Oda al Libro
A dance performance by the Totalitarian Body Collective / Anton Rudakov
A dance performance by the Totalitarian Body Collective / Anton Rudakov
Book crates should not be overloaded, as one can easily strain oneself when carrying them. At the same time, books themselves carry knowledge and stories, whose texts are newly interpreted by each reader. But what fate awaits those that no one has held in their hands for a long time, to open their pages? The dance performance ODA AL LIBRO combines music and movement into a participatory experience.
Credits
Choreography and Concept: Anton Rudakov
Dramaturgy: Insa Griesing
Dance / Performance: Anton Rudakov, Alekszandr Szivkov, Miracle Laackmann
Vocals (Countertenor): Bas Van Damme
Music (Cello): Anna Agnes Nagy
Trailer
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Totalitarian Body Kollektiv
Founded in 2017 by Anton Rudakov, the international ensemble brings together artists from various disciplines and cultures. With an award-winning repertoire spanning dance, theatre, and music—honored, among others, with the Hessian Theatre Prize—the collective explores the connections between body, society, and art.
Anton Rudakov
Born in St. Petersburg, he studied at the Vaganova Ballet Academy and danced with companies including the Aalto Ballet Theater Essen. He has been a member of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden since 2007. After completing his Master’s degree in Performance Studies in Hamburg, he founded the Totalitarian Body Collective, with which he has created multiple award-winning dance performances, including Impo(R)tant (Hessian Theatre Prize 2021).
Insa Griesing
She studied Culture and Media Education in Merseburg and Performance Studies in Hamburg. She worked as a theatre educator at institutions including the Landestheater Tübingen and the Stadttheater Bremerhaven. Since 2020, she has been active in independent projects and is part of the Totalitarian Body Collective, with which she develops interdisciplinary performance formats.
Alekszandr Szivkov
A graduate of the ArtEZ Dance Academy (NL), he has worked as a dancer with choreographers such as Otto Pichler, Wim Vandekeybus, and Itzik Galili. Since 2021, he has been a member of the Totalitarian Body Collective and has appeared in performances such as Meeting with Monsters and Wiederkehr at the Wiesbaden May Festival.
Bas Van Damme
A Belgian countertenor, trained at the Conservatorium Maastricht and the Royal Conservatory of Liège. In addition to his work as a classical singer, he performs in opera and music theatre productions. He is a member of the Flemish children’s theatre group TalenThee and a performer with the Totalitarian Body Collective.
Anna Agnes Nagy
A Hungarian cellist, trained at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Conservatorium Maastricht. She has performed with orchestras across Europe, Asia, and South America and is currently a member of the Aachen Symphony Orchestra. She combines classical music with performance art in the Totalitarian Body Collective.
(c) Tolga May / nrw Tanzhaus
Miracle Laackmann
An urban dancer, choreographer, and co-founder of the Free Spirit Festival. He teaches hip-hop/freestyle worldwide, serves regularly on juries, and has won numerous international competitions. Most recently, he choreographed Ego – a Journey of Urban Art at the Pina Bausch Center in Wuppertal. He is a performer with the Totalitarian Body Collective.
In talk with Anton Rudakov
What does it mean to work within the independent arts scene in Wiesbaden and the surrounding region, and to develop new pieces there?
We are always very happy to see each other again in Wiesbaden after a longer break. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, everyone involved is full of enthusiasm.
What was the starting point for your piece, and were there any particular challenges?
I’ve been carrying the idea of a dance performance with books for quite some time, I believe since my university years in 2017. A film by Parajanov, The Color of Pomegranates, inspired me, and now we can finally bring this idea to life. I’m incredibly excited about that!
The challenge of this production is, of course, bringing countless books onto the stage—books we have collected over a long period with the help of various people and especially the State Library.
How do you imagine the development of the independent arts scene in Wiesbaden over the next five years? What is your vision for its future?
I see enormous growth in Wiesbaden’s independent arts scene, especially now thanks to the dedicated creative artists of Dance Nexus, who have brought this scene into the spotlight. It will definitely continue to grow and become even stronger!
How do collaborations with musicians and dancers influence your creative process?
Collaborating with musicians significantly shapes our productions. This is already our fifth dance production in which we work with musicians from Wiesbaden and beyond. We try to combine various forms of silence and music—from punk music and classical arias sung by a countertenor to electronic soundscapes.
When did you begin to see choreography as a possible career path for yourself?
It developed organically; during my professional work in Wiesbaden, I was already experimenting with my own choreographies. It wasn’t until after my studies that a clearer direction emerged. But the search always continues.
Do the current cuts in cultural funding affect your work? If so, how?
Yes, unfortunately budget cuts are noticeable for us as well. It is generally difficult at the moment to secure the necessary funds for a production. We must apply to several funding bodies in order to realise a professionally produced, high-quality production at all. And if funding is denied, the entire production comes under enormous financial pressure. So right now, it is truly not easy to put together a large production with multiple professional artists.
Is there something specific you would like to convey to the audience with this piece?
With this dance performance, we want to pay a final tribute to books. In my opinion, the golden age in which books celebrated their triumph is over. There are countless old books that will likely never find readers again. What will happen to these books? We invite the audience to honour them during our performance and to celebrate the book itself.
Currently there are no upcoming performances of this Program.
