Dance On Ensemble & Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop
In collaboration with Rabih Mroué

Choreography, Music, Performance: Javier Arozena, Alba Barral Fernandez, Ziv Frenkel, Anna Herrmann, Emma Lewis, Miki Orihara, Jone San Martin, Marco Volta, Anna Faber, Mia Bodet, Mari Sawada, Ildiko Ludwig, Yodfat Miron, Isabelle Klemt, Sophie Notte, Michael Rauter

Concept, Book: Rabih Mroué
Dramaturgy: Maxi Menja Lehmann
Composition Choir: Grégoire Simon
Costume Design: Werkstattkollektiv
Vocal Coach: Doreen Kutzke
Technical Production Management & Light: Martin Beeretz

Production: DANCE ON / Bureau Ritter and Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop
In cooperation with Berlinische Galerie – Landesmuseum für Moderne Kunst, Fotografie und Architektur
In collaboration with Radialsystem
Funded by Hauptstadtkulturfonds

Premiere: 29 November 2024, Berlinische Galerie
Dates: 30 November, 1 & 3 December 2024

 A Sky Like A Wall is the first major collaboration between the musicians of the Solistenensemble Kaleidoskop, the dancers of the Dance On Ensemble and the author and performance artist Rabih Mroué. An encounter in the rooms of the Berlinische Galerie.

Both ensembles develop a collective authorship and team up with Mroué who wrote a notebook entitled ‘The Notebook of an Unspecified Colour’ for the production. Various scores are collected in it: Drawings, collages, illustrations, settings, instructions, which form the starting point of the creative process. The leitmotif of the notebook is the story of the Tower of Babel, which fails due to a lack of understanding. The idea of polyphony and multilingualism is inherent in the way both ensembles work. They ask themselves: How can we use different languages and still communicate? How can a project like this speak about the lack of dialogue in our day?

In the rooms of Berlinische Galerie the sixteen performers create miniatures in duos, trios and quartets. They are precisely arranged with each other; in one place in the room, a movement becomes visible, while in another place the sound that matches this movement is heard. Gradually, a sculpture of sound, dance and voices emerges, inviting the audience to constantly refocus their gaze and ear on what is happening and sounding. Many scenes take place simultaneously side by side. The audience travels with the artists through the space and decide for themselves which frame they choose, what they focus on.