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Recording: 2020-03-01 , DOCK 11 (Video © Walter Bickmann)

Irina Demina

AcT II

DOCK 11

Production Details / Press Releases

Classical ballet meets Berghain, meets David Lynch, meets folk dance, meets »Self-unfinished« –

The solo «AcT II» is inspired by the ghost-like figure of Vila in the Slavic folklore (dancing female spirits). According to the pagan legend Vilas are the spirits of brides who died as virgins before getting married, at the night time they come back from the underworld and lure young men to dance, dancing them to death. In the Western world, Vilas are indelibly connected with the Romantic ballet »Giselle« with its interpretation of spectral Vilas appearing in the second act, who almost snatches away the hero’s life-breath, but must disappear at the break of dawn.

“In an abstract humorous way, turning things upside down, you are invited to reflect on the topics of female sexuality, femininity, mysticism coded in folklore traditions.”

How traditional are traditions?
Who are these folklore female figures today?
And how would they be (folk) dancing?
And who am I (are we) in this world of poetic embodied folklore?
A hologram image?
A crack of reality?
An awkward grace?
A skinless body?
An uncomfortable truth?
?

Irina Demina was born in Poland (1986). Russian, based in Berlin. Made her dance education in Moscow and Hamburg. Graduated from Moscow State Lomonosov University (Faculty of Philology) and received an MA degree in Choreography at Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum Tanz Berlin (HZT).
As a dancer she worked with choreographers Xavier le Roy, Jochen Roller, Angela Guerreiro, Soodong Jung, Halla Olafsdottir, Jessica Nupen etc.
Her solo “Dark Quark” received the 3d prize in the competition “The best German dance solo” in Leipzig 2013. 2013 the full-evening solo performance “Hoomu Nite” got the support from the Cultural Authorities of Hamburg. Project “Accumulalalation” 2014 was realised in frames of project funding from the state of Hamburg, 2015 the theatre version was developed in frames of a residency at Tanzfabrik Berlin. 2015 premiere “360 DEGREES” at Uferstudios, Berlin. In 2016 choreographed piece for 5 dancers “Traumlabor” for Theater Strahl. In 2017 premiere “BANSHEE RAGOUT”, supported by Kulturbehoerde Hamburg. In 2017 choreographer a piece for 3 dancers “Be water, my friend” (in frames of Tanzkomplizen, Podewil, Berlin). 2018 Norwegian-German project “Herbarium LAB” was part of PAF Festival. 2018 – premiere “ACT II” as part of Neworks in ADA-studio.
Works also as a choreographer for drama theatre productions (u.a. Nino Haratischwili, Nico Holonics).
In 2017 she participated in the international art project for Winter Olympics “Deep in the Mountains” (PyeongChang, South Korea). In 2018 was choreographer-in-residence at Seoul Dance Centre (South Korea). 2019 Irina’s research on folk dances KLOFF was invited in 2019 for residencies @Frikar SMIA (Valdres, Norway), @Kulturfabrikken Sortland (Vesteralen, Norway).
2014-2016 she was a scholarship holder of Alfred Töpfer Stiftung F.V.S.
irinademina.com

[Source: play bill]

TFB Nr. 1432

Cast & Credits

Concept / choreography / performance: Irina Demina
Music: Adolphe Adam “Giselle”, act 2 (editing: Irina Demina)
Light: Daniel Paiva de Miranda
Thanks to: Gabi Beier, Peter Pleyer, Lisa Kruse, Soodong Jung, Jae Woo Ahn, David Samu
With kind support: Seoul Dance Centre (Seoul), ada Studio (Berlin), Deep in the Mountains programme (PyeongChang, S. Korea), Lake studios (Berlin), Fjelldansen and FRIKAR Smia (Norway), DOCK 11 (Berlin), Goethe Institute, Alfred Töpfer Stiftung F.V.S.

DOCK 11

Kastanienallee 79
10435 Berlin

dock11-berlin.de
Map

Tickets: dock11-berlin.de/theater/service/tickets

DOCK 11 / DOCK ART GmbH
dockart@dockart.de

Video Documentation

The video documentation is produced on behalf of the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. The purpose of this contract is to document productions in the field of contemporary dance in Berlin. The master recordings are archived by the University Library of the Berlin University of Arts. Copies of the recordings on DVD are available for viewing exclusively in the reference collections of the following archives (at media desks in these institutions):

University Library of the Berlin University of Arts
Mediathek für Tanz und Theater des Internationalen Theaterinstituts / Mime Centrum Berlin
Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin (HZT)

Irina Demina / Trailers and Video Documentations

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