Imagine a photo of a family of four. Early 90s, beginning of Spring. They are standing next to each other on the soon to be green bank of the Oder River, looking into a camera. They all wear similar, brand-new windbreaker jackets, the colors of their textiles blending into the landscape of a dirty urban Spring. Grey for the father, purple for the mother, red-blue and gray-brown for the sons. Everyone seems content, except for the youngest son, his face resting sour expressing disappointment and embarrassment, as if he would rather be somewhere else.
All that I left behind is here, by Romuald Krężel, is a solo performance drawing from his personal and artistic experience. He focuses on different aspects of classism in the context of the performing arts by returning to his very first dance experience – a ballroom dance class, the only one offered for free in his primary school. By relearning and critically evoking movements, steps, poses and different styles of Cha-Cha-Cha, rumba, jive, and so on, Krężel examines his social background and its relations to his current choreographic practice. Ghostly figures and post-punk music echo and guide the audience through the return to Krężel’s past, culminating in a vulnerable conversation with his mother about class, body, work, shame and dance.
70 Minuten
A production by Romuald Krężel in co-production with Uferstudios in Berlin and HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts in Dresden. Funded as part of the Alliance of International Production Houses by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds. Supported by the Residency Program funded by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Europe, Station - Service for Contemporary Dance in Belgrade/Serbia, Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart. The research process supported by Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media within the program NEUSTART KULTUR (Prozessförderung). With the friendly support of Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte. The revival supported by the Berlin Senate Department for Culture and Social Cohesion.CONCEPT, CHOREOGRAPHY and PERFORMANCE: Romuald Krężel SPECIAL GUEST: Irena Krężel DRAMATURGY: Agata Siniarska RESEARCH SUPPORT: Tamara Antonijević COSTUME: Maldoror TECHNICAL DIRECTION, LIGHT DESIGN: Patrick Faurot SOUND DESIGN and MUSIC DIRECTION: Miguel Caldas SOUND DESIGN ASSISTANT: Zach Hart ARTISTIC ASSISTANT and DESIGN: Louis F. Baca V.PRESS WORK: Apricot ProductionsAUDIO DESCRIPTION: Emmilou Roessling, Silja Korn PRODUCTION: Anna Konrad ARTISTIC SUPPORT: Carolina Mendonça and René Alejandro Huari Mateus