Pulsating sounds, ecstatically dancing bodies, a sense of freedom. In their dance performance 4 A.M., choreographers Olivia Mitterhuemer and Farah Deen invite their audience to delve into the spheres of House culture. Strongly influenced by the Afro-American and LGBTIQ+ community, House culture emerged in the clubs of Chicago and New York in the early 80s. Dance and music were primarily shaped by discrimination and oppression and the need of expression. Referring to the inclusive and non-judgmental character of the culture, the music’s repetitive and upbeat quality serves as the central anchor for the four performers’ physical experience. Inspired by various encounters with the European and American scene, they bring different human relationships on stage, all within a spectrum between self-doubt, distance, intimacy and ecstasy. An homage to the House club as a safe place, where social conventions disappear. At 4 A.M., House beats and physical exchange open up a space of danced transcendence and collective freedom - based on the performers‘ personal experiences as white women and women of colour being socialised in Europe. Feb 2022 | ARGEkultur Salzburg June 2022 | PURPLE Festival Berlin Aug 2022 | ImpulsTanz Vienna
