TANZ
Female spirits appearing in the midst of the night, innocent virgins with weak hearts, dark enchanted forests, evil witches casting spells and seeking revenge; but also labouring, exploited bodies elevating ballet technique, cross-dressing female duets, dancers flying across the stage or surrounded by flames, male spectators penetrating the opera’s backstage … Developing in the 19th century on the stages of several European cities, romantic ballet was a world of magic, a fantastic spectacle and a gendered battleground. Could it also be a point of relevance for contemporary (feminist, ecological, class-related …) preoccupations? This introduction to Florentina Holzinger’s piece TANZ will provide the audience with a short glimpse into aspects of romantic ballet history, to prepare for the subversions operated by the work’s contemporary sylphs.
is a dance historian and theorist. She studied Psychology and Philosophy at the University of Bristol (UK) and Philosophy of art at Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne (France). She completed a PhD in Dance Studies at the University of Salzburg with a thesis titled Multiple Stories. Expanded Choreography and Choreographic History.
In parallel with her research, she teaches practice-oriented dance history and theory in various contexts and occasionally works as a dramaturge.
In English
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Florentina Holzinger
TANZ