Walking, running, staggering, stumbling, shuffling: «Sphynx» takes simple forms of locomotion and turns them into a central object of interest and exploration. In her award-winning creation, 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 exploration of human 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 warning: none
World premiere: 30.1.2022, Staatstheater Mainz
Further information: staatstheater-mainz.com
Credits
Choreography: Rafaële Giovanola
Dramaturgy: Rainald Endrass
Choreographic Assistant: Álvaro Esteban, Bärbel Stenzenberger
Costumes: Mathilde Grebot
Composition: Tiago Cerqueira
Lighting Design: Wil Frikken
Rehearsal Director: Simone Deriu
Performers: Tanit Cobas, Elisabeth Gareis, Daria Hlinkina, Shani Licht, Amber Pansters, Meritxell Van Roggen, Milena Wiese, Paul Elie, José Garrido, Christian Leveque, Federico Longo, Jaume Luque Parellada, Lin van Kaam, Thomas Van Praet
Director tanzmainz: Honne Dohrmann
Production Manager: Finn Lakeberg
Collaborator Dance Directorate and Touring Coordinator: Hannah Meyer Scharenberg
Assistant of Dance Directorate: Antonia Zeich
Set up Stage & Sound on Tour: Luka Curk
Set up Light on Tour: Dominik Hager
Stage Manager on Tour: 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 © Joerg Letz
