Unkraut

PRESS

“[…] These girls are anything but shy and retiring. They are loud, strong, fast. Nobody can stop or tame them. They are the only ones standing in their way. And they are ruthless to each other. If one of the young women stumbles and falls, the others in the group tread on her with contempt. But, as the saying goes, bad weeds [German: Unkraut] grow tall, and any victim soon gets up again and re-takes her place in the gang that bonds them: to defend themselves against female clichés.”

Hannoversche Allgemeine Zeitung, 6 September 2021

PREVIEW TEXT

Six young women are calling the challenge – questioning the clichéd notions of femininity that they know are inscribed in their bodies. The women are long-time dance students of Austrian choreographer Doris Uhlich, who made her festival debut in Hanover with two works in 2017. “Unkraut” is dedicated to them and brings out their boldness. An act of liberation, it releases vital energies and embodies the principle of standing your ground. Here, Uhlich questions certain conventions that usually go unchallenged and – with humour and an undeniable relish – lets the performers’ true potential sparkle. “I like my likes” and “I hate my likes” they confess, both of which are true, and reveal the inner conflict caused by digital daily life that they aim to resolve. Both powerful and vulnerable, the performers dance with fierce determination against preconceived expectations and open the public’s eyes to their points of view, dreams and hopes.

(approx. 60 mins)

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cast & credits

Choreography: Doris Uhlich

Performance: Marie-Luise Bohrer, Annina Kriechbaum, Lena Obenaus, Shirin Rieser, Anna Steiner, Luna Weis

Dramaturgical collaboration: Yoshie Maruoka

Sound collaboration: Boris Kopeinig

Costumes: Zarah Brandl

Light: Gerald Pappenberger

Production: Margot Wehinger

Premiere: 25/06/2019 SCHÄXPIR Festival, Linz

Co-production: SCHÄXPIR Festival, Linz/ Szene Salzburg and insert Tanz und Performance GmbH

Co-operation Tanzwerkstatt Wien/ ImPulsTanz, Vienna/ mumok, Vienna

Funded by the Cultural Department of the City of Vienna and the Federal Ministry for Arts, Culture, the Civil Service and Sport.