On Stage
Cypriot dance maker Maria Hassabi's live installations draw you into silence, hyper-focus, and aesthetic precision. In the solo On Stage, Hassabi dances in impressive super slow-motion as an ode to being human in all its facets.
Be patient and sit tight: in On Stage, Maria Hassabi moves from frame to frame in ultra-slow-motion sequences. In the process, the internationally sought-after movement artist evokes an alienating sense of recognition: the poses shift from mundane and recognisable to movements that may remind us of iconic characters from our collectively shared memories. In this way, piece by piece, Hassabi builds a bridge from the personal to the shared experience.
Festival Julidans
Programme section Julidans On Stage
Dutch premier
Location Internationaal Theater Amsterdam
Venue Grote Zaal
Run time 60 minutes
Genre Dance
Language Language no problem
CONTEXT
Selm Wenselaers in conversation with Maria Hassabi
Date 11 July
Time after the performance
Language English
REVIEWS
Theaterkrant
"Like a dressed David by Michelangelo, she changes into a diligent worker by Meunier, she slides into a sexy Marilyn Monroe icon, into a grieving woman by Käthe Kollwitz, into an ancient Greek statue of the gods."
Pzazz
"It makes 'On stage' a somewhat disconcerting, very strong work: It strums all the strings of your view of others, but places the responsibility entirely on yourself."
The changes in Hassabi’s poses are barely noticeable: everything is fluid in one continuous transformation, every detail takes on meaning. Hassabi's body control is awe-inspiring: the super slow-motion looks more spectacular and imposing than many a circus act or action stunt.
The title On Stage refers to the stage for the human soul: the body. The poses – macho with hands in pockets, then sensual and provocative – are held in long frames of silence. This gives the viewer time to look at each embodied position in detail and actually start to see it. In this way, Hassabi reflects on the relationship between the human figure and sculptural object, referring to 'the stage of life'. After all, we are constantly putting our bodies on display, whether we want to or not.
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Aliki Danezi Knutsen's lighting is focused on Hassabi, with the cone of light constantly changing size and finally illuminating the entire stage. Stavros Gasparatos' soundscape is inspired, among other things, by the sound of the sea – equally slowing and yet so vibrant with life.
About Maria Hassabi
Maria Hassabi is an award-winning choreographer and artist who works with live performance, installation, sculpture, photography, and video. A unique aspect of her practice involves the relation of the live body to the still image and to the sculpture, utilizing stillness and velocity of deceleration as subject matter and technique. Her photographic and video works use her live performances as a departure point, while the use of technology is employed to override the limitations that occur within the format of liveness and realness. Some of her works include On Stage, I'll Be Your Mirror, White Out, CANCELLED, HERE and Together.
CREDITS
performed by Maria Hassabi
sound design Stavros Gasparatos and Maria Hassabi
lighting design Aliki Danezi Knutsen
clothing by Victoria Bartlett and Maria
assistance Elena Antoniou and Maribeth Nartatez
executive producer & dramaturgy Ash Bulayev
management and international distribution Rui Silveira, Something Great
On Stage is a production by Maria Hassabi in collaboration with Something Great (Berlin - DE) co-produced by Tanzquartier Wien (Vienna - AT), Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels - BE), Julidans (Amsterdam - NL), Festival d'Automne à Paris (Paris - FR) and Taipei Arts Festival / TPAC - Taipei Performing Arts Centre (Taipei - TW)