{"id":11086,"date":"2025-11-05T18:37:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T17:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/stuecke\/lebenslicht\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T22:41:41","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T21:41:41","slug":"lebenslicht","status":"publish","type":"nb_production","link":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/stuecke\/lebenslicht\/","title":{"rendered":"Lebenslicht"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"ce ce-onecol    indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"118\" data-end=\"206\">A journey through the process of dying, connecting, and letting go<br data-start=\"188\" data-end=\"191\" \/>by Matthew Tusa<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"208\" data-end=\"464\">Death. We will all encounter it. Of that we can be certain. It is inevitable\u2014<br data-start=\"285\" data-end=\"288\" \/>and yet we rarely speak about it. We push it aside, treat it as a taboo\u2014<br data-start=\"360\" data-end=\"363\" \/>as something to be avoided, delayed, or denied.<br data-start=\"410\" data-end=\"413\" \/>But what if you had only a short time left to live?<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"466\" data-end=\"676\">In palliative care, people are confronted with this truth directly. Healing is no longer the goal.<br data-start=\"564\" data-end=\"567\" \/>The focus shifts to pain relief, care, comfort, and dignity\u2014<br data-start=\"627\" data-end=\"630\" \/>to the quality of life in these final moments.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"678\" data-end=\"1016\">This dance piece is dedicated to precisely these moments: inspired by the moving stories from the palliative ward and the touching insights into how people open up during their final stages of life through music therapy, it delves deeply into the layered emotional landscapes of this transition.<br data-start=\"973\" data-end=\"976\" \/>A \u201clight of life\u201d at the end of the day.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1018\" data-end=\"1111\"><em>\u201cLife is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It\u2019s the transition that\u2019s troublesome.\u201d \u2013 Isaac Asimov<\/em><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1018\" data-end=\"1111\"><strong>On March 28, there will be an introduction at 7:10 PM, and after the performance there will also be a discussion with the artists.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1018\" data-end=\"1111\">\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\t\n\t\t<div class=\"ce ce-img-slider  pt-medium  indent-2   \">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"img-slider\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"656\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-1024x656.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-1024x656.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-600x385.jpeg 600w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-768x492.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-1536x985.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Lebenslicht_Titelmotiv_Hochaufloesung-2048x1313.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"886\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-webGruppe_fuerweb_DSC_8229xxx.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-webGruppe_fuerweb_DSC_8229xxx.jpg 886w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-webGruppe_fuerweb_DSC_8229xxx-600x463.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1-webGruppe_fuerweb_DSC_8229xxx-768x593.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"886\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2-web_RingenumKerze_DSC_7984xxx.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2-web_RingenumKerze_DSC_7984xxx.jpg 886w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2-web_RingenumKerze_DSC_7984xxx-600x296.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/2-web_RingenumKerze_DSC_7984xxx-768x379.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"886\" height=\"687\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3-web_CarlosDSC_767xxx0.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3-web_CarlosDSC_767xxx0.jpg 886w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3-web_CarlosDSC_767xxx0-600x465.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/3-web_CarlosDSC_767xxx0-768x596.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"swiper-slide\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"886\" height=\"552\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4-webGruppe_umSE_DSC_8088xxx.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4-webGruppe_umSE_DSC_8088xxx.jpg 886w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4-webGruppe_umSE_DSC_8088xxx-600x374.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/4-webGruppe_umSE_DSC_8088xxx-768x478.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 886px) 100vw, 886px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div 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To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that doing so will share data with third-party providers.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-provider-toggle\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-show-provider-information role=\"button\">More Information<\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-buttons\"> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-unblock role=\"button\">Unblock content<\/a> <a class=\"brlbs-cmpnt-cb-btn\" href=\"#\" data-borlabs-cookie-accept-service role=\"button\" style=\"display: inherit\">Accept required service and unblock content<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"accordion-panel\" data-panel-id=\"credits\">\n\t<div class=\"accordion-headline\">\n\t\t<h4>Credits <\/h4>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content-inner\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-onecol    indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<p data-start=\"73\" data-end=\"121\"><strong data-start=\"73\" data-end=\"90\">Choreography:<\/strong> Matthew Tusa with the ensemble<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"123\" data-end=\"188\"><strong data-start=\"123\" data-end=\"135\">Dancers:<\/strong> Carlos D\u00edaz, Paige Perry, delta RA\u2019i, Verena Wilhelm<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"190\" data-end=\"216\"><strong data-start=\"190\" data-end=\"203\">Musician:<\/strong> Sung-Eun Lee, Johannes Gutmann<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"218\" data-end=\"258\"><strong data-start=\"218\" data-end=\"246\">Initiator and Pathmaker:<\/strong> Grit Schade<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"1\"><b>Supported by Dance Nexus e.V. and the Cultural Office of Wiesbaden.<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"2\"><b>With heartfelt thanks to Karin Dietrich, Dr B.O. Maier, das Hinterbergwerk, and to the patients of the Palliative Care Unit, whose personal experiences we were permitted to artistically process.<\/b><\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"accordion-panel\" data-panel-id=\"bio\">\n\t<div class=\"accordion-headline\">\n\t\t<h4>Bio<\/h4>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content-inner\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol       \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10845\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/webMattPortrait_sw_DSC_7534xxxx-517x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"517\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/webMattPortrait_sw_DSC_7534xxxx-517x600.jpg 517w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/webMattPortrait_sw_DSC_7534xxxx.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 517px) 100vw, 517px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><b>Matthew Tusa<\/b><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"58\" data-end=\"182\">His mission is to deepen the experience of dance by creating powerful, emotional works that engage and move a wide audience.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"184\" data-end=\"585\">Born in Australia, Matthew has lived in Wiesbaden since 2005. Following a 14-year career as a soloist with renowned companies such as Deutsche Oper am Rhein, the Royal Swedish Ballet, Ballet Madrid, and the ballet of the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden, he has worked internationally as a choreographer for opera and dance companies in Austria, Germany, the United States, and his native Australia.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"587\" data-end=\"1035\">Since 2018, he has created dance projects twice a year within the independent scene in Wiesbaden, supported by the Wiesbaden Cultural Office, often in collaboration with the group LightArtDance. He received the \u201cProject Scholarship of the International May Festival\u201d in 2021 and 2024, as well as various other grants, including the \u201cBridge Scholarship\u201d from the Hessian Cultural Foundation and \u201cDis-Tanz Solo\u201d from Neustart Kultur\/Dachverband Tanz.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1037\" data-end=\"1056\"><a class=\"decorated-link\" href=\"http:\/\/www.matthewtusa.com\" target=\"_new\" rel=\"noopener\" data-start=\"1037\" data-end=\"1056\"><strong>www.matthewtusa.com<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol  pt-small     \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10835\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx-412x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"412\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx-412x600.jpg 412w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx-704x1024.jpg 704w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx-768x1118.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx-1056x1536.jpg 1056w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Carlos_Portrait_sw_DSC_7561xxx.jpg 1316w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Carlos D\u00edaz<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"58\" data-end=\"502\">Carlos D\u00edaz is a Peruvian dancer and choreographer who has been based in Frankfurt am Main since 2021. He received his classical ballet training at the Ellison Ballet School in New York City. From 2015 to 2020, he danced with the National Ballet of Peru in Lima. Since moving to Frankfurt, he has worked as a freelancer and has appeared as a guest dancer at Oper Frankfurt, the Landestheater Detmold, and the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"504\" data-end=\"761\">As a choreographer, he has presented his own works at the Sommerwerft Festival, the Frankfurt Tanzt Festival, <em data-start=\"614\" data-end=\"636\">Freier Tanz im Delta<\/em> XIII &amp; XIV (Mannheim), and the DanceNexus Festival (Wiesbaden). His pieces have also been shown at Gallus Theater Frankfurt.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol  pt-small  indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10841\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Paige_Portrait_sw_DSC_7621xxx-447x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"447\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Paige_Portrait_sw_DSC_7621xxx-447x600.jpg 447w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Paige_Portrait_sw_DSC_7621xxx.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 447px) 100vw, 447px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Paige Perry<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"54\" data-end=\"548\">Paige Perry was born in the United States. She received her ballet training in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she also began her professional career with the Milwaukee Ballet. After a two-year engagement with Hartford Ballet, she joined the Hamburg Ballet under John Neumeier. After nearly five years with the Hamburg Ballet, she returned to the U.S., where she became a member of the San Francisco Opera Ballet. At the same time, she became a founding member of Alonzo King\u2019s LINES Dance Company.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"550\" data-end=\"768\">Five years later (and after the birth of her first two children), she returned to Europe, where she was first engaged as a soloist with Ulm Ballet. She later moved on to become a soloist at the Staatstheater Wiesbaden.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"770\" data-end=\"966\">After concluding her active dance career, Paige Perry completed her training as a dance and theatre educator at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt, graduating with a diploma.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"968\" data-end=\"1039\">From 2000 to 2022, Paige Perry directed the Ballett Akademie Wiesbaden.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol  pt-small  indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10839\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Delta_Portrait_sw_DSC_7549xxx-467x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"467\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Delta_Portrait_sw_DSC_7549xxx-467x600.jpg 467w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Delta_Portrait_sw_DSC_7549xxx.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 467px) 100vw, 467px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>delta RA&#8217;i<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p data-start=\"58\" data-end=\"194\">delta RA\u2019i has been active as a performer, dancer, choreographer, art director, and lighting, stage, and SM artist since the late 1970s.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"196\" data-end=\"426\">Since 1985, he has devoted himself to Japanese Butoh dance, and in 1988 he founded the first German-Japanese dance company in Berlin: <strong data-start=\"330\" data-end=\"365\">tatoeba\u2013TH\u00c9\u00c2TRE DANSE GROTESQUE<\/strong> (tatoeba.de), together with Minako Seki and Yumiko Yoshioka.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"428\" data-end=\"650\">From 1995 onward, he and Yumiko Yoshioka also curated the international Butoh dance exchange and performance festival <strong data-start=\"546\" data-end=\"556\">eX\u2026it!<\/strong> (exit.tatoeba.de), which took place every four years at Schloss Br\u00f6llin, Germany, until 2019.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"652\" data-end=\"890\">In 1998, he began exploring interactive dance in public space through ritual foot washings (feetwash.de), which led him to meet Felix Ruckert (felixruckert.de). Since 2000, he has collaborated with him as a dancer, performer, and teacher.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"892\" data-end=\"1286\">Since 2019, he has worked together with his partner Julia on various performances and workshops exploring corporeality in lust, pain, and transience, as well as authenticity and sexuality. He has been dedicating increasing attention\u2014particularly artistic attention\u2014to the themes of dying and death, especially since beginning his volunteer work as an end-of-life companion in a hospice in 2023.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol  pt-small  indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10837\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/verena-willhelm1-400x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/verena-willhelm1-400x600.jpg 400w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/verena-willhelm1-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/verena-willhelm1-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/verena-willhelm1.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><strong>Verena Wilhelm<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Verena Wilhelm is a freelance contemporary dancer and dance teacher. She studied stage dance in Berlin and has since worked with various choreographers in the independent scene. She has also been a guest performer at the Schauspiel Stuttgart and the NTM Mannheim for several seasons. She is a prize winner of the renowned International Solotanztheater Festival Stuttgart, and her own works have been invited to the Sophies\u00e4le Berlin and the LOFFT Leipzig, among others.<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, she has increasingly focused on dance education, completing a master&#8217;s degree in dance education at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden. Since then, she has been constantly moving between various dance education contexts and creative stage work as a dancer, choreographer, and choreographic assistant, constantly discovering new and inspiring synergies.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-twocol  pt-small  indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-1\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-10843\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Sung_Eun_sw_DSC_7641xxx-439x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"439\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Sung_Eun_sw_DSC_7641xxx-439x600.jpg 439w, https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/web_Sung_Eun_sw_DSC_7641xxx.jpg 591w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 439px) 100vw, 439px\" \/><\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-custom-2\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><\/h3>\n<h3><strong>Sung-Eun Lee<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sung-Eun Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea, and completed her master\u2019s degree in music therapy at the University of Applied Sciences in Frankfurt am Main. She is a music therapist, certified by the DMtG (German Music Therapy Association), and a licensed Heilpraktikerin for psychotherapy, with additional qualifications in music-based trauma therapy, Neurologic Music Therapy (NMT) according to Thaut, and music therapy in palliative care. Since 2014, she has been working as a music therapist in palliative medicine and is currently employed at the University Medical Center Mainz as well as St. Josefs-Hospital Wiesbaden. Between 2018 and 2020, she provided music therapy interventions as part of the SOL (Song of Life) study. Her work focuses on supporting people in challenging phases of life, using music therapy methods for emotional relief, stabilization, and enhancement of quality of life. She places particular emphasis on mindful, resource-oriented, and individually tailored therapeutic support.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"accordion-panel\" data-panel-id=\"in-talk-with-matthew-tusa\">\n\t<div class=\"accordion-headline\">\n\t\t<h4>In talk with Matthew Tusa <\/h4>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"accordion-content\">\n\t\t<div class=\"accordion-content-inner\">\n\n\n<div class=\"ce ce-onecol  pt-medium  indent-1   \">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<p><strong>1. What does it mean to work within the independent arts scene in Wiesbaden and the surrounding region and to develop new pieces there?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I believe there are many opportunities to work and create pieces in Wiesbaden and the surrounding region. Wiesbaden has been my home for 20 years, and I make use of the opportunities that arise here. I bring people together, express myself, create pieces, and try to make full use of the resources available to me.<\/p>\n<p>To achieve that, self-motivation is important. It\u2019s about creating possibilities in which I decide what and how I create and shape. That is where I stand as an artist from Wiesbaden: working out and building the possibilities and conditions needed. This is tied to the organisational and management-related side of my work, which allows me to have performance opportunities and present my own choreographies.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. What was the starting point for your piece, and were there particular challenges?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The starting point for Lebenslicht was a meeting with Song-Eun Lee, a music therapist working in the palliative care units in Wiesbaden and Mainz.<\/p>\n<p>When I heard about her work and the topic of palliative medicine, I found it very compelling. The topic itself\u2014death and the process of dying\u2014carries tremendous depth. It challenges our attitudes, beliefs, needs, and our approach to death.<\/p>\n<p>The topic was new to me, as I had not engaged with it much before. I find it very relatable and existential, and I think that confronting it is helpful. It&#8217;s not only about some distant future but about how I live my life now. It forced me to question my values and beliefs and to reflect on what is important to me. The newly discovered value of time, connection, and living in the moment brings meaning, depth, and gratitude. I want to share this shift\u2014this change or rediscovery of my attitude and perspective on death\u2014through thoughts and ideas. Through my choreographic work and pieces, I open a space and ask: How do you see this? What do you think? I believe it is important to present such topics and give the audience space to formulate their own thoughts and opinions.<\/p>\n<p>When I met Sung-Eun, she shared a lot about her experiences and her work. I found what she does very emotional, expansive, meaningful, and careful. There are many connections to what matters to me as a choreographer: showing, processing, and expressing emotions. This creates space for a topic that is not often talked about in my environment. I feel the need to explore it and open that space.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. How do you imagine the development of the independent arts scene in Wiesbaden over the next five years? What is your vision for the future?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I think the independent scene has many opportunities to continue developing here in Wiesbaden, with the support of its actors. I specifically mean the local independent scene in Wiesbaden\u2014people who live and work here. I believe there are possibilities. The real question is about organisation, energy, and the willingness to invest time without having much security in order to create sustainability.<\/p>\n<p>Much of the work in the independent scene is done voluntarily, and that\u2019s often where reality becomes challenging. There is no lack of passion.<\/p>\n<p>I think we have already made great progress in recent years. What I notice is that there are enough artists. To represent the independent scene, initiatives like Dance Nexus e.V. have emerged. There are initiatives that network dance artists and promote mutual support. The biggest difficulties lie in infrastructure, access, and knowledge. Coming from a theatre background gives me an advantage, yet I constantly encounter new challenges. I can only imagine how overwhelming it must be for others. Networking helps here. Networking gives dance more visibility, creates community, and hopefully increases engagement from dance audiences. I think that\u2019s wonderful! One example is the \u201cTanznah\u201d festival that emerged. I hope everything continues to build on each other.<\/p>\n<p>I believe that the most helpful things for further development would be permanent spaces (for rehearsals and performances), fixed schedules, and funding opportunities that allow artists to work without excessive additional effort. Also, places where you can simply say: I go there to see dance in all its forms.<\/p>\n<p>There are also many opportunities for further collaboration, such as with the State Theatre during this festival at the Wartburg. The festival provides space for dance creators to work and present themselves in Wiesbaden. Dance is a living art form, and through such opportunities, it remains visible, contemporary, and creative.<\/p>\n<p>As for my own future\u2014everything is open. I\u2019ll stay in Wiesbaden with my children and my family. As an artist, I\u2019m staying here for now and moving from one project to the next. I let my interests guide me and determine what resources I need to express them. Bringing people, places, and resources together is a long process, but it is profoundly fulfilling for me.<\/p>\n<p><strong>4. How do collaborations with musicians and dancers influence your creative process?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I have to say, I\u2019m quite independent when it comes to developing the core concept. From the beginning, I choose a topic I want to express something about. I dive deep into it, explore all the information I\u2019ve gathered, and ask myself what aspects matter to me and what I want to express. Once I have this core idea, I select people who can inspire and support me.<\/p>\n<p>The core idea forms the center and provides a structure for implementation. Within this structure, there is plenty of room for detail. I let myself be inspired by the people I work with and by the perspectives they bring. I believe that together we have more diverse ideas, and more can emerge from a broader range of input. It\u2019s like planting a tree and taking care of it.<\/p>\n<p>In the choreographic process, I use many different methods to create movement. These involve the dancers. They range from very clearly defined steps and forms to tasks, generating their own material, and improvisation. I set the direction and see what they bring. Since these are new creations, my question is often: Here is an idea\u2014how would you express this? Authenticity contributes greatly to the credibility of what is shown. It also creates beautiful movements I would not have thought of myself. The movement ideas flow together, merge, and as long as they remain consistent with the concept, they shape the choreography.<\/p>\n<p><strong>5. When did you begin to see choreography as a potential career path?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Choreography has always fascinated me. I must say, in the beginning as a dancer and also in school, I was very perfectionistic, and it was difficult for me to choreograph. Showing vulnerability and knowing how to do it were challenges. My self-critical thoughts often got in the way.<\/p>\n<p>A major influence was Stephan Thoss, for whom I danced. Over the course of our collaboration, he shared his knowledge with me. I created small pieces for choreographic evenings and developed from there. My mindset today is the same as at the beginning of my dance career: I simply keep going and see where my path leads.<\/p>\n<p>While I used to be grateful to create a two-minute solo, I now choreograph one-hour pieces with up to ten dancers, completely self-organised. And within that hour, I often find it challenging to express my ideas clearly. My current challenge as a choreographer is to create clarity and focus on the essential.<\/p>\n<p><strong>6. How does your experience as a dancer shape your choreographic practice? And vice versa\u2014how does choreographing influence your work as a dancer?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>I see many aspects of my experience as a dancer reflected in my choreographic practice. In my opinion, being a choreographer is a multifaceted task. There are many different approaches and methods.<\/p>\n<p>I bring the experiences and influences I gained as a dancer, and these meet the ones I have gathered in recent years as a teacher. All of this merges into my choreographic work.<\/p>\n<p>For me, choreography is not only about shaping movement into forms. It is also about developing ideas, translating a concept into movement, dealing with people, involving them, and working with them to bring out their best. I try to create space for a deep process in which we exchange and explore ideas. I encourage dancers to contribute their own ideas and to share their experiences. A choreographic process is not just the final result for me\u2014it is also the journey, which hopefully offers development for everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>The process is often exciting. It should be enjoyable, intense, and deep.<\/p>\n<p><strong>7. Is there something specific you would like to convey to the audience with this piece?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The topic is existential. It is very close to us. It is profound and intense. The process of dying is something we will all go through, and I believe that letting go of the fear of it is at the core of what I want to convey. The way forward is not to avoid the topic but to open it through conversation or art.<\/p>\n<p>With this piece, I want to open the topic and offer a perspective on what people in this state experience and what is possible.<\/p>\n<p>My hope is that the audience engages with the topic and experiences the journey portrayed on stage. Through the piece, I invite them to immerse themselves in the theme and connect with the dancers\u2019 expression. I offer an emotional experience in which they may recognise themselves or empathise. The aim is to make the topic perceptible and tangible through dance.<\/p>\n<p><strong>8. Have you ever experienced creative blocks? If so, how do you deal with them?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Sometimes I struggle with resistance. I move myself forward by using many little tricks. These include setting fixed times, letting go, playing small games, and working with Authentic Movement. The main thing is to make the time to be present and engage with the ideas.<\/p>\n<p>The book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield has greatly influenced my mindset. \u201cDo something\u201d is essentially the simplified message. To overcome resistance, I have to shift from a self-judging mindset into a creative, playful one (which I associate with the body). In my experience, these two states cannot exist at the same time. Since I associate blockages with stagnation, I use the influence of Authentic Movement or small playful tasks to get myself moving and create \u201ccreative momentum.\u201d Most of the time, things start flowing again!<\/p>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A choreography by Matthew Tusa<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":10923,"template":"","event-type":[12,92],"event-location-city":[],"event-location-venue":[],"event-tags":[205,188,215],"class_list":["post-11086","nb_production","type-nb_production","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","event-type-gastspiel","event-type-gastspiel-en","event-tags-einfuehrung-im-foyer","event-tags-nachgespraech","event-tags-tanznah"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nb_production\/11086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/nb_production"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/nb_production"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10923"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"event-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event-type?post=11086"},{"taxonomy":"event-location-city","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event-location-city?post=11086"},{"taxonomy":"event-location-venue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event-location-venue?post=11086"},{"taxonomy":"event-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hessisches-staatsballett.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/event-tags?post=11086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}