Künstler:innengespräch
June 2021 | Berlin
After the premiere of the video dance "Mit den Augen der Haut [With the Eyes of the Skin]" in the version with audio description, the choreographer Karina Suárez Bosche, audio describer Imke Baumann and production manager and performer Bernhard Richarz were invited for a talk. They spoke with the festival director, Jenny Haak, about what it means to produce art by, with and for people with disabilities. The other contributors to the film also joined in the final conversation with the audience.
https://soundance-festival.de/event/inklusiv-produzieren/
"Re (Searching) BODY A" | Performance Projekt
June – July 2021 | Berlin
Starting from Colette Sadler's audio play with the same name, four performers, led by the choreographer, explored the relationship between body, movement and science fiction. Through improvisation and deep listening, to music by Henry Purcell and poems by Kurt Schwitters, a rich dance material emerged. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the planned final sharing had to be cancelled.
"Inklusion '23" | Berliner Nachhaltigkeitsprogramm (BNHP)
November 2021 – Dezember 2023 | Berlin
The Berlin Sustainability Programme Inclusion '23 as part of the Special Olympics World Games (SOWG) Berlin 2023 promotes 14 projects in the fields of sports, culture, education and transport. One of the projects is the establishment of an inclusive dance company of teenagers and young adults through the initiative tanzfähig. This project also offers open workshops and further education in inclusive dance movement.
https://www.berlin.de/sen/inneres/sport/inklusion23/
'DIVERS! ko-kreativ' | Future Lab Inclusion
December 2019 | Dresden
The Service Agency Freie Szene invited interested people from Saxony to spend a day
dealing with the topic of inclusion and performing arts. It had put together an extensive
programme with various workshops, presentations and performances.
In the workshop "Communities" Bernhard Richarz from tanzfähig made it possible to
experience an aesthetic of difference in dance.
Photos will follow
'Inner Space, Outer Space' | Performance Project
October – November 2019 | Berlin
Under the direction of choreographer Joris Camelin, ten performers worked in twelve
intensive rehearsals on how to deepen their presence by consciously using their senses,
breath, voice and movement. The results of the process could be seen in a final sharing
that impressed with openness, rhythm and playfulness.
Photos: Diethild Meier 2019 will follow
'I am Dancing!' | School Project
July 2019 – July 2020 | Potsdam
Supported by the Bundesverband Tanz in Schulen (Federal Association of Dance in Schools),
about 15 deaf-blind children and young people started a weekly class in contemporary dance.
Dance teacher Alessandra Lola Agostini and two colleagues encouraged them to explore
their movement possibilities, which they took up enthusiastically. The initiative tanzfähig
was asked for providing expert advice.
'Rampenlichter' | Youth Dance Festival
July 2019 | Munich
At the inclusive programme of the dance and theatre festival of children and young people
Evelyne Walser-Wohlfarter and Bernhard Richarz were invited to teach their workshop
"Talking with the body or how we can communicate in dance" twice. In another workshop
in the accompanying programme for the performing artist groups, they also led the
Sasha Waltz Youth Company from Berlin to a "Departure into the Unexpected".
'Dance at School' | Inclusive Dance Project
March - June 2019 | Landeck (AT)
Cooperation Parters: Volksschule Angedair, Altes Kino Landeck, tanzfähig,
xThesis KreativKompany, Extra-Film-Club Landeck
The ten-week project at the primary school Landeck/Angedair in Tyrol (Austria) was
entitled »Dance as Communication - Through Movement to Social Skills«. In addition to
raising awareness of body perception and learning a common dance language, the director,
Evelyne Walser-Wohlfarter, was particularly interested in developing good teamwork.
The 22 children who took part in the project participated with great enthusiasm. Together
they created a dance dictionary from the instructions, which was printed out at the end,
and everyone was allowed to take it home. The successful project, which was financed
by culture connected - an Austria-wide initiative for cooperation between schools and
cultural partners of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research - came to a
close with a performance on the stage of the Alter Kino Landeck and the presentation of
a film by the musical dance theatre "Emillio und Ellie" of the xThesis KreativKompany from Vorarlberg.
»Dancing was an important experience for the children. They learned to feel their limits,
to be considerate of others, to act and react, to expand their repertoire of movements
and to express their feelings in movement. Some children came to a rest and centered
themselves, others opened up and went out of themselves.«
Class teacher, Manuela Tiefenbacher-Schauer
Photos will follow
'AG Barrierefreiheit und Inklusion' | Consultation
January 2019 – December 2021 | Berlin
Authority: Senate for Culture and Europe
Being co-leader of the initiative tanzfähig, Bernhard Richarz was appointed to the
14-member committee. The delegates have the task of working towards the implementation
of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the Senate Administration
and to accompany this process in a consulting way. In addition to three other appointed
members, the working group, headed by the responsible State Secretary, is composed of
four representatives of the State Advisory Council for People with Disabilities and five state
and Berlin district commissioners for people with disabilities.
'Golden Age' | Dance Training 60+
Since November 2018 | Zams
Organizer: Erwachsenenschule Zams
Under the direction of Evelyne Walser-Wohlfarter from tanzfähig, 4-10 participants laughed
a lot, while (re-)discovering their bodies in movement. With great enjoyment they found their dance with age.
'Lucky Trimmer Summit' | Artist Talk
March 2018 | Berlin
Following the inspiring workshop of the Belgian group Platform-K and the choreographer
Lisi Estaras, the participants met with representatives of Berlin scene, including choreographer,
Juli Reinartz, Gerd Hartmann for the Thikwa Theatre and Bernhard Richarz of tanzfähig.
The public discussion in the Sophiensälen, moderated by dance journalist Astrid Kaminski,
was informally continued with a brunch over the roofs of Berlin.
'MeetShareDance' | Workshopfestival
August 2017 | Berlin
Host: MeetShareDance und tanzfähig
The sixth edition of the international festival took place as a guest of the HZT Berlin in
the Uferstudios. In five different workshops, dance educators and choreographers from
the USA, Spain, Germany, Austria and Finland shared their experiences in a dance of physical
diversity with the 30 participants. The highlight of the well-attended event was a flash mob
at the Brandenburg Gate, which all participants danced together from East to West.
'Tanz Körper Erweiterung' | Konferenz
August 2017 | Berlin
Veranstalter: Dachverband Tanz Deutschland und tanzfähig in Zusammenarbeit mit HZT Berlin
Mehr als 120 Teilnehmer machten durch ihre Offenheit und lebhafte Beteiligung die Tagung zu einem großen Erfolg. Die verschiedenen Formate mit drei längeren Vorträgen und mit 13 Kurzbeiträgen in einem Forum, mit drei Arbeitsgruppen und zwei Panel-Diskussionen ergänzten sich abwechslungsvoll. Sie lieferten reichhaltige Informationen und regten die Teilnehmer dazu an, miteinander ins Gespräch zu kommen.
Mehr auf unserem BLOG
'Dancing in Physical Diversity' | Workshop
February 2017 | Dornbirn (AT)
Host: tanzfähig
With great enthusiasm, the two three-hour trial workshops were received with which
Evelyne Wohlfarter introduced tanzfähig in Vorarlberg. Miriam Steinbock danced with
and then reported on the online portal of "Kultur - Zeitschrift für Kultur und Gesellschaft".
German article
'Spark' | International Project
October 2018 – Autumn 2020 | Bern, Rovereto, Gotheburg
The successful international cooperation which has begun with the EU project "Moving Beyond Inclusion" will continue supported by Pro Helvetia. Alongside the organizer, there are the following partners: Festival Oriente Occidente in Rovereto, Producentbyrån / Danskompaniet Spinn in Gothenburg, CODA International Dance Festival in Oslo, Candoco Dance Company in London, Dance Group Magija in Rijeka and tanzfähig from Berlin und Tyrol.
More information about SPARK here.
'Common Ground in Diversity' | Film premiere
June 2018 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig and Berlinkusion
In the presence of the filmmaker Sushma U. Güther and the two choreographers Matan Zamir
and Nicola Mascia 35 visitors followed with great attention the 1.5h long movie. The film
documents the four days of choreographic research which was organized by tanzfähig in the
the context of the EU-project 'Moving Beyond Inclusion' in September 2016. In unusual
proximity, the film illustrates impressively how the motion idea of the Choreographers mind
move into the bodies of the dancers and how this idea spring to life. Trailer:
'Making a Difference (MAD)' | Tanzpakt Deutschland
March 2018 – October 2021 | Berlin
Host: Sophiensäle
In the multi-annual program with various interlocking modules several Berlin dance institutions,
among others also tanzfähig, work together. The aim is, dance with and especially of performers
and choreographers with physical and/or sensory disabilities becomes promoted. By networking
the Berlin scene is supplemented with internationally outstanding artists with disabilities. The
contemporary dance will be extended by an aesthetics of difference.
'Exchange in dance' | Encounter
Oktober 2017 | Berlin
Host: Art Access Australia
The program 'Australia Berlin Art Exchange 2017' included a meeting of the Australian
dancer Anna Seymour and Bernhard Richarz of tanzfähig. After spending more time on
their personal Experiences in dance, they arranged a two-hour workshop together.
The ten participants recognized as a common concern of both, the physical
communication in the dance from the exact perception of the other.
'Common Ground in Diversity' | Choreogr. Research
September 2016 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
With the choreographic research done by the Berlin Choreographer-Duo matanicola,
tanzfähig was guest of the Hochschulübergreifenden Zentrum (HZT) Berlin. This event
was part of the two-years EU-Project 'Moving Beyond Inclusion'. The filmmaker
Sushma U. Gütter was all four days with us and documented the intensive process.
More Information on our BLOG (in German)
'Dance and Inclusion' | Interview (German)
November 2016 | Berlin -- Dornbirn
Interviewer: Katharina Winterstam
After dancing in weekly trainings and attending different workshops the initiative
tanzfähig should become part of Katharinas bachelor thesis. Evelyne Wohlfarter
and Bernhard Richarz answered the students questions.
You are able to read this intervies in German on our BLOG.
'Moving Beyond Inclusion' | EU-Projekt
July 2016 – June 2018 | Göteborg, Berlin, Bern, London, Rovereto, Zagreb
Host: Candoco
tanzfähig is the German partner of the two-years EU project 'Moving Beyond Inclusion'.
The collaboration of the involved organisations from six countries aims to built sustained
structures to make inclusive dance more professional.
You can follow our documentation on this German BLOG.
'Initiative tanzfähig 2016' | Interview (German)
April 2016 | Berlin -- Dornbirn
Interviewer: Tina Franziska Paulick
After the Guest-Lab 'Non visual palpable dance' Evelyne Wohlfarter and Bernhard Richarz
got interviewed for the Blog Bilder für die Blinden (Pictures for blind people).
They talked about their current self-conception and the initiative tanzfähig.
'Non visual palpable dance' | Guest-Lab,Showing
January-February 2016 | Berlin
Teacher: Zwoisy Mears-Clarke
Photograph: Karsten Hein
In the lab the participants researched how a dance, that is witnessed not through visual,
but through somatosensory perception, could be designed. In the public presentation
some of the results were implemented, tested, and verified.
'matanicola' (GER/ISR/I) | Guest-Intensive Week
April 2015 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
Teacher: matanicola
Photograph: Ute Haufe
With great passion the theme of the workshop “The 'Unlearning' Process” was implemented.
At their respective borders all who were involved were challenged to move beyond
their familiar modes.
'Naturalizing Diversity' | Photo Project
April 2015 | Berlin
Photographer: Lucas Gonzàlez Canosa
As part of his project the Argentinian photographer attended the weekly tanzfähig training.
Afterwards he summarized: 'Not all the dancers conform to the bodily "norm" that most are
used to think in respect to dancing. Some are in wheelchairs, others may even be blind, etc.
The result is awesome, because you get to see what dancing is really about. When you strip
down the social constructs around what a dancer is 'supposed' to be, you see the essence,
the expression and emotion that is common to every single person, no matter how different
they are. Suffice to say, it was great, my only regret is that we could only do one session.'
'Departure into the Unexpected 5' | Series of Workshops
March 2015 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
Teacher: Evelyne Wohlfarter, Bernhard Richarz
To match the theme of the workshop series even more, for the first time it was explicitly
announced that not a given topic was to be worked through, but that afterwards the
specific process was to be named. In the participants' view lightness, playfulness and
interrelation characterized their dancing and improvising together.
»Being in Between« | Showing
November 2014 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
Direction: Bernhard Richarz
Dance: Uschi Aurien, Alfons Sperl, Stefanie Wiens, Bernhard Richarz
Music: Magdalena Walker
explored in the weekly tanzfähig training. Their performance in physical diversity was focused
on how music and dance improvisation interact in space.
»tanzfähig on the road« | World conference
July 2014 | Curitiba and Porto Alegre (Brazil)
Host: International Society of Music Education (ISME)
At two symposia of the 31 World Conference Evelyne Wohlfarter presented
the concept of tanzfähig and its realization. Her presentations were followed by
lively and exciting exchanges and increased the international network of tanzfähig.
Her participation was generously supported by the Carl Orff-Stiftung.
»matanicola« (GER/ISR/I) | Guest-Workshop
June 2014 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
For Matan Zamir und Nicola Mascia it was the first time that they taught
"The 'Unlearning' Process" under the conditions of physical diversity.
Guided by them, the participants attained the beauty and strength of their
movements as well as the unlimited possibilities in their dancing.
»These days of an inspiring, energetic, unique moving experience were filled with
discovery, excitement, joy, pleasure, learning, touching creative exchanges and
countless new encounters.« S.L. (Participant)
»Diversity Days« | Congress
March 2014 | Osnabrück
Host: Institute for Music | Prof. Tamara McCall
Together with three other dance groups from Germany and Spain tanzfähig was invited
to the first Diversity Days at Osnabrück University. At the well-attended performance evening
the dance piece 'When the lilacs bloomed, ...' was shown.
Additionally, Evelyne Wohlfarter and Bernhard Richarz led a dance workshop and participated
in a discussion forum on the conference theme.
»Inview« | Shortfilm documentary
November 2013 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig & Filmmaker Workshop
Briefly this little film shows what the uniqueness of the Initiative tanzfähig is about:
Contemporary dance in physical diversity resolves common perspectives and creates new ones.
'Adam Benjamin (UK)' | Guest-Workshop
October 2013 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
Adams Benjamins two days workshop "When, where, what - Integrative Dance Improvisation"
was affected by the curiosity of the unexpected, which often goes with improvisations.
His well experienced direction and teaching illustrated a diffrent view of integration: The
question isn`t only about what comes together, it is more about, when and where it will happen.
'Moved together in the moment' | Workshop
May 2013 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
'It was great to see how people handle with each other - with a huge amount of openess,
respect and joy. As a participant I am thrilled about the clear and motivated direction
and exciting experiences, I had.' C.H.
Through contemporary dance, we became acquainted with different qualities of movement,
and experienced their equality. Beside bodywork, we mainly dealt with dance improvisation.
The more common aesthetics based on the standards of society were brought into question
though our collective dancing.
'Jess Curtis (Berlin/San Francisco)' | Guest-Workshop
October 2012 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig
In relation to his last production 'Making Dances for Non/Fictional Bodies',
Jess Curtis demonstrated his way of working as choreograph and performer.
On both days he taught his idea of performance and stage presence. Playfully,
21 participants from different parts of Berlin, Germany and Europe,
researched the meaning of 'non/fiction' related to their movement.
It's not possible to convey everything that happened in this wonderful two day
workshop in one video, but this gives a little insight into what happened....
'Dancing inclusive! Therapy unwanted' | Lecture
October 2012 | Berlin
Host: Students of Occupational Therapy from Alice-Salomon-Hochschule
At the Occupational Therapy Students Federation meeting, Bernhard Richarz indroduced the
initiative tanzfähig. Favouring an artistic and pedagogic approach, he distinguished it from
therapy, although it may have theraptic results. Over three lectures, about 40 participants
engaged with interesting questions and critical comments - in particular, after some spontaneous
movement exercises, which were added after the lecture and film at the participants' request.
'Quattro Forwanze' | Training at open air theatre
Juni 2012 | Berlin
Dance: Christiane Grimm, Claudia Posch, Kristin Krug, Sabine Henke
Film: Evelyne Wohlfarter
Music: Klaus Trabitsch & Friends 'Auf der Lauer, auf der Mauer'
'MeetShareDance' | International Collaboration
April 2012 | Madrid
Organisation: Monika Pozek
For three days 16 dancers from Spain, Germany, Finland, Italy, Slovenia, and the
United States, met to share their different experiences in integrative dance. Their
classes covered a range of themes, spanning flamenco to contemporary dance,
in which Bernhard Richarz taught 'movement and voice'. The dance ended with a
performance between Opera and Royal Palace.
'Dancing Equal' | Lecture with Film and Talk
April 2012 | Berlin
Host: Netzwerk Behinderter Frauen
Evelyne Wohlfarter gave a lecture about tanzfähig. The talk and films focused on the
development of the initiative, its philosophy and its usage within a practical context.
Claudia Posch also gave her perspective, as a wheelchair user, on the weekly training and two
productions in which she had taken part.
The audiences' openess became a common ground for a lively exchange of thoughts
and ideas around the themes dance, disability and equality.
'triptychon' | Premiere
October 2011 | Berlin
Host: tanzfähig Berlin
On the 1st of October was the premiere of the video dance, 'triptychon', which
was presented by Evelyne Wohlfarter and Bernhard Richarz. All the participants
in the production met with friends, guests and other interested people
at the ada-Studio. Shown alongside 'triptychon' were a BodyLandArt film
by Sushma U. Gütter, and two films about the work of tanzfähig Berlin.
'Dignity and Self-Will' | Vernissage
September 2011 | Schleswig
Host: Museum für Outsiderkunst
What is dignity? How do you develop it? How do you and others deal with it?
The artists Barbara Reindl, Claudia Weiss, Sabine Bruckner, Christine Riegler,
Karin Fatz, Eva Tausch and Nati Radtke present their interpretations of this theme.
The dancers Evelyne Wohlfarter and Christine Riegler invited the visitors of the vernissage
to further explore the theme of the exhibition themselves through dance.
'Physical Diversity in Dance Improvisation' | Workshop
June 2011 | Berlin
Teachers: Evelyne Wohlfarter & Bernhard Richarz
'Mum, Dad, dance with me!!' | Workshop
March 2011 | Berlin
Teacher: Evelyne Wohlfarter
For two hours, seven pairs met at the Studio of TanzTangente. The theme of this
dance class was the forest of the king`s castle, a realm full of fantasy beings. Each
child and adult could find their individual way of moving in the dance.
'Beziehungen ungewohntes bewegen' | Presentation
November 2010 | Berlin
Choreography: Bernhard Richarz
The open rehearsal with its choreographed and improvised parts, continued on from
the weekly classes of the two previous months. The developmental process gave
structure to the piece: Six dancers, male and female, on feet and on wheels, with
different ways of movement, come together. They share their longing and keep away
from one another. Moving, unusually, they seek to find the others and themselves.
They perceive and understand. They begin to relate. They play. They open the space.
'Meeting Through Dance' | Workshop
September 2010 | Berlin
Teachers: Evelyne Wohlfarter & Bernhard Richarz
An open attitude towards physicality and varying ways of movement
makes it possible to give different dances a chance to meet. When this
works, diversity becomes enrichment.
Wheelchair Dance Group | Education
June and August 2010 | Berlin
Workshops commissioned by Verein Mit-Mensch e.V.
On two weekends, the 15 – 20 members of the wheelchair dance group 'Rock & Wheels',
as well as other guests, were introduced to DanceAbility by Evelyne Wohlfarter.
A participant summarized: 'An intense picture of rotating wheels, dancing hands and
feet in gym shoes, which seems to capture a sudden moment of stillness before it turns
into movement again – this descibes quite well what DanceAbility has been for me.'
'Compositions' | Photographic Documentation
2008 - 2010 | Berlin
Photography: Anja Pollnow
Berlin-based photographer Anja Pollnow has been training weekly in dances classes
at the ada-studio for over two years, all the while documenting the sessions with her
camera. In her pictures she hopes to portray the kind of freedom enjoyed by the unusual.
'It is the courage to discover the beauty, poetry and meaning of the different,
the unusual, that frees us as humans.' | A. Pollnow
'Vielfältige Körper' | Performance
November 2008 | Berlin
Choreography: Kolja Seifert & Bernhard Richarz
'Vielfältige Körper' ('Diverse Bodies') was a series of lessons, culminating in a final
performance. Dancers with and without disabilities came together in order to create
a piece which showed the artistic potential of physical diversity. Choreographed
and improvised parts were concieved with the motivation of stimulating the
audience's awareness of their body's own personal language.