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© Jeff Musoke -
© Jeff Musoke -
© Jeff Musoke
Tickets
15/10 €
The choreographic concert We are going to Mars follows the two video works of the same name by the company Christoph Winkler, which celebrated their online premiere in November 2021: In a mixture of video, dance and music, the participating artists examined the history of the first African space programme in Zambia and its reception over the past 50 years. In addition, they build a bridge to the work of the Afro-American musician Sun Ra, who developed his credo “Space is the place” at the same time.
The Christoph Winkler Company is once again performing the complete soundtrack created especially for the project, in which the band Mourning [A] BLKstar takes up some aspects of the story. A sonic associative space is created in which the dancers now introduce their own movements. From these dance miniatures and in connection with the songs of the band, a free collage develops about the longing of the „Afronauts“ for Mars and what it can stand for.
In 1960, Edward Mukuka Nkoloso founded the Zambia National Academy of Science, Space Research and Philosophy. The goal: an African space program of its own to join the “Space Race” between the United States and the Soviet Union. On a remote farm, the “Afronauts” trained on homemade equipment. Together they created a rocket, the D-Kalu 1, and planned to launch it into space on October 24, 1964. The rocket was to be piloted by 17-year-old Matha Mwambwa, the only woman on the team. The attempt to launch an African space program was taken anything but seriously by the international press – until a video of the training surfaced ten years ago and triggered a change in perspective. To this day, it is not certain whether the project was a serious scientific endeavor, a joke at the expense of the colonial powers, or even a cover for a training camp for independence fighters. In any case, the term “Afronauts” stands today for a new self-confidence of black people, visible in the videos from the 60s.
LOIS ALEXANDER was born in California and is of African American, Filipino and Chinese descent. She began dancing at the age of 10. SYMARA SARAI JOHNSON was born in Portland (Oregon) and studied Caribbean folk dance and traditional Indian dance in Trinidad and Tobago. BRIA BACON, born in Rahway, New Jersey, is a versatile and accomplished dancer who is currently exploring the disciplines of performance, poetry and styling. OLUWAFEMI ADEBAJO is a native of Lagos, Nigeria. He is a multidisciplinary artist with more than 14 years of experience. RIDWAN RASHEED, also from Lagos, Nigeria, is a dance artist, artistic director, curator and choreographer. MOURNING [A] BLKSTAR from Cleveland is a collective of musicians*, writers* and multimedia artists*.
If any questions remain from the following information, please feel free to contact Hannah Aldinger at barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35. Please note that details may change up until the day of the event. Therefore, if you find out after you have purchased your ticket that the performance is no longer accessible to you, you can contact us for a ticket return at ticketing@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 45 until 5 business days after the event (Monday through Friday between 10am and 6pm).
The performance lasts about 60 minutes and is in English spoken language. However, it is suitable for audiences without knowledge of English. There will be a lot of video projections. The live music reaches the volume of a concert and consists amongst other instruments of a trumpet and trombone. Hearing protection is provided at the entrance. The audience area on the grandstand is seated. There are two wheelchair spaces and one beanbag seat that can be reserved by phone or booked via the online ticket shop or at the box office, if available. Admission begins 20-30 minutes prior to show time. We recommend arriving early to select a suitable seat.
Click HERE to find information about our performance spaces and pathways, accessible restrooms, parking, directions to the theater, a 360° video tour of the building, and more.
CHRISTOPH WINKLER is one of Germany's most distinguished and versatile choreographers. His work covers a wide spectrum of formats and ranges from very personal to political themes. Under the umbrella of the "Company Christoph Winkler" he brings together dancers from all over the world to work together as temporary collectives on a broad spectrum of content. Since 1996, he has created more than 80 dance pieces as a freelance artist. In 2014 Das Wahre Gesicht won the FAUST Prize of the German Stage Association in the category "Best Choreography". In 2016, the FAUST Prize was awarded again to one of his productions when Aloalii Tapu was named "Best Dancer" for the solo Urban Soul Café. Winkler was also the initiator and curator of The Witch Dance Project and the FanFic Festival. In recent years, he has performed several musically inspired productions with great success, including Ernest Berk - The Complete Expressionist, Julius Eastman - Speak Boldly or We Are Going to Mars. In 2020 Christoph Winkler was awarded a George Tabori award, and in May 2022 he received the German Dance Award.
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Concept Christoph Winkler Dance Lois Alexander, Symara Johnson, Bria Bacon, Oluwafemi Israel Adebajo, Ridwan Rasheed MUSIC Mourning [A] BLKstar VOCALS LaToya Kent, James Longs, Chimamaka Peculiar Palmer DRUMS Dante Foley TRUMPET Theresa May TROMBONE William Washington GUITAR, KEYBOARDS Pete Saudek BASS Elijah Vazquez DRUM MACHINES, SYNTHESIZER RA Washington COSTUMES Marie Akoury VIDEO CONTENTS Martin Böttger, Vadim Epstein VIDEO EDITING Gabriella Fiore TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT Fabian Eichner SOUND Björn Stegmann PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT Laura Biagioni
A production by Company Christoph Winkler in co-production with SOPHIENSÆLE. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe and by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. The revival is supported by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. Media partner: taz, die tageszeitung.
