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KHADIDIATOU BANGOURA 

PARADIES (2020)

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© Jan Merkle

Ideas of paradise are connected to personal longings, losses and fears. What is a paradisiacal state? What are we willing to do to reach our paradise? Who do we take along with us? Who decides who is allowed into our paradise? And what happens when we are forced to leave our paradise? 

The long-standing artistic partnership of Junges Ensemble Stuttgart director Brigitte Dethier and the Belgian choreographer Ives Thuwis-de Leeuw is based on a specific production model:  professional actors and dancers collaborate at eye level with young people and children, using the stage as a place to share their personal experiences through dance and text.

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

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© Axel Wunsch / Junges Ensemble Stuttgart

When who belongs to a community is externally determined based on specific identity characteristics, societal rifts emerge that stand in the way of peaceful coexistence and solidarity. In "SOUL STORM," Khadidiatou Bangoura of KHARABA & GUESTS dances to songs in German; to question our prejudices, our notions of "Germanness," and our relationship to Germany. From Hildegard Knef, Vicky Leandros, or Fasia Jansen over to Joy Denalane, Samy Deluxe, Grenzkontrolle, or Ebow - "SOUL STORM" presents a selection from the German music catalog asking: who and what is considered German by whom and why?


Expectations and assumptions are examined, inviting reflection on why "Germanness" is denied to certain people - and not to others. At the same time, possibilities for "reclaiming"  German identity and making room for new iterations of it are explored to foster greater recognition and acceptance of diverse ways of being and different lived realities. In the context of a noticeable political shift towards a right-wing and racist climate, (German) citizens of migrant origin are increasingly considering leaving Germany. Through dance, "SOUL STORM" assesses society’s current mental and emotional well-being and asks:  in what state is Germany's soul?

Concept & Choreography: Khadidiatou Bangoura

 

Dance / Performance: Khadidiatou Bangoura

 

Sounddesign: Zen Jefferson

 

Costume: Douakro Kante

 

Lighting & Tech: Sascha Görg

 

Artistic Consultant / Dramaturgy:         

Horacio Macuacua

Production Assistance:

Lisa Hellmich 

Graphic Design Press Photo: Melina Koulia

A production by KHARABA & GUESTS in co-production with TanzFaktur. Funded by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia through the NRW Diversity Fund. Funded by the Culture Office of the City of Cologne

 

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