IN THE 

IN THE MAKING

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To the crescendo of a custom-made musical composition, a woman dances herself to death in a sacrificial choreography. She is The Chosen; selected to die by hypothetical men so these very men can live. The music symbolizes the male gaze, which is the driving force of this death ritual.

 

Another woman arrives; a macabre duet starts. The Chosen’s lifeless body is heavy; like the weight of emotional and physical violence, which women suffer from daily. The other woman literally drags the lifeless body of The Chosen across the stage. Leaving a trail of blood. Who's responsible for this death? Who will be held responsible for femicide? 

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Zahira saw Pina Bausch’s modern dance interpretation of the Rite of Spring many years ago and it was a shocking piece because of the thematic nature of the choreography. The original piece is a ballet created in 1913 by Vaslav Nijinsky for Sergei Diaghilev’s ballet company Ballets Russes with the musical composition by Igor Stravinsky called Le Sacre du Printemps. In this ballet, a virgin is sacrificed to appeal to the god of spring. The Chosen is forced to ritually dance herself to death.

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Concept: Zahira Mous

Performance & co-creation: Ivana Berkhout & Zahira Mous

Musical composition: Matt Rudge

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Will premiere in September in Amsterdam during the Amsterdam Fringe Festival. Selected from 460 applications.

We feel grateful for this honor. Co-funded by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunsten -

Stimuleringsregeling Eigentijdse Dans.

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