(ER)LEBENS(VER)LUST (2021) – A three-part dance theatre series in the public spaces of Munich

In my three-part dance theatre series (ER)LEBENS(VER)LUST, I explore the multifaceted dimensions of loss – not as mere endings but as existential experiences that shake and transform the body, mind, and society alike. Each evening focuses on a different aspect, collectively drawing a profound picture of our fragility and resilience.
Part 1: Loss of Dignity and Happiness (Premiered on 21.08.21)
In the first part, I examine the loss of dignity and happiness. While happiness often fades due to internal or external circumstances, turning into sadness, the loss of dignity is usually an act of dehumanization – seen in the stories of refugees, homelessness, or abuse. Here, personal vulnerability and socio-political urgency merge.
Part 2: Loss of Homeland and Love (25.09.21)
The second evening centers on the loss of homeland and love. Love, whether romantic, friendly, or familial, provides stability and belonging. Losing it tears emotional anchors out. Equally profound is the loss of a geographic or cultural home. Through flight, migration, or alienation, the ground beneath us becomes shaky, and the search for new grounding begins.
Part 3: Loss of Freedom and Life (09.10.21)
The third part addresses perhaps the most profound of all losses: the loss of a loved one and freedom. Death confronts us with speechlessness, emptiness, anger, and deep grief. The absence of a familiar person fundamentally alters our existence, whether suddenly or gradually. In this choreographic exploration, I see letting go as part of life – a simultaneous act of remembering, honoring, and moving forward in a new form.
With this series, I created touching spaces of collective remembrance, feeling, and understanding – physically, artistically, and humanly – together with the collective Die Städtischen. We brought art directly into the public space: at the Theatron in Ostpark, at the east shore of Lerchenauer See, and in the northern part of the English Garden. This approach brought art closer to people, instead of leading people to art. Die Städtischen unlock public spaces to beautify Munich and revive a cultural island.

Press article 07/05/2022 Süddeutsche Zeitung