Radical Cheerleading - Zufit Simon

In the organizer's words:

A piece about dance as a form of protest
"...power for the people:
use your body... use your voice... make a choice..."

Full-body resistance in public spaces and choreographed protest have become an effective and powerful means of peaceful demonstration within capitalist democracies. So-called "radical cheerleading" was developed in the 1990s by queer-feminist activists and combines non-violent, direct action with theatrical elements. Known as cheering groupies from sporting competitions, the codes of cheerleading are used and subverted in this production to convey their own messages.
Glamor, glitter and a mix of various slogans are elements of this joyful, ironic alternative to militant forms of protest. The heterogeneous ensemble led by choreographer Zufit Simon, who is also on stage, poses the question of what is worth taking to the streets for with vehemence, precision and humor.

"Radical Cheerleading" wins the festival prize of the Best OFF Festival of Independent Theater 2024 in April 2024. The prize is endowed with 30,000 euros in production funding for a world premiere at the next festival in 2026.

The production is funded by the Cultural Department of the City of Munich and the Lower Saxony Foundation, as well as made possible by the BLZT, Bavarian State Association for Contemporary Dance with funds from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. The research phase is supported by the NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK - STEPPING OUT, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR. Dance Aid Program. The research is also supported by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of NEUSTART KULTUR.