This special evening of dance features three exceptional talents who, through their unique perspectives and movement languages, powerfully explore the complex tension between openness and confinement, control and freedom. In their solo pieces, they address physical experiences of oppression and vulnerability, as well as of breaking free and transformation.

In her »Endless Box,« Hana Umeda confronts, within a space of 1.7 cubic meters, the need for protection in the face of constant change and the endless search for stability in an ephemeral world. In doing so, she incorporates elements of a Japanese dance tradition that has emerged from centuries of restrictions on female bodies and that finds freedom in imaginary worlds.

»Just One Tile شبر وقبضة« blends the movement vocabulary of Egyptian mahraganat with contemporary dance. The popular music genre mahraganat originated in the working-class neighborhoods of Cairo and became known internationally as the »sound of the revolution« during the Arab Spring protests. Islam Elarabi’s energetic performance transforms personal experiences into a poetic act of resistance that brings to life a young generations’ frustration, euphoria, and yearning for freedom.

What does it mean to grow up as a woman in a region where female bodies have become a site of war? »Kizazi« means »womb« in Kiswahili. Stéphanie Mwamba’s solo of the same name addresses historical violence and injustices inflicted upon women. Kizazi is a place of pain, memory, and struggle, where dance becomes a celebration of free, strong women and social justice.