It is no secret that we are huge fans of Berlin label UY. So it comes as no surprise that we were thrilled to find out that the label plans a very special extravaganza to celebrate its 5th anniversary. Combining their passion for the theatrical and their strong connection to Berlin’s nightlife the event was recently revealed to be a dance performance at Halle (the awesome location inside the building of Berghain) that will premiere tonight!
We had the chance to witness the press preview last night and of course, took the opportunity to capture some impressions for you. You can expect a grand spectacle with lots of golden outfits, a fantastic choreography by The Progressive Wave, and a soundtrack by Dasha Rush that could not be more fitting for the location. You should get tickets for the 19h or 21h show and join the after party at Berghain Kantine.
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by Frank | Fashion
Before starting iHeartBerlin my life was not remotely as colorful and filled with creative minds as it is now. Without ever planning to, the blog enriched my life with so many encounters with wonderful people that became my endless source of inspiration. I met designers, that inspired me to start organizing fashion shows. I met store owners that made me create my own products, DJs that led me to run my own parties, dancers that got me involved into the theater scene, artists that became part of my exhibitions.
Up until that point, inspiration was mostly something I had to figure out by myself. And I was ok with that. I don’t remember having role models, or people that I aspired to. It took the perspective of a publication like iHeartBerlin that taught me to open my mind to what other people do, to appreciate their influence and let their creativity color my own. While writing about their work some aspects of their mindset seeped into mine, drop by drop. I was pulled into their worlds that were often so far from my own. But these foreign contexts shaped me like hardly anything else in my life.
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by Frank | People, Videos
The approach to theater by Gal and Matan from The progressive wave is a quite unique and different one than what you might be used to on the stages of Berlin’s independent theater scene. It’s hard to define it sometimes because each piece incorporates different disciplines. For instance their last production Lights & Vessels which was the first part of a theatrical trilogy called Science of Signs presented itself as a lecture on philosophy, alchemy and Kabbala. There were elements of contemporary dance in it, but for the most part it really worked by its own definition.
The second part of the trilogy is called Oráculo and it premieres tonight at Ballhaus Ost as part of the ID Festival with encores on Saturday and Sunday. This time the topics of spirituality and religion are at the core of the piece, but from a very different angle. Embedded into a beautifully elaborate set design that keeps on changing and adapting over time we see different rituals and performative interpretations of religious imagery. It’s a very calming and hypnotic experience to watch this piece, especially the shamanic ritual will really draw you in. There are also a lot of innovative and experimental elements in it that bring in techniques of crafts and arts that are really fascinating to watch. I highly recommend you get tickets for one of the three shows of Oráculo this weekend! Some impressions from the piece below.
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by Frank | Theater
photos: Olga Khristolyubova
A month ago we already introduced you to the new innovative theater production bodieSLANGuage with a series of animated GIFs inspired by the concept of the play. In September of 2015 the show will go into its second round of performances that will happen from the 3rd till the 6th at 20h at Ballhaus Ost.
We saw the premiere of the piece last month and to be honest, it is the most amazing thing I have seen on a stage in Berlin in a very long time. If you read the first texts about the play you can already understand that it revolves around body language and incorporates sign language using deaf and hearing performers. But it was really impossible for me to imagine how this is going to be translated onto the stage.
The result of the work of the three choreographers from matanicola and the progressive wave and the 8 performers is hard to put into words. The play has several scenes that are quite different from each other. Some I would discribe as moving organic sculptures, other I would describe as traditional contemporary dance performances, some are solo singing acts and monologues or even comedic interludes. The play has a lot to offer and will never get boring and it never seized to amaze and surprise me.
I loved how the play manages to bring the performers together in one moving creature in the beginning and than showcase their very individualistic styles in the solo acts. All of the performers were amazing, but I was particularily impressed – once again – by Gal Naor who is also one of the choreographers (and was part of the House of Haunted House last year by the way). He functions as the medium between the deaf and hearing performers and in his solo parts he manages to be bizarre, gracious and just fucking cool at the same time.
I don’t want to spoil too much about the piece as it lives from its unexpected turns. I urge you to get some of the few tickets left for the upcoming shows this week as I can assure you that you will be impressed, regardless if you are a regular guest or a newbie to the world of independant theater. To warm your appetite we have some captivating impressions from our talented photographer Olga Khristolyubova after the jump.
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by Frank | Photos, Theater
