Production Details / Press Releases
Over the course of time dance techniques inscribe themselves – layer by layer – into the body. They become a part of it, dictate its expression, drive it to perfection. Technique burns itself into the body, turns it into a machine: a cyborg. “Explicit Content” is simultaneously revolt and desire: resistance to rigid, artificial form that no virtuoso can escape, and the unbounded pleasure of diving into technique in order to leave behind the inadequacies of the body. The body relishes in squeezing itself into the pre-given form and triumphs when the dance engine rolls over it.
Sergiu Matis was born in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. He started his professional career at Tanztheater Nünrberg where he worked with many different dancers and choreographers like Daniela Kurz, Stijn Celis, Jo Strømgren, Catherine Guerin, Rodolfo Leoni, Russell Maliphant, Lionel Hoche, Jo Kanamori, Rui Horta, Javier de Frutos, Andre Gingras and Jorma Elo. Since 2008 Sergiu Matis has lived in Berlin and has worked with Colette Sadler, Yossi Berg and Oded Graf. In February 2014 he finished his Master in Solo/Dance/Authorship (SODA) at the HZT Berlin. Additionally he choreographed own pieces like Human Nature, Landing, ThreeDoors.Search, Crossover Dreams, 89. Grenzenlos, Ploaie de vara, Ending-dong, five short pieces for Tanzkunst at Neues Museum Nürnberg. Sergiu Matis dances also in the Sasha Waltz choreographys Continu, Métamorphoses, Matsukaze and Sacre.
Mila Pavićević holds an MA in Performance dramaturgy from the Academy of drama art in Zagreb. She is a member of Centre of Drama Art and a part of the editorial board for the performing arts magazine, Frakcija. As a dramaturge and as an author she worked both in the institutional theatres and on the freelance scene. Her primary field of interest is dance dramaturgy and materialist philosophy. She collaborates with many artist including: Irma Omerzo, Zrinka Užbinec, Sergiu Matisa, SIMKA, Goran Sergej Pristaš…
Maria Walser began her studies at the Heinz-Bosl Foundation for Ballet in Munich and graduated 2004 in theater dance at the Palucca School, Dresden.
She realized own works such as “last descent” and “der Schwarze Komet”.
At theater, she worked with directors like Ekat Cordes, Herbert Fritsch, Alexander Müller Elmau, as well as various choreographers as Beate Höhn, Randi de Vlieghe, Steffi Sembdner, Britta Wirthmüller, MS pacemaker and has been part of the work “Keep It Real” & “Fake It – The real Deal” by Sergiu Matis.
Luis Alberto Rodruigez received his education at the Ailey School, H.School for the Performing Arts and graduated from the Juilliard School, also New York City, USA. Since 2006 he has been engaged at the Cullberg Ballet. He worked among others with choreographers such as William Forsythe, Lloyd Newson, Eszter Salamon, Christoph Winkler, Josep Caballero, Ayman Harper and already in “Keep It Real” with Sergiu Matis.
Kyan Bayani grew up in Luxembourg. He is a composer and sound designer for film and performances. After he received his BA Business, Nottingham Trent University, England, a Masters in International Relations and World Order, Leicester University, England, he completed his studies with a Master in Sound Studies – Acoustic Communication at the UDK, Berlin. Since then, he realized various own projects and worked with choreographers such as Je-Ae Lim and Sergiu Matis.
Lena Schmid was born in Zürich in 1986. After an apprenticeship to become a tailor for theatre she studied Set and Costume design at the Toneelacademie Maastricht and at the Akademia Sztuk Pieknych in Warsaw. From 2011 to 2013 she was hired as a Set Assistant at the Central Theater Leipzig under the artistic direction of Sebastian Hartmann. There she worked as a Set and Costume Designer together with Alexander Eisenach, Manuel Harder, Martin Laberenz and Robert Borgmann. Her most recent work as a freelance Set and Costume designer took her to Schauspiel Frankfurt, BAT Theater Berlin and at the Opera of Heidelberg with the directors Alexander Eisenach, Gordon Kämmerer and Clara Kalus. She lives and works in Berlin.
Cast & Credits
Concept: Sergiu Matis
Performance: Sergiu Matis, Maria Walser, Luis Rodriguez
Dramaturgy: Mila Pavićević
Sound: Kyan Bayani
Light: Sandra Blatterer
Costume: Lena Schmid
Production: David Eckelmann
A production by Sergiu Matis in co-production with Uferstudios GmbH, as part of the project “Life Long Burning” with the support of the Culture Program of the European Union, Tanzfabrik Berlin.
Funded by the Governing Mayor of Berlin – Senatskanzlei – Cultural Affairs.
Tanzfabrik Berlin / Wedding
Uferstr. 23
13357 Berlin
Video Documentation
The video documentation is produced on behalf of the Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion. 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)
Sergiu Matis / Trailers and Video Documentations
- Sergiu Matis: Interview / Portrait Sergiu Matis (2019)
- Sergiu Matis: Warp Renderings (2024)
- Sergiu Matis: Blazing Worlds (2023)
- Sergiu Matis: DRANG (2022)
- Sergiu Matis: Hopeless. (2019)
- Instant Feedback / Sergiu Matis: Hopeless (2019)
- Sergiu Matis: NEVERENDINGS – Season 2: Daydreams for a Better World (2017)
- Sergiu Matis: NEVERENDINGS – Season 1: 100 Years Revolution (2017)
- Sergiu Matis: Deleted Scenes (2016)
- Sergiu Matis: Duet (2012)
- Sergiu Matis: all of a sudden (Ausschnitt) (2011)
- Sergiu Matis: Doom Room (2010)