October 16+17, Weld c/o S:t Jacobs Church: DeSacre!
Weld proudly presents Christine Gaigg / 2nd nature and the lecture/performance DeSacre!
Pussy Riot meets Vaslav Nijinsky. The complexity of an artistic action is high, also or even more so,when it lasts only for forty seconds. A work of art appearing at the right moment may well touch the nerve of a society and hit a crucial point. Art explains art: In DeSacre! choreographer Christine Gaigg juxtaposes the latest art scandal around Pussy Riot on February 21, 2012, with scenes from Igor Strawinsky’s and Vaslav Nijinksy’s Le Sacre du Printemps which caused a scandal at its premiere in 1913. The encounter of both works of art throws a light on their respective motives as well as on the implications for society. In the form of a documentary performance DeSacre! suggests how the hundred year old choreography of Nijinsky may comment on the punk art of Pussy Riot. Christine Gaigg conceived DeSacre! in April 2013 on invitation by the Office of The Federal President of Austria and Tanzquartier Wien to create a performance for the Viennese Josephskapelle, a small catholic church built for the imperial Habsburg family in the 18th century. The issues raised by DeSacre! also pose questions to our contemporary society: What is desecration? Do values
considered sacrosanct already explain the scandal? How does Pussy Riot’s action exceed pure provocation?
DeSacre! / credits
CONCEPT, DIRECTION: Christine Gaigg
DANCE: Alex Deutinger, Marta Navaridas, Petr Ochvat, Anna Prokopová, Eva-Maria Schaller, Veronika Zott, Thales Weilinger
TEXT, TALK: Christine Gaigg, Erich Klein
STAGE: Philipp Harnoncourt
LIGHT: Jan Wagner
MUSIC ADAPTION: Florian Bogner
MUSIC: Igor Strawinsky Le Sacre du Printemps (quotes)
CHOREOGRAPHIC ELEMENTS: Vaslav Nijinsky (after the reconstruction by Millicent Hodson),
Pussy Riot
COSTUME: Dorothea Nicolai
ASSISTENCE: Iris Raffetseder
ENGLISH TRANSLATION: Alexa Nieschlag, Christine Gaigg
SURTITLES: Monika Kalitzke
MANAGEMENT: Eva Trötzmüller, artphalanx
FOTOS: eSeL.at
A COPRODUCTION by Tanzquartier Wien and 2nd nature.
2nd nature is SUPPORTED by MA 7 – Cultural department of the city fo Vienna
DeSacre! / biographies
Christine Gaigg (concept, direction)
is a freelance choreographer and director based in Vienna. She studied philosophy and linguistics at
the University of Vienna and dance and choreography at the School for New Dance Development in
Amsterdam. Under the label CHRISTINE GAIGG/2nd nature she works in collaboration with dancers,
composers, writers and filmmakers. Together with the composer Max Nagl she created a. o. Sacre
Material (2000) and ADEBAR/KUBELKA (2003). Together with Bernhard Lang she developed the TRIKE
series (2004-2009), with Bernhard Gander and Klangforum Wien Seven Cuts (2011). The collective
Gaigg/Harnoncourt/Lang/Ritsch realized the opening of steirischer herbst 2010 with
Maschinenhalle#1, which was shown in Feedback First Edition 2011 in Semper Depot. Theatre: Über
Tiere by Elfriede Jelinek (2007) Theater am Neumarkt Zürich and Tanzquartier Wien; Wenn die
Kinder Steine ins Wasser werfen by Xaver Bayer (2012) Schauspielhaus Wien.
Philipp Harnoncourt (stage)
is director in theater and opera, a.o. Engel aus Feuer by Prokofjews (Odeon Vienna, 2010), Rodelinda
by G.F. Händel (Theater an der Wien, 2011), Rosenkavalier (Musiktheater Revier 2012/13), as well as
Barbe Bleue by J.Offenbach, Wiener Blut by J. Strauss, Der Schatzgräber by Franz Schreker.
Furthermore he develops space and light concepts, writes for theatre, was technical director of
ImPulsTanz-Festival and executive director for Wiener Schauspielhaus. For many years now he works
with Christine Gaigg and the collective Gaigg/Harnoncourt/Lang/Ritsch who did Maschinenhalle#1
(steirischer herbst) in 2010.
Erich Klein (text, talk)
works as a translator and journalist. He is editor of the literature magazine Wespennest, contributes
to Ö1 programmes Diagonal, Ex libris and Kontext and organizes literature events as Literatur im
Herbst. Publications: Die Russen in Wien – die Befreiung Österreichs (1995), Denkwürdiges Wien:
Denkmäler der 1. und 2. Republik (2004), Graue Donau – schwarzes Meer (2008, mit C. Reder). Editor
of a.o. Odessa (2013). Translations: a.o. Alexander Pjatigorskij: Erinnerung an einen fremden Mann
(2001), Dmitrij Prigow: Lebt in Moskau (2003), Zakhar Prilepin: Sankya (2012).
Dorothea Nicolai (costume)
got her apprenticeship as a tailoress in Munich and did costume studies in Hamburg at the University
of Applied Sciences. This was followed by years of learning and experience as a costume assistant,
cutter, draper and costume designer in France, Belgium, Italy and Austria. 1995 – 1999 she was
Costume Supervisor at the Vienna State Opera, 2000 – 2007 she was Head of Costumes and Wigs /
Make-up at the Salzburg Festival. 2008 she changed to Zurich Opera House, where she worked as
Costume Director. Since 2012 she’s back at Salzburg Festival as Head of Costumes and Wigs / Makeup.
Since 2005 she is Member of the ICOM Costume Committee.
The guestperformance has been made possible by INTPA – INTERNATIONAL NET FOR DANCE AND PERFORMANCE AUSTRIA and Tanzquartier Wien with support by BKA and BMeiA.