Sasha Waltz & Guests

“Women” is a choreographic ritual celebrated by a group of female dancers. The work carries on from previous works by Sasha Waltz such as “Medea” (2007), “Jagden und Formen (Zustand 2008)”, “Dialoge 09 – Neues Museum” (2009) and “Sacre” (2013), which also included choreographic scenes with women performing ritualistic activities.

“Women” is my first choreography, in which I am working exclusively with female dancers. I often have women-only scenes in my work, so it was only natural to go one step further and to dedicate a full piece to women. It is inspired in part by Judy Chicago’s iconic work of feminist art “The Dinner Party” (1974–79, Brooklyn Museum, New York), which is centred around a triangular table with 39 plates settings for historical women. Performing in the church emphasises the ritual aspect of the piece. St. Elisabeth church reminds me of ancient Greek or Roman temples. Schinkel used Antiquity as an aesthetic point of reference. In Rome, one can often find ancient foundations of pre-Christian ceremonial gathering spaces beneath the churches. As we are dealing in my project with the imagined invention of rituals, I find it interesting to relate and connect this contemporary work to ancient meeting places of worship.

In “Women” I have worked without a centralising perspective, and without a theatre with frontal staging. The dancers and the public are in an empty space, on the same level, and form part of a common experience.

Sasha Waltz

Duration 70 Min

Production: Sasha Waltz & Guests. Sasha Waltz & Guests is funded by Berliner Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Europa and Hauptstadtkulturfonds. Funded by Schering Foundation.

In cooperation with Sasha Waltz & Guests and Kultur Büro Elisabeth.
World premiere

Magazin im August Article

"Drei Fragen an Sasha Waltz"