Dance 
Ulduz Ahmadzadeh / ATASH عطش

Force Majeure

Ulduz Ahmad- zadeh,

born in Tehran, started dancing in a country in which it is still prohibited. In defiance of state censorship, she performed regularly with company Harekat from 1999 until 2004. She was subsequently incarcerated. After her release, she started her own dance company, which continued to be highly critical of the political system.

Ahmadzadeh studied directing at the art university Soureh in Tehran, contemporary dance pedagogy at MUK in Vienna and Social Design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Her contemporary dance company ATASH (formerly tanz.labor.labyrinth), which was founded in 2012, specifically addresses socio-political issues and cultural hierarchies.

atashworks.com

Credits

Concept, choreography  
Ulduz Ahmadzadeh 
Concept, dramaturgy  
Johanna Figl 
Performance  
Desi Bonato, Magdalena Chowaniec, Cristina Sandino, Emma Wiederhold 
Composition, live music  
Maya Contreras 
Stage design, costume 
Till Jasper Krappmann 
Light design 
Veronika Mayerböck 
Assistant stage, costume 
Isabela Voicu 
Production, PR  
Yasamin Nikseresht Masooleh, Maiko Karner Sakurai 
Video 
Maximilian Pramatarov, Nestor Kovachev, André Harm 
Video sound 
Marlene Brüggemann 
Make-up 
Savitry Hehl 
Translations 
Shirin Farshbaf 


A co-production by ATASH, Tanzquartier Wien and Be My Guest – International network for the emerging practices. With support from the Municipal Department of Cultural Affairs, Vienna, and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport. Thanks to Amnesty International for supporting the research. A special thanks to all women sharing their stories with us. 

Force Majeure

“Justice will be served just when most people will have given up hope. I miss you.”  — N.S. / Human Rights advocate and activist

Force Majeure. An act of nature. Something that cannot be prevented. Like the elements, like a burning desire or the drive to free oneself. But what does freedom mean, what is justice? What price is every one of us willing to pay for it? And who else will be affected by this decision?

Following the performance of Undercover at the 2019 Rakete festival, this will be the second part of Ulduz Ahmadzadeh’s trilogy in which she presents the stories of women from Muslim societies – without giving in to stereotypes. In Force Majeure, the focus will be on women who have joined the resistance, who have been incarcerated and tortured, and who are continuously risking their lives. The starting point for her extensive research was documentary material, such as letters from detained activists, and historic Persian dances, which were originally only performed by men and which were thought to “mentally and physically prepare men to confront and fight the enemy”. Gently revised by Ahmadzadeh, these dances will be presented in Force Majeure as a choreography for three female dancers. What will be the consequences for political female activists and their friends and family when they engage in confrontation? What about personal relationships in times of political oppression? And what contradictions will remain, regardless of all the acts of bravery and sacrifice?

Force Majeure will give no answers, but it will address these issues boldly – without indulging in populist slogans – by acknowledging emotional and personal aspects that have too often been silenced in discussions about activism.

Ulduz Ahmad- zadeh,

born in Tehran, started dancing in a country in which it is still prohibited. In defiance of state censorship, she performed regularly with company Harekat from 1999 until 2004. She was subsequently incarcerated. After her release, she started her own dance company, which continued to be highly critical of the political system.

Ahmadzadeh studied directing at the art university Soureh in Tehran, contemporary dance pedagogy at MUK in Vienna and Social Design at the University of Applied Arts Vienna. Her contemporary dance company ATASH (formerly tanz.labor.labyrinth), which was founded in 2012, specifically addresses socio-political issues and cultural hierarchies.

atashworks.com

Credits

Concept, choreography  
Ulduz Ahmadzadeh 
Concept, dramaturgy  
Johanna Figl 
Performance  
Desi Bonato, Magdalena Chowaniec, Cristina Sandino, Emma Wiederhold 
Composition, live music  
Maya Contreras 
Stage design, costume 
Till Jasper Krappmann 
Light design 
Veronika Mayerböck 
Assistant stage, costume 
Isabela Voicu 
Production, PR  
Yasamin Nikseresht Masooleh, Maiko Karner Sakurai 
Video 
Maximilian Pramatarov, Nestor Kovachev, André Harm 
Video sound 
Marlene Brüggemann 
Make-up 
Savitry Hehl 
Translations 
Shirin Farshbaf 


A co-production by ATASH, Tanzquartier Wien and Be My Guest – International network for the emerging practices. With support from the Municipal Department of Cultural Affairs, Vienna, and the Austrian Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport. Thanks to Amnesty International for supporting the research. A special thanks to all women sharing their stories with us. 
13.03.
16.03.
Sat–​Tue
19.30
13.03.
16.03.
Sat–​Tue
19.30
Online

VoD available until Tue 16 March, 19.30.

 
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