Wettergeschichten

about the piece

The project uses dance and digital theatre to tell stories about the weather for young audiences. Weather is our most immediate encounter with the environments around us. We experience our climate, and also climate change, primarily through the weather. Yet certain weather phenomena can mean very different things: what Europeans consider hot may be perceived as cool near the equator. A week of rain does not necessarily make a rainy season.

Despite these differences in perception, climate change affects the local weather of people everywhere. Perhaps understanding the interconnectedness of all weather phenomena is the key to developing a responsible relationship with our environments.

For the piece, we draw on traditional dances from different cultures that already engage thematically with weather and nature. Dance is not only one of humanity’s oldest forms of expression, but has also always reflected people’s relationship with their surroundings. Many dance cultures therefore include dances that respond directly to nature, reflect the distinctive features of the landscape, or express human life as biological beings.

The piece uses Holovision technology, an innovative system for displaying three-dimensional objects in the stage space. For younger generations in particular, three-dimensionality is already a natural part of their visual experience, as it is now present in almost all computer games.

The piece is an entertaining collage of dances, songs, and stories about people’s relationship with the weather, aiming to give children a sense of how deeply connected we all are.

videos

credits

Concept: Christoph Winkler | By and with: Ridwan Rasheed, Michael Kaddu, Sophie Prins, Adamou Bance | Video Editing & Graphic: Gabriella Fiore | Technical Direction / Lighting Design: Fabian Eichner | Sound: Björn Stegmann | 3D Design: Martin Böttger | 3D Programming: Matthias Härtig | Production Management: Carina Panther | Financial Management: Transmissions

dates

reviews

radio3 (rbb) | By Frank Schmid 
Listen to the full review

Christoph Winkler has been working with dancers and groups from Africa, Latin America and South America for many, many years. Long before these issues became a focus elsewhere in the arts, his work was already engaging with critiques of colonialism and African and Afro-diasporic empowerment.

Here, the three Black dancers also sing and speak in their respective mother tongues without translation. Differences between bodies, languages and cultures are embraced as a natural part of life, without any Eurocentric or white gaze. Winkler identified that gaze many years ago.

That is the underlying context for adults and teenagers. Children experience a truly wonderful blend of dance, music, singing, storytelling and digital imagery.

Everything fits together beautifully, creating a fabulous, fantastical universe. A truly extraordinary piece, by no means only suitable “for children and young people”.

[…]
Absolutely captivating animations, like those in films or video games. And the real world and the worlds of fairy tales and fantasy merge seamlessly here.

[…]
The dance is a wild mix ranging from African traditions to capoeira and urban dance, especially breaking and hip hop, through club and Afropop dance to contemporary dance. Dancing full of energy, pleasure and joy.