James Batchelor and Collaborators: Notes of Self – Sophiensæle | Independent Theater in Berlin

James Batchelor and Collaborators:
Notes of Self

A person stands with arms outstretched in the middle of a gym while several children play and run around them. The scene is set in an everyday gym environment with blue mats, wall bars, and a basketball hoop in the background.
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A solo in many voices: Notes of Self is an intimate blend of intellect and emotion that opens new pathways to dance for children and adults alike. Playful, surprising, and full of movement, the choreography welcomes young audiences, including those who may never have been to the theater before, while inviting adults into a fresh dialogue with the radical spirit of Ausdruckstanz.

The work is inspired by Batchelor’s research into the diasporic history of Ausdruckstanz in Australia and his current engagement with children through the LUNA PARK initiative in Berlin. Century-old avant-garde tradition meets the spontaneous movements of children and creates a performance that is both historically aware and radically present.

Children’s perspectives influence not only the movement but also the dramaturgy — what they notice, what draws them in, what they remember. The result is a solo that becomes a conversation across generations, bodies, and ways of seeing.

The premiere Notes of Self continues James Batchelor and Collaborators’ collaboration with Sophiensæle and will be the third production here, following acclaimed presentations of Shortcuts to Familiar Places and An Evening-length Performance (Tanz im August). Designed for audiences of all ages, it is a performance that welcomes both seasoned dance enthusiasts and curious first-timers, including children, who are invited to see themselves reflected in its energy and imagination.

Evening information

Ticket
Ticket
Ticket
Premiere Ticket

The information on accessibility is still in progress and will be updated as soon as possible. If any questions remain unanswered until then, please feel free to contact the communication department at barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com or 030 27 89 00 35. Please note that details may change by 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).

Duration

  • Approximately 40 minutes without intermission

Language

  • No language

Lighting

  • The lighting in the auditorium is bright enough at all times to find your way around.
  • The lighting alternates between light and dark.
  • There are no rapid changes in lighting.

Sound

  • There is live guitar music. The music varies in volume and rhythm. It is linked to the movement and lighting, so there are no surprises.

Audio description

  • The performance on Sunday, December 14, will feature German audio description.
  • The preceding tactile tour will take place at 6 p.m. The meeting point for the tactile tours is in front of the box office in the courtyard.
  • If required, we offer a pick-up service for blind and visually impaired persons from the nearby S-Bahn and tram stations before the tactile tours. These are the Hackescher Markt S-Bahn station, the Weinmeisterstraße U-Bahn station, or the Weinmeisterstraße/Gipsstraße tram station. To use the pick-up service, please contact us during our business hours (Monday to Friday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.) at 030 27 89 00 35 or barrierefreiheit@sophiensaele.com.

Audience

  • Seated grandstand
  • Several beanbag seats
  • Two wheelchair spaces bookable subject to availability

Other

  • There are video projections showing close-ups of the performer and various color motifs.

Relaxed Performance

Early boarding

  • There will be a long admission period. The doors open at the start of the show.
  • Early boarding is possible. A loudspeaker announcement will draw attention to this.

Tickets

  • Reservations can be made via the ticket telephone at 030 283 52 66, Monday to Friday from 4pm-6pm
  • Via the online ticket shop
  • At the box office

You can also find more information about accessibility at the house here.

Lead artist, choreographer, performer: James Batchelor
Dramaturgy: Bek Berger
Composition: Morgan Hickinbotham
Light design: Veslemøy Rustad Holseter
Costume design: Cote Jaña Zuñiga
Audio description: Jojo Büttner and Gerald Pirner

A production by James Batchelor and Collaborators in co-production with Sophiensæle. Funded by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with resources from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Co-produced by the Initiative LUNA PARK e.V. as part of the program LUNAPARK.Residency Fellowships, curated by the artistic director of the initiative, Kosmas Kosmopoulos. Additionally funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. Media partners: Missy Magazine, Siegessäule, taz.

James Batchelor and Collaborators are a creative team lead by choreographer James Batchelor working between Australia and Europe. Previous productions including Shortcuts to Familiar Places, Deepspace and Hyperspace have performed extensively in contexts such as Tanz im August (Berlin), Impulstanz (Vienna) and Centre Pompidou (Paris). 

James Batchelor is a choreographer from Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) whose practice spans choreography, research, and teaching. His work investigates the body as a tool for inquiry – mapping, sensing, and measuring space through choreographic form. Grounded in repetition, spatial elasticity, and rhythmic subtlety, his performances create immersive, contemplative environments that invite audiences into expanded experiences of time and perception.

  • A person in a white tracksuit stands in the back of a large, empty room. To the left, another person sits on the floor playing guitar, while a large projection screen in the foreground shows a close-up portrait of a person. The atmosphere is subdued and focused.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person in a white tracksuit stands in a narrow, tall alcove in front of a weathered wall, bending forward dynamically as if initiating a movement.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person in a white tracksuit moves in a dance-like way across the empty floor, with an unlit projection screen hanging in the background. Warm light casts a long shadow of the person across the floor.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person in a white tracksuit stands with arms raised at the back of the room. To the right, another person with a guitar stands in partial shadow. Colored stage light bathes the space in purple and yellow tones.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person dressed in white training clothes crouches low with legs spread wide, looking downward. The body forms a strong, grounded posture, with a large projection screen visible in the background.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person in a white tracksuit stands facing forward with arms extended wide. Behind them hangs a large dark projection screen. The lighting is cool and clear.
    © Mayra Wallraff
  • A person dances alone in a gymnasium. They wear a light patterned blouse and loose jeans. Their arms are bent forward and to the side, with the head slightly tilted, as if moving into a flowing gesture.Hickinbotham_DSC6603
    © Morgan Hickinbotham
  • A person wearing a light patterned blouse and jeans poses in front of large windows with plant shadows visible. Their arms are lifted in a curved position, the head tilted to the side, with a calm gaze directed forward.
    © Morgan Hickinbotham