Swinging is a cultural body practice that can be used to negotiate various thematic complexes and cultural narratives. In a duet with two male performers, Johanna Heusser deals with this sport with its masculine connotations and critically questions the identity of this practice.
Personally, Johanna Heusser is skeptical of Swiss traditions in her everyday life, probably not least because they often seem to her to be closely associated with conservative, nationalistic and patriarchal values with which she cannot identify. Apart from practicing these traditions, she finds them problematic in the modern society in which we live. But it is precisely this that highlights how powerful the use of living traditions, such as Swiss swinging, can be as an object of projection. By proposing specific aspects of traditional swinging and its festivals as performative stage practice and shifting them with the help of certain strategies, she dares to propose an alternative concept.
by Johanna Heusser
Cast
concept, choreography Johanna Sofia Heusser
performance David Speiser, Dennis Freischlad/Julian Voneschen
dramaturgy Fiona Schreier
production management Sarah Schoch, Catalina Schriber & Maxine Devaud / oh la la - performing arts production
stage, sound, light, video Marc Vilanova
technical direction Marc Vilanova, Max Windisch-Spoerk
lighting, video Robert Meyer
Costume Diana Ammann
Outside eye Stephan Stock, Selina Beghetto
cultural journalist Linus Schöpfer
The piece was created during the studies in MA Expandet Theater at the Bern University of the Arts.
Support Danse & Dramaturgie, a program initiated by Théâtre Sévelin 36, in collaboration with Dampfzentrale Bern, Tanzhaus Zürich, TU-Théâtre de l’Usine, ROXY Birsfelden, Südpol Luzern, with the support of Pro Helvetia and SSA Société Suisse des Auteurs.
Co-production ROXY Birsfelden, Bühne Aarau
Support Fachausschuss Tanz & Theater BS/BL, Bern University of the Arts, Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung, Jubiläumsstiftung der BLKB, Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung SIS, Gwärtler Stiftung, Jacqueline Spengler Stiftung, Pro Helvetia, PREMIO - Nachwuchspreis für Theater und Tanz, Ernst Göhner Stiftung, Pro Helvetia and Migros-Kulturprozent.