Fokus TanzNah
From December 13 to 20, the Hessisches Staatsballett invites you, as part of its guest performance series TanzNah, to discover the exciting work of regional dance creators and explore their individual artistic signatures.
At the Wartburg, the program features the latest works by two choreographers established in Wiesbaden: Lebenslicht by Matthew Tusa and Oda al libro by the Totalitarian Body Collective led by Anton Rudakov.
In addition, the Work in Progress format offers an exclusive look at pieces and dance projects currently in development over the course of two evenings. Among the works shown are excerpts from When we Collide by Alessio Damiani as well as AS THE WIND TAKES ME by Marcos Novais, both created by dancers of the Hessisches Staatsballett.
Immerse yourself in the diversity, creativity, and energy of the region’s dance scene—a celebration for all dance enthusiasts!
The programme
Lebenslicht
Choreography by Matthew Tusa
Death. We will all encounter it. Of that we can be certain. It is inevitable –
and yet we rarely speak about it. We push it aside, treat it as a taboo –
as something to be avoided, delayed, or denied.
But what if you only had a short time left to live?
13 December | 7:30 pm
14 December | 6:00 pm
Oda al Libro
A dance performance by the Totalitarian Body Collective, directed by Anton Rudakov
In Oda al Libro, the international Totalitarian Body Collective explores the cultural and emotional significance of the book. Blending dance, music, and installation, the piece becomes a poetic homage to the written word—its transience, its material presence, and the endless variety of interpretations it invites.
16 December | 7:30 pm
When We Collide
Choreography by Alessio Damiani
When We Collide explores the imprint of an embrace—one that is longed for, remembered, and desperately needed. It begins with absence: a missing embrace that resonates in the body like the trace of something once deeply felt. As the movement unfolds, the search for this lost connection becomes increasingly urgent, almost unbearable. What begins as a gentle memory turns into a necessity—a physically palpable longing.
The piece reaches its climax in a powerful collision—an embrace so intense it borders on destruction.
19 December | 7:30 pm
20 December | 7:30 pm
AS THE WIND TAKES ME
Choreography by Marcos Novais
“I feel my body being taken over, lifted from the ground like a leaf carried by the wind.
I cannot control it, I cannot stop it.
It grows and expands, lifting me higher—faster, stronger—
just as the emotions within me rise and unfold.”
19 December | 7:30 pm
20 December | 7:30 pm
issa
Choreography by Pauline Michel & Miranda Rivière
How can we resist gravity or use it to move or give into it? And how do we evoke centrifugal forces and how can we move within them and sustain the dizziness?
19 December | 7:30 pm
20 December | 7:30 pm
CLASSICAL
Zoe de Torres Curt, Maria Muñiz, Manon Veenstra, Lucía Valero
CLASSICAL explores connection – with oneself, with another person, or with something greater than we are. It lingers in the quiet, fragile moments in which we choose to trust, to lean in, or to surrender, and in the multilayered emotions that rise to the surface in the process.
19 December | 7:30 pm
13.12. – 16.12.
Work in progress on the 19.12.
Four pieces will be presented this evening.
The ticket link is here: Booking
Work in progress on the 20.12.
Three pieces will be presented this evening.
The ticket link is here: Booking