A visionary performance staged by two leading choreographers from different continents: Carried by global rhythms, “UNTIL THE BEGINNINGS” brings together eight dancers from Senegal, Germany, and France with musicians from the fields of percussion and spoken word – forming a powerful dialogue about the essence of hospitality.
Giving, receiving. Arriving, letting go, and encountering borders: the ensemble embarks on a journey to deconstruct the idea of “home” through a play of encounters, disruptions, and new beginnings. Within this mesh of transcultural movement, they explore the possibilities of a shared groove.
The work draws on political realities that criminalize hospitality around the world, philosophical ideas by Jacques Derrida and Anne Dufourmantelle, and visions of utopian communal spaces.
Directors Alesandra Seutin (former artistic director of École des Sables, Senegal) and Stephanie Thiersch (artistic director of MOUVOIR, Germany) weave their artistic and cultural worlds into a choreographic tapestry that provokes, questions, and stirs. A melancholic reflection that carries joy and hope.
Biographies
Alesandra Seutin is an internationally active, award-winning choreographer, performer and mediator. From 2020-2024 she was artistic director of the École des Sables in Senegal. In her multidisciplinary works, she combines dance, song and music to address social and political issues. She tours internationally with her company “Vocab Dance” and has realised over 20 commissioned works for Sadler's Wells, KVS and Phoenix Dance Theatre, among others.
Choreographer and director Stephanie Thiersch has led the MOUVOIR company since 2000 and has created over 50 productions on social utopias and body politics. Her works combine dance, film, installation and music - from DJ sets to orchestras. She works with international festivals, operas and theatres such as Ruhrtriennale, Tanz im August, Oper Köln and Goethe Institutes worldwide.
Cast & Credits
| With | Latif Arafan Wa Hab Diedhiou, Nadia Gabrieli Kalati, Cola Lok Yee Ho, Kezia Jonah, Margaux Marielle-Tréhoüart, Alexandre Nodari, Joel Suárez Gómez, Christ Zié |
| Music | Tarang Cissokho, Shelly Quest |
| Stage | Stephanie Thiersch, Alesandra Seutin |
| Costumes | Lauren Steel |
| Lighting | Begoña Garcia Navas/Ansgar Kluge |
| Sound | Thomas Wegner |
| Arrangements & Musical Consultancy | Yvan Talbot |
| Management | Josephine Sautier, Dwayne Holliday |
| Production Management | Sarah Heinrich (MOUVOIR), Paul Sagne (École des Sables) |
Funding
Produced by MOUVOIR e.V. and Freihandelszone - Ensemblenetzwerk Köln, École des Sables Senegal, co-produced by tanzhaus nrw, Sommerblut Kulturfestival, funded by Kunststiftung NRW, the NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK. Co-production funding for dance supported by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Karin and Uwe Hollweg Foundation. MOUVOIR/Stephanie Thiersch is supported by: Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, Cultural Office of the City of Cologne.

























