IN MOTION
Kaveh and I met in March 2010 in Tehran shortly after the violent suppression of the Green Movement. Here he told me his story and the story of his drama group:
Over thirty times the group had presented their dance performance in the local theatre in Teheran to a marvelled audience, that could not believe what they see: Dance on a central stage of the Islamic Republic? After that came the setback: The choreographer and all dancers had to justify their work in front of court. They had to endure a humiliating trail full of harassment, which ended with the prohibition to dance on stage. Since than, Kaveh was afraid to be under observation. The circumstances made it impossible for him to work with us – an international production rehearsing without permission in Tehran. One day before rehearsals started he called and said: “ I want to take part anyway, can we find a way to make it happen?”
The dance performance DON’T MOVE was created and made an encounter between dancers from Berlin and Iran over a long distance possible. As not wanting to jeopardise his safety Kaveh was part as a shadow dancer who tells about the unbearable situation after all hopes were shattered – about the state of suffocation, hopelessness and paralysation that is noticeable all over the country.
DON’T MOVE was first performed at the Ballhaus Naunynstraße. It travelled to Cologne, Zurich and Istanbul and had great success. Kaveh however, did not withstand the pressure in Teheran and left for Berlin. Here he saw DON’T MOVE and himself on stage as a shadow dancer and stayed to be able to dance.
With DON’T MOVE and prior with MOVE IN PATTERNS I have choreographed my own story. With In MOTION I want to investigate as a dancer. I want to investigate questions that have risen in me since the migration of my parents in 1979.
Since I came here with my family I can see a longing in their eyes that I feel as well. Until my first journey two years ago I could not explain this longing. What would have happend if my family had stayed in Iran? Was it the right decision to leave? What would have happend there to my passion for dancing?
After 27 years I travelled again to Iran and a world opened up in front of me that was both, familiar and foreign, exhilarating and daunting – and a world that makes me want to fight. Against this murderous regime that send so may people fleeing – decades after me Kaveh as well. The movement, dance is our form of resistance….
Modjgan Hashemian
Choreography: Modjgan Hashemian
Dance: Kaveh Ghaemi and Modjgan Hashemian
Music: Oliver Dorell
Stage/costume: Sabina Moncys
Dramarturgy: Susanne Vincenz
Light: Asier Solana
Production: Sylvia Erse Keller
A production by Modjgan Hashemian in coproduction with Kultursprünge e.V. at Ballhaus Naunynstraße. Sponsored by Senatskanzlei – Kulturelle Angelegenheiten Berlin, Interkulturelle Projekte.