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Demnächst

Haus Sommer ist das Netzwerk-Label der Tänzerin und Choreographin Dasniya Sommer. In wechselnden Kollaborationen mit anderen Künstler:innen untersucht und erweitert sie die Formensprache klassischen Balletts unter dem Einfluss von Shibari, Body Art und zeitgenössischer Performance Kunst.

Haus Sommer is the network label of dancer and choreographer Dasniya Sommer. In changing collaborations with different artists she questions and expands the formal language of classical ballet under the influence of Shibari, Body Art and contemporary performance art.

Coming Up: FRÜCHTCHEN DES ZORNS

SKART, Dasniya Sommer & Theater Thikwa

Premier: September 9th, 2026 at 8pm.
And September 10th, 11th, 12th at 8pm + 13th at 4pm.
Deutscher Text hier

How can we argue meaningfully in a world shaped by destructive conflict? With this central question in mind, the Hamburg-based performance collective SKART, together with Berlin dancer and choreographer Dasniya Sommer and the ensemble of Theater Thikwa, explores the constructive potential of disagreement, quarrels, and anger.

Armed with choreographed rituals, striking body-art imagery, and inspired by bondage and ballet, they celebrate a wide range of intense interpersonal confrontations. As Brezel Göring and the Thikwa musicians drive everyone relentlessly forward with their live music, the others drift apart in their search for a productive culture of conflict.

Von und mit:

Rudina Bejtuli, Heidi Bruck, Tobias Brunwinkel, Atalay Dogan, Deniz Dogan, Max Edgar-Freitag, Brezel Göring, Lia Massetti, Oliver Rincke, Stephan Sauerbier, Dasniya Sommer

Choreographie: Dasniya Sommer / Regie: Mark Schröppel (SKART) / Musik: Brezel Göring
Dramaturgie: Björn Auftrag / Bühne: Henrik Weber / Assistenz Regie/Kostüm: Malin Burgau / Lichtdesign: Maika Knoblich / Foto/Video: Florian Krauss / Übertitel: Barbara Wiebking / Technik: Holger Duhn, Eric Scheller / Assistenz: Julian Lukas Frey / Backstage Betreuung: Leonor Gaudêncio

Tanzpraxis

The finest match: Naniek K. Dancing with Laurie Young. Finishing my research with a space and choreographic sketch in the most fortunate community. I found out about Naniek K. through Ratu a work created by Jee Chang for this years Tanztage Festival. They kindly introduced me to a truly royal and felt ur-berliner 81 year old lady and former Indonesian court dancer. She had more energy than all of us together in the room! ;)
Touching on basic ideas and making space for two rare generations on the dance floor. Observing their universes of experience side by side, and a familiar proximity of Asian and Western European philosophies of movement was reconciling.
Laurie Young encountered Naniek K. with such grace and responding to her with an emotional clarity which resonated in a tangible time-relationship making me passionately wanting to continue!
In the background playing with rhythms of yellow.

More photos below by Fungi Fung.

Research

Developing a visual sketch and potential collaborations in the frame work of my Tanzpraxis stipend:
with Naniek K. (81), Laurie Young (52), Dasniya Sommer (45) and Fungi Fung (32).
‘There is a big lack of spending time with older women.. ,’ Laurie said after these try outs, and I so agree. Most of my life I haven’t spent enough time with elderly people due to family constellations, project directions and seemingly unbridgeable cultural gaps. Both our Asian parents are/were not living in Europe, and during our dance try outs Naniek K. filled the room with a warm familiar vibe only elder Asian people do – which reminded us to them. It’s a certain perspective and wisdom they own. Keeping spirit and humour high, while often their non-linear live experience, living outside their culture for a long time, in western societies, resonate. She made us giggle pointing to the absurdest everyday live observations, laughing loudly always with dignity and a sense of humbleness. Also very non German, maintaining hand contact while talking to us. Heart warming! Later she spoke more about the shadow sides of having an every day job in Western Germany in the 80es. I well remember these family stories of alienation in work situations.
If we were to develop a piece I am curious about finding choreographic translations for Laurie’s and Naniek K.‘s vast performative archive. Switching from directing to joining them as dancer could work after figuring out how their classical and contemporary dance forms relate and defining a position in this triangle. Also I am curious how the musical concept we conceptualised for Fungi plays into it.
Even if beyond resources I find testing these small scale ideas as a first step essentially productive. The stipend was strongly supportive for this! It allowed me to chew and reflect over creative topics and intangible gut feelings for longer than usual. It gave time to find the right group and organise ideas. Thanks again to the choreographer Jee Chan who supported this collaboration.
There is an irony for me unfolding my dance practice with such wise dancers only now. But it makes sense. Seems I had to first grow into the machinery and performance scene. I appreciate this reverse opportunity: going from intense body-/ performance art to creating a body friendly, long lasting, minimalist dance practice.

Photos: Fungi Fung.

With many thanks for the support to Senatskanzlei für Kultur und Medien Berlin / Tanzpraxis.

ZHdK – Arbeitsweisen

Starting the year with co-teaching at the Züricher Hochschule der Künste/Theater for the last few days. The students were so openly and curiously engaging in the performance/dance tasks which was more than inspiring for us in return.
Thanks to SKART for taking me on the boat and together digging for ideas and new creative insights!

TOIL – Sheena McGrandles & Friends

Back to Uferstudios rehearsing ‚Toil‘ by Sheena McGrandle.
Save the premier: December 3, 2025 + 4 +5 + 6.12.2025

HAU2, Hallesches Ufer 34, 10963 Berlin
Tickets  here
English here

“TOIL” untersucht den tanzenden Körper bei der Arbeit –  hin- und hergerissen zwischen Entfremdung und Begehren, Routine und Rebellion. Ausgehend von Ballett, irischem Folk und Punk entwerfen fünf Tänzer*innen in Begleitung von zwei Musiker*innen ein physisches Porträt des Tanzes als Ort von Arbeit und Sehnsucht zugleich.

“TOIL” ist eine choreografische Erkundung von Arbeit und ihrer emotionalen, historischen und körperlichen Dimensionen. Entstanden aus einer tiefen Hingabe an den Tanz mit all seinen Kämpfen und Freuden, reflektieren die Tänzer*innen Michelle Cheung, Eli Cohen, Martin Hansen, Mickey Mahar und Dasniya Sommer was bleibt, wenn Bewegung selbst zur Arbeit wird. Live begleitet von Marta Forsberg und Steve Heather, bewegt sich die eigens für “TOIL” komponierte Musik zwischen Elektro, Folk und Punk. In einem reduzierten Bühnenbild entsteht eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit der eigenen Körperlichkeit, mit Rhythmus und Zusammenhalt. Ein ständiges Bemühen, den sich ständig veränderten Rhythmen der Zeit zu folgen.

Team

Konzept und Choreografie: Sheena McGrandles / Choreografie und Performance: Michelle Cheung, Eli Cohen, Martin Hansen, Mickey Mahar, Dasniya Sommer / Musikkomposition: Steve Heather, Marta Forsberg / Dramaturgie: Jette Büchsenschütz / Bühnenbild, Kostüme: Michiel Keuper / Kostümassistenz: Julianne Längin /Lichtdesign: Elliott Cennetoglu / Technische Leitung: Emese Csornai / Choreographic outside eye: Laurie Young and Louise Trueheart /Kreative Produktion: Saskia Schoenmaker / Produktionsassistenz: Cote Jaña / PR/Social Media: Agnė Auželytė

Image © Evan Loxton.

Workshop series: Harness in motion

choreografie-tanz-dasniya-sommer-bondage-shibari-Kunst-yum-yum-ballhaus-ost-berlin-rope-dance-workshops-klassen-performance

The series ‚Harness in Motion‘ consists of three workshops this summer:

1. class: Navigating weight lightly – 27.6.25
2. class: Skin, ropes and trust – 22.7.25
3. class: Adrenalin / Shibari fight club – 23.9.25

The workshop focuses on dynamic system of movements and rope restriction. Dasniya will open her vast dancers tool box to creatively expand the traditional shibari vocabulary. Rope harnesses will serve as anchor points and transform the classical top-bottom dynamic into playfully and intimately moving with your partner through space.
Note: This class is the second of a series of three classes that will explore this topic in depth. The classes build on each other but it is not obligatory to take all three of them.

For more information please contact: workshops(at)dasniyasommer.de
or register via: Karada House.

Dasniya Sommer is a Berlin-based choreographer, dancer and teacher who works in the range from performance to photography and video art, from Japanese Shibari to classical ballet. She examines movement and image from the perspective of the dancer. For 20 years Dasniya has practiced Japanese Shibari/Bondage stretching performative aesthetic categories, making shibari accessible to a wider and intersectional community.
 She tries to combine pure Japanese techniques (currently Akira Naka inspired) with an unconventional anarchic approach, often integrating objects or organic material into the process. 
Dasniya’s teaching is informed by her experience as a rigger and shibari model. Melting schools and philosophies from a great number of teachers such as Chanta Rose, Kamijoo Saki, Kasumi Hourai, Arisue Go, Akira Naka, Tamandua, Gestalta, and Norio Sugiura. She regularly teaches at ‘Haus Sommer’ her studio in Uferhallen Kulturwerkstatt, and a.o. at ImPulsTanz Vienna, Lismore’s Queer-Community/Australia, and Braunschweig University of Art. ‘Sculpting or moving with ropes I deeply enjoy the handcrafting moment combined with sensual attention towards my partner or the bondage material.‘

Photo by Pippa Samaya.

 

TANZPRAXIS STIPENDIUM

With many thanks to the ‚Senatskanzlei für Kultur und Medien Berlin‘ and to the jury Begüm Erciyas, Sheena McGrandles and Peter Stamer for supporting my artistic research with the ‚Senior artist‘ grant in 2024/25.