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The joy of consensual violence.

(Original German title: “Freude”)

“Joy” is an evening-length dance production for five charmingly violent dancers. It explores the unexpectedly joyful art of stage fighting, freed from the constraints of plot and psychological realism.

The choreography is based on the classic elements of stage fighting: punching, slapping, kicking, tackling, and so on. Intricate sequences of consensual violence are deconstructed and reconstructed through distortions, changes of perspective and merciless repetition. This is serious play, hilariously tragic, and thrilling to watch.

However “Joy” is more than just a glorification of violence. The choreography explores how violence has such an electrifying effect upon its viewers — even though many are loathe to admit this most guilty of pleasure. Central to the work is Freud’s notion of Schadenfreude — the ways in which we are all capable of taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune.

Teaser

Trailer

“This is strong stuff, this “Joy” — it seems like harmless fun, and then it takes you by surprise. By the end one is left with the deepest of admiration for the dancers: their physical mastery, their concentration, their musicality — and all of the bizarre and madcap scenes that they come up with. Good old-fashioned stage fighting performed with perfection. Whoever gets through this without any bruises is an absolute champion. The choreography itself is an absolute champion, too, and performed with perfection.”
Richard Peter, Dewezet (Hameln, DE), 28 October 2017

CHOREOGRAPHY

Joshua Monten

DANCE

Vittorio “Ebola” Bertolli
Francesca “The Enforcer” Imoda
Konstantinos “Rattlesnake” Kranidiotis
Ariadna “Steel Knuckles” Montfort
Jack “Knife” Wignall
Sandra “Kalashnikov” Klimek [alternate]
David “The Homewrecker” Pallant [alternate]
TingAn “Black Star” Ying [alternate]

STAGE FIGHTING

Lukas Schmocker

LIGHTING DESIGN

Jonas Bühler

COSTUME DESIGN

Catherine Voeffray

STAGE DESIGN

Jann Messerli

MUSICAL DRAMATURGY

Moritz Alfons

PRODUCED BY

Tough Love

COPRODUCED BY

Dampfzentrale Bern
Ballhaus Ost (Berlin)

WE GRATEFULLY ACKNOWLEDGE FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS

Pro Helvetia
SWISSLOS / Kultur Kanton Bern
Kultur Stadt Bern
Burgergemeinde Bern
Stadt St. Gallen
Migros Kulturprozent
Ernst Göhner Stiftung
Stanley Thomas Johnson Stiftung
Jubiläumsstiftung der Schweizerischen Mobiliar Genossenschaft
SIS – Schweizerische Interpretenstiftung
Societé Suisse des Auteurs

IN MEMORY OF

Eugene W. Rhodes III

PERFORMANCE HISTORY

31 March 2016 (try-out) — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH)
1 April 2016 — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH) (premiere)
3 April 2016 — Dampfzentrale Bern (CH)
8 April 2016 (2x) — Ballhaus Ost, Berlin (D)
9 April 2016 — Ballhaus Ost, Berlin (D)
10 April 2016 — Ballhaus Ost, Berlin (D)
21 May 2016 — Lokremise, St. Gallen (CH)
30 July 2016 – DanceBARN Screendance Festival, Battle Lake, Minnesota (US)
8 September 2016 — Dock 11, POOL Festival, Berlin (D)
8 October 2016 – Fundació Miró, Festival de Videodanza de Palma, Mallorca (ES)
4 November 2016 — Bestias Danzantes Festival, Santiago (CL)
5 November 2016 — Bestias Danzantes Festival, Santiago (CL)
5 November 2016 – Egomio Theater, Moving Waves Festival, Nicosia (CY)
6 November 2016 – Egomio Theater, Moving Waves Festival, Nicosia (CY)
6 November 2016 — Bestias Danzantes Festival, Santiago (CL)
16 December 2016 — Teatro Villa Amphili, Danza in Corto Festival, Rome (IT)
17 December 2016 — Rollout Macao Dance Film Festival, Macao (CN)
18 December 2016 — Rollout Macao Dance Film Festival, Macao (CN)
19 April 2017 — Tanzwoche Dresden (D)
21 April 2017 — Braga International Video Dance Festival (PT)
27 April 2017 — Braga International Video Dance Festival (PT)
28 April 2017 — ScreenDance Festival, Dansmuseet, Stockholm (SE)
29 April 2017 — Athens Video Dance Project (GR)
26 May 2017 — Festival Internacional de Teatro y Artes de Calle, Valladolid (ES)
27 May 2017 — Festival Internacional de Teatro y Artes de Calle, Valladolid (ES)
10 September 2017— Zita Volkets Bio, Stockholm Fringe Festival (SE)
29 September — Quinzena de Dança de Almada (PT)
26 October 2017 — Sumpfblumen, Hameln (D)
3 November 2017 — ÉviDanse Festival, CCL, Saint-Imier (CH)
9 February 2018 — Krokusfestival, Hasselt (B)
25 March 2018 — Theater Konstanz (D)
26 April 2018 — Printemps carougeois, Carouge (CH)
27 April 2018 — Printemps carougeois, Carouge (CH)
25 May 2018 — Szene Waldviertel, Horn, Austria (AT)
26 May 2018 — Szene Waldviertel, Horn, Austria (AT)
20 June 2018 — Teatro Provincial de Curicó (CL)
21 June 2018 — Teatro Regional del Maule (CL)
19 September 2018 — CIFCET Festival, El Hanager Arts Center, Cairo (EG)
20 September 2018 — CIFCET Festival, El Hanager Arts Center, Cairo (EG)
19 October 2018 (2x) — Esplanade Theatre, Singapore (SG)
20 October 2018 — Esplanade Theatre, Singapore (SG)
1 November 2018 — UniDram Festival, Waschhaus Arena, Potsdam (D)
19 December 2018 — Festival de Meknès de Théâtre, Centre culturel Faqih Almnona, Meknès (MA)
21 October 2019 (2x) — De Betovering Festival, Zuiderstrandtheater, The Hague (NL)
1-10 January 2021 (online performance) — Rollout Macao Dance Film Festival, Macao (CN)