For the majority of mankind fear of life is part of every single day. On the other hand many Central Europeans, who are in the comfortable position to live without it, keep searching for another kind of excitement. Is fear an inseparably part of human being? And what exactly is the fascination about it?

Absurdity, boredom, aggression, fear, violence, power, helplessness – with her new production the editta braun company explores the abysses of the human soul. Three performers form a parcours, which is both – deeply human and deeply inhuman. The mechanism of baleful human emotions shall be watched especially in its effects on groups. Again and again the three of them are forming new constellations. Sometimes leagues are build up, sometimes everybody is on his own. Then again, all together go against a nameless threat. What once has started out of boredom turns into a trip to hell. Or was it nothing but a

game? Starting point of this production was the subject fear, new is the approach: Children’s Whisper was the working title for an experiment in which the company has worked with three different choreographers one after each other. Editta Braun as the last of them put the unpredictable result of these different parts to one piece of dance theatre. Like in the children’s game Children’s whisper the starting term the power of fear turned from phase to phase into something new.

The choice of choreographers was made with big conscioussness for their different cultural background. Based on their very different biographies the Italian born and in Portugal living Theresa Ranieri, Shlomo Bitton from Israel and the Lithuanian Arturas Valudskis created together with the company very diverse variations about the subject.

The dancers Anna Maria Mueller (Austria), Tomaž Simtatović (Slovenia) and Juan Dante Murillo Bobadilla (Colombia)

also brought in their experiences.

«Abseits»

premiere:

created 2009 in Montemor/Portugal & Salzburg

performers, creators: Juan Dante Murillo Bobadilla, Tomaz Simatovic, Anna Maria Müller

choreography: Teresa Ranieri, Shlomo Bitton, Arturas Valudskis, Editta Braun

conception, directing: Editta Braun

composition: Thierry Zaboitzeff

light design: Thomas Hinterberger

dramaturgy: Gerda Poschmann-Reichenau

co-producer: ARGEkultur, O Espaço do Tempo Montemor

Reactions on «Abseits»

Status display of fear

„Editta Braun has commentend about an attitude of life, which is consise and mellow, brutal and bluntly comical the same time. The closeness and directness, embodied through the dancers' strong performance, has immediate power. Seen this way „Off-side“ is right in the middle – and therefore a witty and sensual birhtday present (for 20 years editta braun company), which is showing onwards."
Karl Harb in Salzburger Nachrichten, 25. September 2009

Where feare is walking on six legs

"Closely, arrogating , yes, it is. But althoug fear is the topic, it is everything else than a depressing evening. There are scenes, in which three performers bash themselves bluntly to the walls with adventurous movements. But nevertheless the handwriting of this evening is all in all loosely, and the self mockery as well a s a lightly poetry are not missed out. Fear: often it is something quintessentially unreal. Or something, which is produced by ones own, intentional

or unintentional, an „extra“ or something in answer to airy foreshadows. One can enjoy truly about the thrill, which is emerging from different movement languages and different approaches to the topic. And about the way all this is brought into one another.“

Reinhard Kriechbaum in Drehpunkt Kultur, 24. September 2009

Danced anxiety states

„Two man bash their female partner to the wall. Right after they „strip“ in a TV show, in which fear is the discussed topic. Later on one must jump on the others head – it is about torture and repression. Then the bodies seem to be into each other. People come closer, because bombs are falling. Tomaz Simatovic, Anna Maria Müller and Juan Dante Murillo Bobadilla are the performers of this evening. All the three of them play, dance, talk, fight and tremble on a high artistical as well as athletic level.

Editta Braun`s piece is no personal version of excited dislike. It is a group work, a collective conception of threat. Each of the three dancers and further choreographers, who are associated with the company, played „Children`s whisper“ and connected different asprects of fear. It speaks for the familiarity and closeness of the editta braun company, that individual ideas come together to a hommogenous piece in the end. A mischievous wink builds the bridge between them. Humour crosses most of the pieces of this choreographer, who is one of the most international renowned performers of Austria.“

Christoph Lindenbauer für APA (Austrian Press Agency), 25. September 2009