Ligia Lewis: deader than dead

In the organizer's words:

"Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow" - the words with which Macbeth formulates a swan song to the world in William Shakespeare's play of the same name mark the starting point for the opening production of the International DANCE Festival Munich. In deaderthandead, US choreographer Ligia Lewis takes Shakespeare's monologue as an opportunity to reflect on the principles of alienation and repetition. The hopelessness of fate that Shakespeare writes about takes on a political dimension in Ligia Lewis' work.

Ligia Lewis sees her choreographic work as a critique of the canonical dancer's body from a Black feminist perspective. In deaderthandead, she presents the motif of tragedy as a recurring, familiar phenomenon in the lives of black and non-white people. The work is structured as a lament, a dirge in an endless loop that slowly dissolves.

The performance was originally developed in 2020 for the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles. The starting point was research into the term "deadpan". It refers to a seemingly emotionless attitude that creates emotional distance in a humorous way. Ligia Lewis understands the term literally ("deadpan") as a form of immobility that eludes narrative structures and prevents a classical plot from developing. The music for the performance was composed by Slausone Malone, who has already been a guest at Haus der Kunst as part of the TUNE series.

Price information:

Discounts are available for students, school pupils, trainees, the unemployed, senior citizens (65+) and people with disabilities.