Before dance became art, before it tried to express anything, before it was a ceremony or a technique, it was a game.
Gaming is a thread that connects many of Joshua Monten’s previous work. Now, in “Game Theory,” Monten looks a bit more deeply at the basic building blocks of play: freedom and rules, ritual and surprise, adrenaline and flow. “Game Theory” is a kinesthetic portrait of play — a typology of play’s basic forms — which is highly personal and still immediately recognizable. The result is an aesthetically rigorous composition with ample room for freedom and joy.
To play means to act out situations that are not possible or not allowed in daily life. To play means to destroy and create, to flirt with danger, to release one’s animal energies, to experience the thrills of domination and being dominated. The games we like the best are often the ones that have consequences and risks, games that are more than just a game, games that make our head spin and can break our heart.
Both both an indoor version (60 minutes) and a street theater version (30 minutes) of the choreography are available for performance.
Selected in 2021 for the “40 Winks” program of Springback Magazine/AEROWAVES.
Indoor version
Outdoor version
CHOREOGRAPHY
Joshua Monten
DANCE
Claudio Costantino
Angela Demattè
Sandra Klimek
Max Makowski
Jack Wignall
DRAMATURGY
Guy Cools
COSTUME DESIGN
Catherine Voeffray
LIGHTING DESIGN
Jonas Bühler
MUSIC CONSULTANT
Moritz Alfons
VIDEO
Yannick Mosimann
APPRENTICES
Rozemarijn Louwerse
Niki Stalder
Frederik Kaijser
PRODUCED BY
Verein Tough Love
COPRODUCED BY
Dampfzentrale Bern (CH)
Krokusfestival Hasselt (B)
Kunsten op Straat/Werkplaats Diepenheim (NL)
WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS
Pro Helvetia
SWISSLOS / Kultur Kanton Bern
Kultur Stadt Bern
Burgergemeinde Bern
Migros Kulturprozent
GVB Kulturstiftung
Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung
Gesellschaft zu Ober-Gerwern
Fondation Nestlé pour l’Art
Sophie und Karl Binding Stiftung
Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung
PERFORMANCES
20 February 2020 (try-out) — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH)
21 February 2020 — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH) (premiere)
22 February 2020 — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH)
26 February 2020 — Krokusfestival Hasselt (B)
11-13 March 2020 (3x) — Dock 11 Berlin (D)
14 March 2020 — Dock 11 Berlin (D) — CANCELLED: COVID-19
24-26 July 2020 (4x) — Heimland Festival, Diepenheim (NL) — CANCELLED: COVID-19
4-5 September 2020 (2x) — BETA Stage Festival, Gaskessel, Bern (CH)
27 May 2021 (2x) — Schulhaus Bodenacker, Münchenbuchsee (CH)
29 May 2021 (2x) — Passage Festival, Helsingør (DK)
30 May 2021 (2x) — Springfestival, Amager Kulturpunkt, Copenhagen (DK)
29 June 2021 (2x) — Festival Danza Estate, Bergamo (IT)
3-4 July 2021 (4x) — Poésie en arrosoir, Cernier (Val-de-Ruz) / ADN — Danse Neuchâtel (CH)
12-13 August 2021 (4x) — Theaterfestival Boulevard, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL)
21-22 August 2021 (2x) — Festival de Chassepierre (B)
21 October 2021 (2-3x) — Marin Centre, Marin-Epagnier (La Tène) / ADN — Danse Neuchâtel (CH)
17 September 2021 — CCL, Saint-Imier (CH)
12-13 August 2021 (4x) — Boulevard Festival, ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NL)
September 2021 — Young ID Festival, Zug (CH)
21 October 2021 (2-3x) — Marin Centre, Marin-Epagnier (La Tène) / ADN — Danse Neuchâtel (CH)
24 October 2021 (2x) — PlayBern Festival, Grosse Halle, Bern (CH)
23 November 2021 (2x) — Tanzfestival Winterthur, Theater am Gleis, Winterthur (CH)
12 January 2021 — Schule Hedingen, Hedingen ZH (CH)
22 March 2022 (2x) — 13. Hamelner Tanztheatertage, Hameln (D)