china-hair-connection
(Work title)
Interdisciplinary
performance and installation project
by Angie Hiesl und Roland Kaiser
2007/2008
The German director, choreographer, performance artist Angie Hiesl and the performance and visual artist Roland Kaiser plan to realise the performance and installations project china-hair-connection (work title).
Hair has always held a special fascination. It is viewed as an expression of one’s personality, as the seat of the soul, as a symbol of sexual potency, power and vitality. The heads of prisoners and the condemned are often shaved to rob them symbolically of their individuality. Moreover, hair still remains a commodity. The material for real-hair wigs mainly originates in countries in Asia. Hair is both the object and the product of a global industry.
The project china-hair-connection (work title) deals with the theme ?hair“ through dance, theatre, performance, sound and installation.
There will be five Chinese and five European performers.
The project is produced together with the Living Dance Studio (LDS), Beijing.
Work basis
The project will be produced in Beijing and Cologne based on the specifics of Angie Hiesl und Roland Kaiser:
- interdisciplinary work
- site-specific work for ?non artistic“ venues
- projects for public/semi public space
The world premiere and five further performances will take place in Cologne, followed by the performances in Beijing.
Themes for a Chinese European cultural exchange:
- Chinese traditions concerning hair of the head and of the body
- urban daily life in China – contrasts of the two societies
- fairytales and myths
- past and present
- cultural history of hairstyle and body hygiene
- connection between body hair and illness
- cultural taboos
- consequences of globalisation
Each performer will contribute to the theme with her or his own experience concerning hair.
Work phases:
1. Phase (Sept./Oct. 2007) – Angie Hiesl and Roland Kaiser stay in China
- introduction of the work of Hiesl and Kaiser and the project
- 1 st audition/workshop
2. Phase (March till May 2008) – Angie Hiesl, Roland Kaiser and one German performer stay in China
- 2 nd audition if necessary
- rehearsals with 5 Chinese performers – for 6 weeks
3. Phase (Aug./Sept. 2008) – Chinese performers in Germany
- joining of Chinese and German performers
- rehearsing together
- world premiere
- further performances
4. Phase (Sept./Oct. 2008) – German performers stay in China
- rehearsals and performances with all in Beijing during Crossing Festival
Audition: course of the audition
period: 22. and 23. September 2007, whole day
On 22nd there will be a lecture and introduction on the work of Angie Hiesl and Roland Kaiser and the project. This introduction is open to anyone interested in their work.
In the afternoon there will be a workshop for those people seriously interested in taking part in the hair-project and meeting the criteria below.
On 23rd there will be an audition for people who – after the workshop of the 22nd – are still interested in being part of the project and meeting the criteria below. They should prepare a 3-minute performance for the audition.
The audition serves for the selection of potential professional performers for the project.
The participants of the audition should fulfill one or several following specifications:
- male/female dancer with very good technique in contemporary dance
- male/female acrobat (traditional Chinese acrobatic)
- male/female performer
- male/female musician
as well as one or several of the following specification/s
- male/female participants with long or very long hair (min. 60 cm)
- women with the willingness to shave their hair (bald head)
- male dancer/performer with long beard
absolutely essential for all participants:
- availability during the scheduled work periods in China and in Germany
AND…we search for male/female participants with peculiarities concerning the subject HAIR, e.g. no hair because of illness, excessive growth of hair on the body, albinism. These participants don′ t have to be professional performers, dancers etc.
The participants of the audition should prepare a short performance, max.
3 minutes with one or several elements out of:
- dance/acrobatic
- speech or singing
- music/instrument
- other miscellaneous special skills
more information about Angie Hiesl and Roland Kaiser: www.angiehiesl.de
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