The expressive language of dancemainz is now too arrived in New York. The Minister of Culture speaks of one “Flagship for Rhineland-Palatinate”. Dance director Honne Dohrmann wants to surprise the audience again in the next season.
With five performances in New York is the ensemble dancemainz appeared in the USA for the first time and thus celebrates the high point of a special development so far. “We have built something up and are on the way to establishing a new idea of contemporary dance in repertory theatre,” says dance director Honne Dohrmann. The proved also Steward of the State Theater Mainz, Markus Muellerand the Rhineland-Palatinate Culture Minister Katharina Binz pay their respects with visits to New York.
tanzmainz with five performances of the cult piece “Soul Chain” in New York
A particular highlight of the ensemble is the one performed in New York “Soul Chain”commissioned by Israeli choreographer Sharon Eyal. The performance received the theater prize “Der Faust” in 2018. The “outstanding artistic work of tanzmainz” is now radiating as far as the USA, explained Minister of Culture Binz. The invitation to the guest performance at the Joyce Theater in New York shows that the ensemble is a figurehead for Rhineland-Palatinate.
Like seven or eight other houses in German-speaking countries, the Mainz dance company works with a “curatorial model”, that is without a permanent choreographer. “The ensemble is host to choreographers who come to work with us,” explains Dohrmann. “This will be the outdated Top-Down-Hierarchie large ensembles strongly relativized.
The many Potentialwhich the dancers bring with them can be so much easier be incorporated into the productionswho have their finger on the pulse.” Dohrmann helped develop the beginnings of this concept in Oldenburg in 2007 and then brought it to the Rhine in 2014 together with the Mainz director Markus Müller.
“Soul Chain” negotiates the relationship between the individual and the community
“‘Soul Chain’ offers a superior qualitybecause this piece demands a lot in terms of dance technique and discipline as well as one strong emotionality conveyed,” explains Dohrmann. “The intensity of the dancers is so palpable that you sometimes involuntarily hold your breath in the audience.” The musically powerful performance, which can be seen again in February at the Staatstheater Mainz, is full of different levels of association for the relationship between the individual and the community.
In the meantime, in addition to “Soul Chain”, the work that was created in Mainz in 2021 is also experiencing “Promise” by Sharon Eyal international attention. And last year, tanzmainz received one for the third time in six years “Faust” – the prize for the best choreography went to the piece “Sphynx” von Rafaële Giovanola.
“Of course there is a risk with every production,” says dance director Dohrmann in an interview with the German press agency. “Anytime you try something new, it also implies the possibility of failure.”
“It’s a searching movement, and sometimes it’s three steps forward, two back”
Challenges arise with new dancers, new forms and new venues – most recently with the Leibniz Center for Archeology. “It’s a searching movement, and sometimes it’s three steps forward and two back.” But that’s exactly what they do artistic work also so exciting.
So exciting that Hon Dohrmann now his Contract at the Staatstheater Mainz early until the end of the 2026/27 season extended has. Perhaps one could also have said that after such a dynamic development as recently, a departure for new shores would be the right thing to do, explains Dohrmann. “But now it’s just exciting to use this momentum that we have gained to consolidate our idea.”
The ensemble includes 19 permanent dancers as well as three apprentices, i.e. dance students in their last year of training. In addition, seven other people work for tanzmainz, among them a dance mediator who develops educational offers, especially for a young audience.
“We want our audience lieber surprise again and again and inspire”
To the development goalswhich the dance director has in mind, heard that tanzmainz, regardless of the name Sharon Eyal go on tour with guest performances can. Dohrmann already has the program for the next summer season in mind.
Visitors can look forward to new ideas: “You shouldn’t make yourself a slave to certain expectations. We want to our audience lieber surprise again and again and inspire.”
Editing with Peter Zschunke, dpa
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