“My goal as a choreographer is to create honest and intimate work which exposes the lens through which I view the nature of people, society and our world. I am interested in highlighting the personalities and qualities of my collaborators while creating environments in which the audience can empathize with the artists and are encouraged to engage in a topic at a deeper level. In my creative process I use imagery, memories and other art forms like poetry, music, visual and fine arts. I explore a variety of physical extremes by generating movement with intention and finding diverse ways to tell stories through the body. I work with set choreography as well as improvisational tasks as a way to add individuality and depth to the expressive power of dance. “
– “No-Thing/No-Where” 2018/2019 –
“How many people fell in this abyss
I fathom from afar!
There will be a time, and I will vanish too
From earth´s exterior
For quickness of events as they come rushing
For truth, for play, say I –
Please hear me! But do also please love me
For this that I will die” — Marina Tsvetaeva
(Translated excerpt from ‘Maria, the Poet’)
“No-Thing/No-Where” was inspired by the words of the poem above as well as the idea that our lives are a series of trapeze swings. We are either hanging on to a trapeze bar swinging along or flying across space between the bars, moving on to the next. “No-Thing/No-Where” is a journey into in-betweens. It challenges us to fully experience our transitions and trust their risky places, void space and powerful moments. This piece allows us to dwell in the essence of faith and be enlightened by the feeling of growth. It was performed for the first time December, 2018 at the Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City, California for ‘Mingle Me Home’ dance festival.
Choreographed & Danced by: Amelia Eisen & Kirill Berezovski
Music: Max Richter ‘Infra 1’ & ‘Maria, the Poet 1913’
Photo: Günter Krämmer
*view piece: https://vimeo.com/342198241
– “Winterschlaf” 2018 –
Created together with Kirill Berezovski and Mike Planz, “Winterschlaf” is an evening-length piece made by 3 choreographers for 3 dancers. It takes a thorough look into our personal and societal relationships to time and life-cycles. “Winterschlaf” was funded by Stadt Mannheim, the Landes Bank Baden-Württemburg and presented by Theater Felina-Areal in Mannheim, Germany. It premiered the 11th of October, 2018.
Dancers: Rebecca Häusler, Pascal Sangl & Ayesha Katz
Music: Alex Somers, Thom Yorke, Henry Purcell, Antonio Vivaldi, Symmetry, Tobias Lilja
Photo & Video: Falk Kastell
* view trailer: https://vimeo.com/289926138
– “Mit dem Herzen sehen” 2018 –
Created together with Pascal Sangl and Kirill Berezovksi, “Mit dem Herzen sehen” was the 2018 ‘Kulturbühne’ (Culture Stage) for the 4th grade students of the Neurottschule in Ketsch, Germany. The Cultural Stage is designed to celebrate the end of the 4th grade year and immerse the students in a creative process. Inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s ‘The Little Prince,’ this was a Dance Theater piece about friendship, love and how to see with the heart. It was performed three times for families and other students at the Neurottschule in July, 2018.
Photos: Mannheimer Morgen
– “Warri♀r” 2018 –
“WARRI♀R” is a shout out to the women of the world. Its intention is to shine a light on the female condition in all of its oppression and glory. It is the story of a woman navigating her way through an unjust world and stepping into her primal power along the way. The piece explores how vulnerability leads to strength and how rituals can be used as a personal way to cope with harsh realities. “WARRI♀R” premiered on the 5th of July, 2018 in Theater Felina-Areal, Mannheim. Since then it has been shown in multiple festivals in the South of Germany.
Dancer: Veronika Kornova-Cardizzaro
Music: Arvo Pärt & Alea Saxophone Quartet, CocoRosie
Photo: Günter Krämmer
*View piece: https://vimeo.com/269069618
– “Chapters of a Memory” 2017 –
“Chapters of a Memory” is a research on letting go which began in 2014 in San Francisco, California. It has been performed in multiple festivals in Germany as a short solo work.
Choreographed & Danced by: Amelia Eisen
Music: Alt-J
Photo: Peter Gutsche
*view piece: https://vimeo.com/247037655
– “Four Ears” 2017-
‘As soon as two people notice each other, they interact with each other. They send and receive signals which can be linguistic or physical. The decoding of the signals begins immediately. What does the other person mean? What is he/she trying to tell me?’ – Friedemann Schulz von Thun.-
“Four Ears” is an exploration of human interaction and communication. Friedemann Schulz von Thun’s ‘Four sides-model’ is used as a primary structure for the piece; this model also known as the ‘communication square,’ breaks down our nature of sending and receiving messages into four layers: Factual, Self-Revealing, Relationship and Appeal. By diving into these layers, “Four Ears” is meant to help us understand each other better. It premiered on the 20th of October, 2017 at ‘Feste im Freien’ in Theater Felina-Areal, Mannheim.
Dancers: Shareen DeRyan and Brian McNeal
Music: Floating Points
Photo: Günter Krämmer
*View piece: https://vimeo.com/239628347
– “Lit” 2017 –
‘Unsung don’t say it, touch it, or replay it, it only happens once, So long to last lines, every time’s the first time, I’m off to have some fun. A cauldron of potions, drops of the oceans, couldn’t solve this one. As luck would have it, I’m on the planet, and so it seems are you.’ Tom Rosenthal
“Lit” combines dance, painting and music. It is a research of how the movement of color affects moving bodies and how moving bodies affect choices made by a painter. It additionally explores depths of human emotion and how to keep a light in dark times. “Lit” premiered as a trio in ‘Freier Tanz im Delta’ at Theater Felina-Areal, Mannheim on 2nd of June, 2017. It was later performed as a duet at ‘Studio Nordbecken’ Festival in Karlsruhe, Germany 13th of July, 2017.
Dancers: Aline Serrano, Daniella Eriksson, Kirill Berezovski, Amelia Eisen
Painter: Jeff Cope
Music: Alex Somers, Bon Iver, Tom Rosenthal
Photo: Günter Krämmer
*view piece(duet version): https://vimeo.com/241153443
-“Umgebungen” 2017 –
‘A research experiment of inner and outer environments through the collaboration of dance, beat box and audience participation.’ This piece had it’s first presentation in February, 2017 at SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts in San Francisco, California USA.
Choreographed & Danced by: Amelia Eisen
Beat Box: Daniel Lenders
*view piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NljSEI0tG_g&feature=youtu.be
-“Within our Skin” 2016-
‘It is our task to never forget what has happened to us, to never shake what our every cell has felt, always finding moments to be still, bathing in what we have made so far, understanding what we are made of and activating the memories residing in our skin.’
“Within Our Skin” premiered in July 2016 at SAFEhouse for the Performing Arts in San Francisco, California USA. It was a guest performance for Slick Babble Dance Company in Berkeley, California and Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet Alumni Showcase in San Francisco.
Dancers: Khala Brannigan, Neta Singer, Shareen DeRyan, Kirill Berezovski
Music: Ayub Ogada, Efterklang
*view piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9SZ5ixsKBB4
-“Residence in the Heart” 2015-
Where do you find home?
“Residence in the Heart” was created and premiered in Kibbutz Ga’aton, Israel December, 2015. It celebrates what we call home and our relationship to it.
Dancers: Daniella Eriksson and Kirill Berezovski
Music: Lord Huron
Photo: Uri Nevo
*view piece: https://vimeo.com/177171934
-“Out of Bounds”-2014
‘Grateful fascination for every rush of your own swelling lungs and lush flooding blood all glistening, glimmering, flooding, falling, falling..- “The Staircase”, by Hilary Brown’
‘”Out of Bounds” is a collaboration between live music and dance. It is an adventure through our potential and how to move beyond our limits. It premiered at San Francisco’s West Wave Dance Festival in September, 2014.
Dancers: Amelia Eisen and Alexandra Kamerling
Music: ‘Holler Tree’ Band from Nevada City, California
*view piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xh1z3bq8BmE
“Floodgate”-2013
‘It’s not that the meaning can’t be explained. But there are certain meanings that are lost forever the moment they are explained in words’-Haruki Murakami 1Q84.’
“Floodgate” was inspired by Japanese Author, Haruki Murakami’s magical way of bridging realities and giving profound meaning to life’s simplicities, complexities and everything in between. It premiered in August of 2013 at The Garage in San Francisco, California USA.
Dancers: Jenna Wozer, Sarah Wenzel, Rachael Elliott, Alex Jenkins, Amelia Eisen, Alexandra Kamerling, Laura Kramer
Guest Performer: Alicia Pugh
Music: Alicia Pugh, Yann Tiersen, Brown Bird
Photo: Nick Korkos
*view piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uu1OWonG1Xs
