Moving Identities: #yodo - you only die once (GER)
As part of Moving Identities, dancers Michi Maxi Schulz, Luana Àsiba Madikera and Virginnia Ogechi Krämer develop immersive artistic formats that invite people to come into contact with (their own) death, dying, grief and the understanding of care work.
Since their collaboration for the ‘#yodo -you only die once’ residency at Heizhaus Berlin in autumn 2023, they have formed a unique trio. With different backgrounds and interests such as traditional and urban African dance, drama, political organisation, end-of-life care, dance education and poetic research, the three want to develop immersive artistic formats that invite people to come into contact with death, dying, mourning and the understanding of care work. They curate spaces in a unique way to open up, share and learn together about these topics that are otherwise culturally marginalised in Western contexts. Part of their emerging research consists of visiting dying people in local hospices, inviting experts on death and grief to share and question different artistic practices and scores..
In an Open Studio on 30.10. at 18:00 h, they will share insights into their research and artistic practice.
Michi Maxi Schulz (she/her) is an performance artist and project manager in the performing arts scene in Berlin. Her projects connect the themes of intersectional feminism, anti-ableism, and critical whiteness. Her work consists of artistic, performative and political formats. Since 2016, Michaela has been deeply engaged with the topics of dying, death, grief and care (DDGC) and in 2017 she initiated the project “#yodo – you only die once.”
Luana Naquin a.k.a Luana Madikera (she/her) is a multidisciplinary dancer who uses poetry, words, images, music and performance in her practice. Luana specializes in modern and urban African dances as well as traditional Afro-Caribbean dances. She uses various improvisation techniques and dance techniques (contemporary, pole dance…). Luana is currently researching the African heritage of the Afro-Caribbean population.
Virginnia Ogechi Krämer is a performer, facilitator, interdisciplinary artist and parent. Their interests range from embodied social justice to afrofuturism to cultural identity-focused artistic research and ritual. In spring 2023 Virginnia was artist in residence at Emerging Change/Tanzfabrik Berlin which birthed their solo work ‘hair pulling‘ (WT). As part of FemBlack Performance Collective they premiered with their first production ‘another space/memory‘ at Berliner Ringtheater in fall 2023.