Sexuality and Truth
2004
about the piece
The piece Sexuality and Truth is inspired by Michel Foucault’s unfinished history of sexuality of the same name. One of the most important chapters is Plato’s Symposium and his comments on Eros and how to deal with it. It is not the men, but Diotima, a wise woman, who provides these explanations. Whether Diotima was a real person is still disputed. The piece takes a positive view of this and choreographs a round dance for Diotima’s ‘daughters’ to further challenge the wise men’s power of interpretation. This round dance is combined with the sexually charged figure of the faun and Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune. The latter is famous for its erotic interpretation by Nijinsky. Here it is danced by Ingo Reulecke, a contemporary dancer, and Bettina Thiel, an exceptional ballet soloist from the Berlin State Opera. Sound clips from the film Surrender Dorothy by Kevin DiNovis and an endless loop by the band The Swans complete the elements of this piece.
videos
Sexuality and Truth
Excerpt #1
Excerpt #2
credits
Choreography: Christoph Winkler | With: Bettina Thiel, Ingo Reulecke, Raffaella Galdi, Anna Luise Recke, Christine Joy Ritter, Brit Rodemund, Yael Schnell, Zufit Simon, Angelika Thiele, Anat Vaadia| Stage design: Alexander Schellow, Charlotte Kaiser | Music: Ekkehard Ehlers, Devendra Banhart | Lighting: André Schulz | Production Management: Barbara Friedrich
Production: Christoph Winkler, Sophiensaele, and TANZTAGE BERLIN, supported by the Senate Department for Science, Research and Culture and the Performing Arts Fund. With the friendly support of Tanzfabrik Berlin
reviews
[…] Christoph Winkler covers in 45 minutes what Foucault wrote in three volumes. But this piece is undoubtedly the highlight of the triple bill at the Sophiensaele. [...] Bettina Thiel, first soloist of the Berlin State Ballet, performs a duet with Ingo Reulecke. […] She is incredibly lithe and lascivious, like a tigress. He is more sylph than faun. They complement each other beautifully, half pulling each other to the floor, half sinking to it. Eight magnificent dancers then form a choir of priestesses of love. With their taut, energetic movements, they are reminiscent of fierce and sexy Amazons. Tagesspiegel