AN UNBOXING BALLET BEAT

September 13th, 2020

Mmakgosi Kgabi and Dasniya Baddhanasiri have been invited to collaborate for the closing event of this Tanznacht Berlin, and bring together their artistic practices. Mmakgosi Kgabi is a voice over artist who self explores the lexicon of the mouth and its embodiment. 
Dasniya Baddhanasiri is a ballet dancer and choreographer and runs a dojo for Japanese tight Bondage in the Wedding neighbourhood.
Between them a conversation takes place. By breaking down sentences or ballet vocabulary a raw working environment is created. Listening to what each of them brings to the space.
They can meet or flow in different directions. The two artists welcome you to visit and travel through their exchange with each other and this time space continuum.

The Männy

In June we were invited to show The Männy at Autoren(theater)tage, but because of the situation it’s now postponed to autumn. Fingers crossed that it can come to Berlin!
It will be a crazy job to set up the installtion in a new space, despite our meticulous documentation of every single rope critter.

Installtion – The Männy

New years vacation, knitting and knotting this and them, developing part of the stage design for ‘The Männy’. On the left suspended a cocoon which gives birth to an adorable rope creature in the piece. The happy side of the cocoon is made of more organic material, flowers, willow cotton, beeswax and compostable left overs. The back is covered in bitumen, an oily and somewhat burned, demolished landscape.   ➿

Theatre: The Männy

Just finishing an inspiring challenge with Kevin Rittberger, Nora Khuon and Sandra Fink at Schauspiel Hannover. ‘The Männy’, created with texts and themes from Donna Haraway’s work ‘Staying with the Trouble’, amongst others.
It was intense! My brain turning to mash reading and discussing theories and highly sensitive texts with five devoted actors, and a patient team. Everybody was open to the very end. Working so detailed through and inbetween each sentence with Kevin and Nora. And, open to dive with me into the rope world, learning some shibari, and navigating my rope installation through space as if it was another play partner. A sort of rhizom, air roots, or anarchically grown dendrites.
It wasn’t my first stage design with ropes, but the first in close collaboration with the workshop and technical department of the theatre. Using thousands of meters of jute and hemp. Feels.
And also the first time using rope juxtaposed and at the same time closely intertwined with 90 minutes poetic theoretical content, and developing it over the course of the evening.
The actors did a really good job. Telling an utopia involving plantoids. A kind of cyber biological connection between plants, insects and humans. Screaming of the shrinking population to safe our planet from dying (very roughly). Or for example other systems of ‘care’.
I much enjoyed searching for scenes/images, and developing a dance sequence with the actors. Opening up the more bodily dimension to them, and working through pain, muscle memory, nerves and endorphines. And, there was also the level of finding an approach together with Kevin, and get to know his work. Sometimes rough, often new but in the end productive I find. Yea, I’ d like to continue choreographing in this way, crossing over fields!

REGIE Kevin Rittberger BÜHNE Kevin Rittberger, Dasniya Sommer KOSTÜME Sandra Fink CHOREOGRAFIE Dasniya Sommer DRAMATURGIE Nora Khuon

Fabian Felix Dott Tabitha Frehner Anja Herden Torben Kessler Alban Mondschein

Big thanks to Vanessa Scarra and the supportive technical team of Ballhof 2!

Premier: February 21st, 2020
More dates: 3 + 19 + 29 März

SHIBARI CLASSES MARCH – AUGUST 2020

Dear shibari friends and newbies,
there are three beginner and intermediate shibari classes in March:

Because of Covid – 19 all upcoming shibari classes from March to August are cancelled!
I hope small gatherings are allowed to takes place soon again.

Tuesday evening classes:
March 10 + 17 + 24 
April 7 + 14 +21 +
May
June
July
August

Intermediate level: 6pm – 8.15pm
Beginner level: 8.15pm – 10.15pm

The intermediate class focusses on floor work and introduces half- and/or full-suspension technique. You need to know basic shibari, firm column ties and A suspendable TK (box tie/gote).
We look closely at the tension of harnesses and test if they are suspendable. Lock-off techniques for half-/suspension, up-lines on ring, and in the second step on bamboo.
The material also contains: safety principles like general friction, pain processing strategies for the model, and sculpting the body in the air.

We recommend to attend this class with a partner. If you don’t have a partner, or if you are not sure about the level please contact us.

The beginner course is directed at learning the basics of Shibari/Kinbaku technique. We start systematically with efficient handling of body, rope, and safety principles. The material contains a wide range of harnesses for floor work. Understanding restriction from the models perspective, and the complex skill set of the rigger, to create erotic phantasies or a meditative tie.

– Please bring soft clothes and ropes if you have.
– You don’t need to sign up for all three dates. Its a drop in class.
If possible I suggest regular participation and repitition at the beginning to create a solid technical base.
– You can register alone or with a partner. If you come alone you can pair up with each other, and in case there is an odd number of people we usually make a trio, or I jump in. It always works out. :)
– Costs 20 Euro per person

Register beforehand:
workshops@dasniyasommer.de or DM on FB at haussommer
+49 174 393 70 49

Costs: 20 Euro per person
10 class card 160 €

Uferhallen Kulturwerkstatt – Wedding Uferstrasse 8,13357 Berlin. Entrance B6
Call this number in case the door is locked:    +49 174 3937049
Map here