Steps: tanzmainz (DE)

Walking, running, staggering, stumbling, shuffling: «Sphynx» takes simple forms of locomotion and turns them into a central object of interest and exploration Sphynx takes simple forms of locomotion and turns them into a central object of interest and exploration. In her award-winning choreography, Swiss choreographer Rafaële Giovanola tests the limits of what it means to be human and poses the elementary question of what actually defines us as a species. Together with fourteen dancers from tanzmainz, she discovers the almost infinite and fascinating universe of human locomotion.

It sounds simple but has a captivating pull. «Sphynx» is not just a study of movement, it is a clever declination ofhuman motor skills – realised precisely and extremely consistently.

There is no shortage of imagination: great dancing ingenuity meets the individual subtleties of every single body on stage and opens up an unusual perspective on the human musculoskeletal system.

«Sphynx» was awarded the German theatre prize DER FAUST in 2022. The choreographer behind this important award is a familiar face at Steps: Rafaële Giovanola was already part of the festival in 2022 with her own company, CocoonDance.

Simply put: The piece is about human locomotion. The dancers on stage walk, stumble and shuffle. The dancers use their imagination. Their bodies move very differently: sometimes fast, sometimes slow. The question is: what distinguishes us humans from other living beings?

Info

Duration: 55 minutes
Spoken language: none
Age recommendation: 14+
Content warnings: non
World premiere: 30.1.2022, Staatstheater Mainz
Further information: staatstheater-mainz.com

Credits

Choreography: Rafaële Giovanola
Assitant choreography: Álvaro Esteban, Bärbel Stenzenberger
Performers: N.N.
Dramaturgy: Rainald Endrass
Costume design: Mathilde Grebot
Composition: Tiago Cerqueira
Lighting design: Wil Frikken
Rehearsal director: Simone Deriu
Director tanzmainz: Honne Dohrmann
Head of production: Lisa Besser
Assistant Dance Director and Tour Coordinator: Hannah Meyer Scharenberg
Assistant to the Dance Director: Julia Kraus
Bühnen- und Toninstallation auf Tournee: Luka Curk
Stage and Sound Installation on Tour: Dominik Hager
Tour Management: Matthew Tusa

Production: Staatstheater Mainz

Rafaële Giovanola

Rafaële Giovanola is one of the most important contemporary choreographers and art mediators. Born in Switzerland, she has been successfully creating dance pieces for over two decades – both for her own company CocoonDance and for internationally renowned ensembles such as tanzmainz. In 2022, the Bonn-based artist received the German Theatre Award DER FAUST for her choreography «Sphynx». Picture © Massimo Leardini