A choreography for the ‘Of Curious Nature Dance Ensemble’ in a shared evening with Anila Mazharis’ ‘The Future is like whisper yelling’.
I conducted ‘The Pleasure and Pain of Not Knowing my Name’ as a piece in three parts.
In each part I researched a different perspective on ‘Ignorance’ or ‘Wilful Blindness’.
This theme felt repeatedly present to me during the Corona Pandemic, in 2021 (on days like ‘Black Friday’), and holds my interest on personal and societal level.
I often wonder about this trait. Why do people look away? Why, even and especially to their own truths?
What is the motivation behind this choice?
I am looking at ignorance, the innocent ‘not knowing’, the lack of conscious awareness and wilful blindness, the ‘Straussvogel’ behaviour. The consequences for our societal and personal Being seem huge to me.
The first part, a solo, features a man in search for knowledge but inevitably getting caught in complexity. Navel gazing he repeatedly finds himself knotted within his body, so focused on his quest for knowledge that he becomes blind for the life around.
The second part consists of a duet, one man wanting what the other man has: a sense of peace.
Ignorant as to how to get there he moves within what he knows and tries to impose his ways of conduct onto the other, to not be alone in his prison of ambition.
In the last part, a solo, a woman looks back at her life, remembering her innocence of ‘not knowing’.
Choreography: Jessica van Rüschen
Performance: Aron Nowak, Felix Bossart, Luigi Sardone, Aurelie Robichon
Costume: Theresa Klement
Set: Britta Bremer
Music: Christof Littmann
Technical management: Oliver Hisecke
Management / Production: Achim Bernsee,
Booking / PR: minusmalminus
Photography and Social Media: Marc Seestaedt
Video: Valeria Lampadova
Office: Judith Elbeshausen
