Director Ricardo Carmona will be in action at Tanz im August 2024
Tanz im August 2022: Embracing Migration and Humanity in Berlin's Largest Dance Festival
Tanz im August, Berlin's largest dance festival, returned for its 2022 edition with a focus on migration and the human stories associated with it. The festival, which spanned three weeks and more than 10 locations across the city, aimed to reflect the complex social and political realities of migration in Europe and beyond.
Ricardo Carmona, the artistic director of Tanz im August, emphasised the importance of migration as a longstanding human practice that is increasingly questioned by the rise of extreme right-wing forces. He sought works that activated different layers of humanness in the public, believing that dance could also activate feelings in audiences.
One such performance was Alessandro Sciarroni's piece, DREAM, which had its German premiere at St. Elisabeth-Kirche on August 24. The softness of DREAM allowed for a response that was not just excitement and energy, but also relaxation and a melancholic aspect that invited and calmed the audience. The performance required the audience to pay attention and allowed people to come and go as they pleased.
The festival's focus on migration was not limited to DREAM. Several shows spoke about migration in various ways, creating an immersive, thought-provoking experience that engaged audiences emotionally and intellectually. The festival's cross-cultural approach highlighted voices and perspectives of artists directly or indirectly connected to migration, using diverse dance languages and contemporary performance methods to create works that reflected the human stories and emotional landscapes associated with migration experiences.
In addition to the traditional festival venues, Tanz im August 2022 presented a project at Kraftwerk in collaboration with Berlin Atonal, a space where the festival had never been before. A free event called 'Outbox Me Battle' also took place at Tempelhofer Feld, a location not used in the previous year's festival.
Carmona maintained continuity of character across the large festival by considering the ways dance activates different layers of humanity. He emphasised the unique social and political decision people make to attend live shows, stating that the audience's attendance creates conditions for the performance.
The festival's thematic choice aimed to provide a critical platform where questions about movement, borders, belonging, and cultural identity intersected with artistic expression, enabling a broader dialogue on current global and local migratory dynamics. Tanz im August 2022 demonstrated that dance is not just a form of entertainment, but a powerful medium for communication and reflection on the human condition.
[1] Tanz im August 2022 programme reflects changes in the world since last year and includes shows that directly address these changes. [2] The festival involves collaborations with artists from around the world, including Dorothée Munyaneza and Tamara Cubas. [3] The affect of the shows in Tanz im August is important, as they activate different layers of humanness, including mental, rational, conceptual, sentimental, and emotional aspects. [4] There is a connection between the audience and performers in dance shows, as the audience can feel a connection with the dancers due to shared humanness. [5] Phenomenological studies have researched kinetic memory, which is the recognition of movements in the brain while watching a dance show. [6] Cultures are built on the movement of people, bringing different cultures together and allowing for things to relate to each other.
- The entertainment presented at Tanz im August 2022 goes beyond mere spectacle, as it serves as a critical platform for exploring complex social and political issues surrounding migration, providing audiences with an immersive, thought-provoking experience that engages them emotionally and intellectually.
- Recognizing dance as a powerful medium for communication, Tanz im August 2022 collaborates with artists from around the world, including Dorothée Munyaneza and Tamara Cubas, to create works that reflect the human stories and emotional landscapes associated with migration experiences, fostering connections between diverse cultures.
