Dasniya Sommer is a Berlin based performer and choreographer who examines movement and image from the perspective of the dancer. She works in the range from happening to photography, from Japanese Shibari (Japanese Bondage) to classical ballet.
Dasniya Sommer (1980) was raised in Berlin and began as classical trained dancer working with the Berlin Staatsballett in 1998.
At the age of 17 she started working as a fashion model and went to New York for broader dance training for a couple of years.
Back in Berlin Sommer danced for Cie Felix Ruckert and co-founded Schwelle7.
Since 2008 she develops own performances and collaborates with contemporary choreographers/directors and theatre groups: Romeo Castellucci, Schubot & Gradinger, Monstertruck, Florentina Holzinger, SCBLM, Silke Schönfleisch, Tobias Staab,
Liz Rosenfeld, SKART, Camille O, Meine Damen und Herren, Corey Scott-Gilbert, Sheena McGrandles, and many others.
In 2009 Sommer started studying philosophy, physics as and art history as guest student at Humboldt Universität Berlin.
Since 2013 she has regularly been collaborating with das Helmi dancing and sculpting for various shows.
Parallel to her choreographic activities Dasniya Sommer established herself as stage designer. Spanning from rope installations to sculpting requisites, and developing spacial concepts for her choreographic work.
For this she founded Haus Sommer at Uferhallen Kulturwerkstatt in 2011. There she constantly keeps researching and documenting with various artists on all kind of motion-driven expressions.
Sommer is a forerunner in combining ballet, contemporary dance, shibari, yoga and photo work. She focuses on new descriptions of bodily images by integrating a cultural critical research strongly motivated by a radical desire for free forms of expression.
Her work has been shown in Berlin and internationally in theatres, museums and galleries including Sophiensaele, Ballhaus Ost, Uferhallen Kulturwerkstatt, Südpol, Luzern, Lyonel-Feininger-Gallerie, La Gaîté Lyrique Paris, Centre d’Art Contemporain Genève, Berliner Festspiele, Critical Path Sydney, Ethnological Museum of Berlin, Museum of Contemporary Art Helsinki.
Dasniya Sommer is also teaching regularly in her own studio and abroad and co-choreographs for group works and directors.
Last works are:
‚War Games‘ – a Kollaboration with SKART at Münchener Kammerspiele.
‚SPK – der Sommer-Phuong-Komplex‘ together with Fungi Fung during the Ada-residency program 2024.
‘Yum Yum’ – First group work for five dancers/performers in collaboration with Michael Schuhmacher/Meine Damen und Herren Ensemble.
‘flux nX cusp’ – Performance created together with shibari artist GESTALTA.
‘BOI 1-7’ – Series of rope sculptures.
‘no hard feelings’ – Series of photographs.
‘Bondage Duell’ – Performance created together with Silke Schönfleisch-Backofen.
‘Nun on the Moon’ – Performance which involves the audience and leads them into a shibari experience.
‘An Unboxing Ballet Beat’ – Performative collaboration with the voice over artist Mmakgosi Kgabi.