Femcel Debutante Club (WT)
Showing
by
Yvonne Sembene
In the frame of Tanznacht Forum EXPANDED
During her residency, Yvonne Sembene combines dance, voice and operatic tools to critically examine the waltz, debutante balls and their socially entrenched notions of class, gender and power.
At the centre is the question: How can hyperfemininity be represented, subverted or reclaimed within these historically rigid frameworks? Yvonne Sembene's interest is to explore how the waltz has been used to reinforce gender roles and class boundaries. Can new spaces for resistance be opened up in its fluidity?
Other central motifs of her artistic research are neoclassical and neotraditional aesthetics, which are often appropriated by right-wing nationalist ideologies. How can these be reinterpreted to convey alternative socio-political narratives? By playing with form, voice and hyper-performative elements, Sembene aims to rework these symbols of social order and reshape their impact on identity and belonging.
Sembene's overarching assumption is that the medium of dance harbours the means to deal with the political aspects of tradition. It remains to be seen what these might be.
Access
The Grüntaler 9 store is at ground level and is wheelchair accessible via two provisional ramps (16% und 18%). If you need help with the use of the ramp, please do not hesitate to contact a member of staff. The entrance door is 90cm wide. The toilet is not barrier-free.
The showing is a work in progress and can change until the last minute. However, we try to communicate extreme acoustic or visual stimuli in advance. Please note that the space is small (35m2) and can get crowded easily as the seating is not fixed. Various seating options are available if required (folding chairs, beanbags and cushions).
At the centre is the question: How can hyperfemininity be represented, subverted or reclaimed within these historically rigid frameworks? Yvonne Sembene's interest is to explore how the waltz has been used to reinforce gender roles and class boundaries. Can new spaces for resistance be opened up in its fluidity?
Other central motifs of her artistic research are neoclassical and neotraditional aesthetics, which are often appropriated by right-wing nationalist ideologies. How can these be reinterpreted to convey alternative socio-political narratives? By playing with form, voice and hyper-performative elements, Sembene aims to rework these symbols of social order and reshape their impact on identity and belonging.
Sembene's overarching assumption is that the medium of dance harbours the means to deal with the political aspects of tradition. It remains to be seen what these might be.
Access
The Grüntaler 9 store is at ground level and is wheelchair accessible via two provisional ramps (16% und 18%). If you need help with the use of the ramp, please do not hesitate to contact a member of staff. The entrance door is 90cm wide. The toilet is not barrier-free.
The showing is a work in progress and can change until the last minute. However, we try to communicate extreme acoustic or visual stimuli in advance. Please note that the space is small (35m2) and can get crowded easily as the seating is not fixed. Various seating options are available if required (folding chairs, beanbags and cushions).
Yvonne Sembene
Yvonne Sembene (she/her) is a French-Senegalese GDR dance artist. She lives in Berlin. Her work focusses on colonial influences on contemporary identities, especially in the European and German context, as well as on decolonial feminist discourses. She is currently exploring Afro-German SLINTA perspectives on neo-traditionalism and neo-classicism and their place in matriarchal fantasies. In addition to her choreographic practice, Sembene composes music for her own and other works. She is currently expanding her performance practice to include opera direction. She is also regularly invited to participate in local cultural policy discussions in labs and exchange formats. She has been a critical speaker and moderator for Aktion Tanz and the Freiburg Theatre, the Tanztreffen der Jugend, the Pop-Kultur festival and a jury member for the ID_Tanzhaus residency and the Kunst im Untergrund art competition.
Admission free
First come, first served / No registration required
First come, first served / No registration required
Residency Grüntaler 9: Yvonne Sembene
Performance: Yvonne Sembene, N.N.
Supported by Tanzfabrik Berlin & Tanznacht Berlin
Funded by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt des Landes Berlin through the four-year, open to all sections funding programme for festivals and series of events.
Performance: Yvonne Sembene, N.N.
Supported by Tanzfabrik Berlin & Tanznacht Berlin
Funded by the Senatsverwaltung für Kultur und Gesellschaftlichen Zusammenhalt des Landes Berlin through the four-year, open to all sections funding programme for festivals and series of events.
Supported by the Institut français and the République française.
