by both Politiken (“playful and cool”) and Jyllands-Posten (“perfect dance performance”), Uppercut Dance Theater takes inspiration from one of the performing arts’ favourite metaphors for life: the park bench. Where will it take us? Sit down and find out in good time!
Performed to live club music and a backdrop of wacky film projections, this Don Gnu production explores modern man in all his guises: from the Latino lover to the pushover. You’ll want this evening of Jackass-style stunts, slapstick comedy and raw physicality to continue all night long.
Morphosis
The Swimmer
The Tempest
Triptokon III
June 10 & 11, 19:00; Amager Fælled, Ørestads Boulevard ved Den landskabelige Kanal ved Broen, Cph S
June 9-10, 17:00 & 19:00, June 11, 14:00 & 16:00; Sydhavn Teater, Østre Kapel, Vestre Kirkegård, Cph SV
June 9, 18:00, June 10, 16:00; Dansekapellet, Bispebjerg Torv 1, Cph NV
June 11, 20:30; Den Frie Udstillingsbygning, Oslo Plads 1, Cph Ø
The sun will still be shining when Beyond Darkness welcomes you to their corner of Amager Fælled for an evening among local flora and fauna, where past, future and present merge into a colourful universe. The park will never look the same again!
It figures that there’s water involved, but not really, as this aquaspective depends on you, the audience, taking a leap of faith and plunging into a bleak void where logic and reason elude us. Join two sensory body-pals as they try to make sense of their desolate universe.
Hamletscenen’s involvement confirms this is the Shakespeare version, but not like you’ve ever seen it before. Glad Teater presents a contemporary dance performance about dreams, destinies, stormy weather and finding your way home.
The third part of a performance event created by DANSEatelier to complete the picture: not too dissimilar to the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Be. Choreographic tableaus shift between the undone, done and that which has already passed. Scrooge had better get his dancing shoes.
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M.I.S. ALL SPECIAL LIVE-CONCERT NIGHT LONG EDITION WITH
MAMES BABEGENUSH
DON GNU are back in their threadbare socks and downtrodden sandals in their hunt for contemporary man’s identity!
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
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★★★★★★
★★★★★
THE HEROLD
THE SKINNY MAGAZINE SCENEKANTEN
BERLINGSKE
JUNE 9-10
TEATER V CPH STAGE TICKETS 40-175 DKR INFO WWW.DONGNU.DK
5 STJERNER KULTURTID
TV2 ØSTJYLLAND KULTURSHOT
★★★★ DEN 4. VÆG