A dance performance for young audiences
in cooperation with explore dance
On May 4th, the stage production “Esther” by Israeli choreographer Reut Shemesh will premiere at the fabrik Potsdam – a dance performance for young audiences aged 13 and over that focuses on identity development and group affiliation in young people. The production is part of the nationwide funding program Jupiter – Performing Arts for Young Audiences of the Federal Cultural Foundation and was created in cooperation with the partner institutions of explore dance – Network Dance for Young Audiences.
In “Esther”, Reut Shemesh and five professional performers explore the self-discovery process and identity development of young people. What happens to young people when they commit themselves to a group? And how is the sense of community reflected in attitudes, dress codes and rituals? What role do colors, signs and symbols, such as flags, shoes and clothing, play? What individual forms of expression does a body experience when it is in a uniform?
The need for belonging and the dynamics of groups within a youth community represent two poles of this tension. By exploring the nuanced relationship between uniforms, symbols, behaviors and rituals as well as social class, the piece sheds light on how young people deal with the delicate balance between conformity and individuality. During the research phase, Reut Shemesh already involved the target group of the project and worked with young people in Dresden, Munich, Hamburg and Potsdam.
Reut Shemesh comes from Israel and lives in Cologne. She works across genres at the interface of contemporary dance, poetry and experimental film. Named Hopeful of the Year by TANZ in 2019, she has received numerous award nominations and was awarded the Cologne Dance and Theater Prize in 2016. Her questions for “Esther” are specifically linked to her autobiographical and artistic expertise, which she experienced herself as a dancer and soldier in military service in Israel.
“Esther – A Dance Piece About Youth & Uniforms”
A joint production by fabrik moves Potsdam and Reut Shemesh, in coproduction with K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg, Fokus Tanz | Tanz und Schule e.V. Munich and HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts Dresden as part of the cooperation explore dance – Network Dance for Young Audiences. Funded by the Jupiter – Performing Arts for Young Audiences program of the Federal Cultural Foundation to strengthen children’s and youth theater in the areas of production, training and reporting.
Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.
World premiere
Sat 4 May 2024, 7:00 p.m., fabrik Potsdam
School performances: Mon 6 + Tue 7 May, 10:00 a.m., fabrik Potsdam
Other performances:
30 & 31 May, 11:00 a.m., Kampnagel, Hamburg
1 June, 7:00 p.m., Kampnagel, Hamburg
8 June, 7:00 p.m., Alte Gießerei, Stralsund
14 & 15 June, 11:00 a.m., HELLERAU, Dresden
12 July, 11:00 a.m., Münchner Kammerspiele
13 July, 7:30 p.m., Münchner Kammerspiele
explore dance – Network Dance for Young Audiences has set itself the goal of giving children and young people sustainable access to contemporary dance and thus strengthening the visibility of this art form permanently and on an equal footing alongside other arts. Through the production, mediation and reception of dance pieces that are developed and tested by established choreographers specifically for and in exchange with children and young people, the area of dance in the cultural offering for children and young people is to be established nationwide at a high level of artistic quality and anchored in cultural education. explore dance relies on the diversity of current contemporary dance styles and on innovative formats that open up participation in artistic experiences for children and young people regardless of where they live and their social context. For its successful work, the explore dance network will be honored with the German Dance Prize for outstanding development in the field of dance in 2024.
The nationwide cooperation project was created as part of the TANZPAKT STADT-LAND-BUND funding (2018 to 2023).
Supported by: fabrik moves Potsdam, Fokus Tanz | Tanz und Schule e.V. Munich, K3 | Tanzplan Hamburg and HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts.
Funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media and by the municipalities and states of the project partners.
With the kind support of ART MENTOR FOUNDATION LUCERNE.
