Certified by students
How young people accompanied and helped to shape the creation of the pop-up Tie Break
During the rehearsal process, explore dance artists visit students at school, discuss the choreographies’ topics with them, show them initial excerpts, or invite them to rehearsals. How do young people experience being involved in the creation of an explore dance production at their school?
For the new Hamburg production Tie Break, choreographer Constantin Trommlitz and his dancers worked closely with the theatre profile course at the Emilie-Wüstenfeld-Gymnasium. In the following interview, students Mila (17) and Gianluca (17) talk about how they experienced the process and what was special about being so closely involved in the creation of a dance production.
Interview by Katrin Breschke, project manager explore dance Hamburg | 12 September 2025
Describe a normal school day as opposed to a day when someone from outside – like us – comes in. What’s the difference?
Gianluca:
The difference when someone from outside comes in: we just don’t have that in most subjects. It does happen in the arts programme. We go on excursions to art galleries or to the theatre.
Mila:
What’s special about someone coming in from outside is that the atmosphere is different. I think that’s always really cool, it’s something new and exciting. And what happens then is just different than what happens everyday. It’s new, something’s happening, you open up a bit.
And especially with you guys, it was really cool to see dance and theatre from a different perspective and not just be there as a spectator the whole time, but also as a collaborator. That we could be part of thinking about what else could be done …
Gianluca:
When you’re at the theatre watching a performance, you wonder what it could mean. But when you’re given the task beforehand of helping to shape what could be done better, I really liked that. I find it exciting to watch something abstract or something involving dance. It’s much more difficult to reflect on it and make suggestions for improvements. But it makes you think. And then we can also incorporate that experience into our own theatre pieces, of course, that is which it’s such special input.
Were you apprehensive when you found out that you would be working with dance and choreography next?
Gianluca:
No, there were no issues.
Mila:
In our profile course, I can be myself more than perhaps in courses with people where I would feel embarrassed or just a little more tense.
Gianluca:
For example, when you were here for the first time, we did a performance session at the end. With exercises like walking around the room and doing certain things or behaving in a certain way, such as “feeling oppressed” or “feeling observed”. I found it difficult to get into it, especially the very expressive movements or thinking more abstractly. But then the dancers joined in too, and that was inspiring. I think if you’re not a professional dancer, it’s a challenge for everyone at first. But no one said, “He did this and that and it was weird.”
What was it like when we first visited you? I remember you had just finished a maths test and your mind was completely elsewhere. You knew we were coming, but you didn’t know what it was about. Right?
Mila:
The maths test didn’t go well for me. So it was nice to be able to completely switch off from it. I watched and thought about what I was seeing and wasn’t so lost in my own thoughts anymore.
Gianluca:
I also liked how it went. We had no idea what to expect. And then we came in and spent 15 minutes just watching and getting an idea of the direction of the piece. And then there was the shared feedback session. And the second time, we saw something new and then gathered new ideas and connected them to each other.
Do you feel that the theatre profile course is a subject where you have more say than in other subjects?
Gianluca:
Definitely.
Mila:
You really come out of your shell, everyone can contribute their ideas and that’s how things develop. I think that’s really great.
Gianluca:
Of course, you can’t compare maths and theatre, because one is frontal teaching and the other allows you to have a say. And there are also differences between theatre teachers. But if you just watch and don’t participate yourself, then it’s different than if you understand the ideas behind it or experience the process yourself. And that’s also the case when we work with others like you. Even if we’re not directly involved in the choreography, we discuss it with you, and that’s how we learn more.
Mila:
The only subject that it can be compared to is probably art.
Gianluca:
But in theatre class, we work together more.
Mila:
I think that, especially compared to all the other subjects, these are the subjects where you see yourself most as a student, where you participate and have a say. I would say that the theatre profile course is by far the class in which the most people laugh. And it’s not laughing at each other, but laughing with each other and just having fun. And that’s nice.
Gianluca:
With Constantin and your choreography, we didn’t criticise the first time, but made the suggestion that the synchronised parts were very cool and important. That it harmonised so well when they acted together as a group. We recognised that in the finished piece, that it merged like that. We felt heard.
Mila:
Also, in general, it was nice that we had the opportunity to give these tips and feedback. That we were heard like that.
If you had to describe the piece to someone else, what is it about and why should they see it? (They think about it). Perhaps it’s about different topics for you.
Gianluca:
At the beginning, it was about the role of women. But if you look at the piece as a whole, you could simply say…
Mila:
The exclusion of an individual.
Gianluca:
Yes, so it’s not necessarily just about a woman, even though it was embodied by a woman. The theme of exclusion and also society framing it, so that you can’t be as much an individual, it’s like a struggle throughout – all of that together is such an important topic that relates to many areas and age groups. That’s why it’s just so important to go watch it.
When we watched choreographies before, they were mostly in the same dance style. I found it very exciting that everything harmonised here so well, even though there were three different dance styles. And we especially liked the last part.
Mila:
Everyone’s facial expressions became happy, everyone was smiling.
What advice would you give to people who are afraid they won’t understand dance?
Mila:
I think it’s really important to get involved. To be brought into it as a student…
Gianluca:
For example, by attending rehearsals and workshops.
I would just say in general, and this applies to life in general: if you’re afraid of something, especially something creative, you miss out on so much.
Now we’ve come to you and already had an idea for a piece. Constantin had topics he wanted to work on choreographically. If you could still have a say in the matter, what topic should a dance piece be based on?
Mila:
What comes to mind spontaneously is that I would also address social issues. A conflict between old and young would be interesting.
Gianluca:
There are certain topics that are covered a lot, e.g. suicide, how you feel in society, LGBTQ. These are topics that are absolutely important, but there’s already a lot out there on them. The pieces should be ones that everyone can relate to, but perhaps no one thinks about as actually being a problem.
Mila:
For example, mobile phone use.
Gianluca:
Or the topic of AI. Simply about change, about the influence of digitalisation on everyone and on children who are growing up with it.
Mila:
But I also thought the topics Constantin addressed were really cool because we could all identify with them.
When you see a piece that you can immediately identify with, especially as a young person, it’s easier to watch it, get into it and have fun. That was definitely the case with you guys.
It was always really fun to watch and follow along.
Gianluca:
We also talked about the age group that the piece is made for. The topic applies to all age groups, and if you show it to fifth graders, they may not yet be consciously engaged with these issues. But if you give them a little more information about it, or allow for questions in the workshop, there are general situations in there that will also speak to younger children.
It is important to be in dialogue with the target group during the rehearsal process?
Gianluca:
Mila:
I think so, yes
Absolutely.
Could you put a stamp on it saying ‘”certified by …”?
Gianluca:
Definitively.
Is there a difference between dance performances coming to your school and you going to the theatre?
Gianluca:
School is a familiar environment.
Mila:
More comfortable.
Gianluca:
For a performance like this, where you can have a say, I think it’s better at school because it’s easier to empathise.
Mila:
You come out of your shell more. I think if I were sitting in a theatre, probably with other people, I wouldn’t say anything or would say less. And here, you feel very seen.
