
CocoonDance
RUNthrough
"RUNthrough" is a choreographic remix, a fascinating fusion of different concepts of movement and body languages. The company behind the performance is CocoonDance, a now indispensable part of the contemporary European dance scene. For over two decades, the ensemble around Swiss choreographer Rafaële Giovanola has been delivering outstanding works and is known for its collaborative, process-focused way of working. This way of working also forms the artistic basis of "RUNthrough": built on creative experiments devised from four one-week encounters with people from different dance contexts, giving the company an undiscovered perspective. The material created from this joint research into bodies and movement serves as a source of inspiration for the new choreography, which sees eight dancers and one live DJ translate the inspiration gained from residences with Kud Kolo, Kamau & the Wolf, Swiss representatives of "The Iconic Kiki House of Juicy Couture" and Theater Hora into their own language. The fusion of numerous different influences creates a thrilling atmosphere guaranteed to capture the audience members and show them a take on movement they may find surprising.
For those interested, a mini-documentary under "Videos" provides exciting insights into CocoonDance's encounters – with Serbian folklore dance group "Kud Kolo", Geneva rappers "Kamau & the Wolf" and Theater Hora.
Videos

"RUNthrough" Teaser 1

"RUNthrough" Teaser 2

"RUNthrough" Rehearsal Teaser

Residences documentation

Residence with Kamau & the Wolf in Monthey

Residence with Kud Kolo in Baden

Residence with Theater HORA in Zürich
Fotos

"RUNthrough" © Caroline Minjolle

"RUNthrough" © Caroline Minjolle
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"RUNthrough" © Caroline Minjolle

"RUNthrough" © Caroline Minjolle

"RUNthrough" © Michael Morissens

"RUNthrough" © Caroline Minjolle
Rafaële Giovanola

The Swiss choreographer was born in Baltimore, USA, and studied dance with Marika Besobrasova in Monte Carlo. As a young dancer, she collaborated with the Frankfurt Ballet, where she danced classical repertoire while also working with important contemporary choreographers, such as Jiří Kylián, Uwe Scholz and William Forsythe. In 1990, she joined the Choreographisches Theater before starting CocoonDance, her own company, 10 years later with the dramaturge Rainald Endrass. In 2012, CocoonDance established a junior company, which was invited in both 2016 and 2019 to Tanztreffen der Jugend as part of the Berliner Festspiele. Rafaële Giovanola has an abstract understanding of dance, similar to that of contemporary visual arts. Her work is about creating images that do not immediately reveal their meaning but stimulate different perceptions. In addition to her own choreography and numerous commissions, including works for Dance Company at Theater Osnabrück, Zentrum für Zeitgenössischen Tanz (ZZT) in Cologne and tanzmainz during the 2021/2022 season, she also teaches around the world, including at tanzhaus nrw in Düsseldorf, Theater St. Gallen, Staatstheater Nürnberg as well as for the Ewgenij Panfilow Company, the Perm Ballet School (Russia), the choreographic centre Donko Seko Bamako (Mali) and at Attakkalari Centre for Movement Arts in Bangalore (India). Picture: Joerg Letz
CocoonDance

CocoonDance was founded by choreographer Rafaële Giovanola and dramaturge Rainald Endrass in 2000. Since 2004, the company has performed and directed the dance division at Theater im Ballsaal, which receives institutional support from the federal city of Bonn. The company is defined by a diverse, international and interdisciplinary network, and is regularly involved in cultural and educational activities as well as promoting young talent through its own junior company and artistic education. The company’s roughly 40 evening-length productions have been commissioned as guest performances on five continents and awarded multiple prizes, including the sponsorship grant from the canton of Valais. In 2018 and 2020, CocoonDance was represented at TANZPLATTFORM DEUTSCHLAND, the most important contemporary dance biennial in Germany. During their three-year residency from 2016 to 2019 at Théâtre du Crochetan in Monthey, CocoonDance not only strengthened its connection to Switzerland, but also initiated an important local artistic project: Cie. Junior, a second company for young talent. The company aims to provide young people in Valais with low-threshold and individual access to contemporary dance. CocoonDance has served as Artiste associée at Théâtre du Crochetan since 2020, where it also provides advisory services for different types of dance education and audience development. Picture: Alessandro de Matteis
Programme:
RUNthrough
Choreography:
Rafaële Giovanola
Dramaturgy:
Rainald Endrass
Choreographic assistance:
Jade Albasini
Œil extérieur:
Conseils Littéraires - Mélisende Navarre
Music:
Franco Mento
Costumes:
Veronika Kaleja, Mathilde Grebot
Stage/lighting:
Robi Voigt
Video:
Michael Maurissens
Dancers:
Cristina Commisso, Fa-Hsuan Chen, Margaux Dorsaz, Álvaro Esteban, Jenna Hendry, Joana Kern, Evandro Pedroni, Yonas Perou
Management/touring:
GROUNDWORKERS, mechtild-tellmann kulturmanagement
Press:
Fabiana Uhart
Production management:
GROUNDWORKERS
Co-production:
Migros Culture Percentage Dance Festival Steps, Théâtre du Crochetan Monthey, Kunstfest Weimar, Beethovenfest Bonn, Theater im Ballsaal Bonn
Funded by:
Migros Culture Percentage, Pro Helvetia, Conseil de la Culture, État du Valais, Oertli Foundation, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Corymbo Foundation, NRW Art Foundation, Ministry of Culture and Science North Rhine-Westphalia, North Rhine-Westphalia State Office for the Independent Performing Arts, the federal city of Bonn
Migros Culture Percentage, Pro Helvetia, Conseil de la Culture État du Valais, La Loterie Romande, Corymbo Foundation, Ernst Göhner Foundation, Oertli Foundation, Kunststiftung NRW, Ministerium für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen, NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste, Bundesstadt Bonn. Supported by the NATIONALES PERFORMANCE NETZ Coproduction Fund for Dance, which is funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media
Supported by:
Residenzzentrum tanz+ - Tanz & Kunst Königsfelden, Kurtheater Baden, Stiftung Züriwek, Förderverein Theater Hora, Antigel Genève, Servide de la culture et de la communication de la Ville de Vernier, Théâtre Sévelin 36 Lausanne, Le Malévoz Quartier Culturel
Premiere:
7 May 2022 at Théâtre du Crochetan as part of the Migros Culture Percentage Dance Festival Steps
Age recommendation:
10 years and older