// Excerpted Reviews (until 16th August) on the Guest Performance of COCOONDANCE, showing "Lovers and Other Strangers"
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Aurora Nova (5th-28th August)
"My curiosity was struck immensely upon hearing the title of this show, and even more so as the show was about to begin. There are to people, lots of chalk, one giant sheet of brown paper and some incredibly unnerving music. I had no idea that these materials were conducive for expressing mental turmoil, but I was to be surprised. This is the tale of a chaotic relationship in which the couple relish and detest one another simultaneously. It's frantic and emotional and they use beautifully choreographed dance to adore, torment and abuse one another - she gets wrapped in paper and drown on. It is a unique and intense show, but it acts well to convey human vulnerability and the fragility of relationships" (ThreeWeeks, Aug - 2006)
"Humankind's lifelong quest to find the perfect mate features in two of Aurora Nova's impressive dance shows. Same theme, depressingly conclusive results. Both productions use language music and dance to map out the route on this well-travelled road, with enough humour to keep you from slitting your romantic wrists.
Husband and wife founders, Rafaële Giovanola and Rainald Endraß, choreograph and direct COCOONDANE's Lovers and other Strangers from Germany. Edgy, earthy and raw, the production literally strips a relationship down to its bare bones, seeking a balance between love an hate. The movement and merging of dancers Viviana Escale and Volkhard Samuel Guist and a colossal carpet of crumpled paper, reflect a more global quest to understand the cultural collisions that trouble the globe." (The List, Aug - 2006)
// Excerpted Reviews on the Guest Performance of COCOONDANCE, showing "Lovers and Other Strangers"
Avignon OFF 2006 - Théâtre Golovine (6th-29th July)
"They hide, seek, tie themselves up, flee each other, in a sensuality and directness of gestures that is disturbing. (...) COCOONDANCE forgoes the use of any hyperbole and artificiality in doing so. The production uses, above all, the play of gazes, the power of gestures, while leaving ample space for the own imagination where everybody recognises themselves. (...) Impressive artistic development of COCOONDANCE, standing its ground at several festivals. Don't miss it!" (Odette Pires, e-gazette du spectacle - www.egazetteduspectacle.com)
"'Lovers and Other Strangers' is the outstanding scenes of two lovers. (...) And-if you've been lucky enough to ever be in love-you will recognise the moments where misunderstanding take the place of desire, where pride destroys endearment. Yet the main focus of this superbly interpreted Pas de deux is the playing with images that show the emotions that are impossible to communicate any longer." (Philippe Verrièle - Scène sur scène, www.hivernales-avignon.com)
// ABOUT COCOONDANCE
COCOONDANCE was founded by Rafaële Giovanola and Rainald Endraß in 2000 on the occasion of the Festival Off in Avignon. It emerged from the former Ensemble of the Choreography Theatre of the City of Bonn. COCOONDANCE wanted to enable experienced artists with background from various state theatre companies, i.e., (Ballett Frankfurt William Forsythe, Pina Bausch), to try out their creativity and personality in projects in an independent environment. From a split between state theatre and the independent scene COCOONDANCE has grown considerably in stature in North Rhein Westphalia, and has found a poetic dance theatre aesthetic entirely of its own. Social themes are carefully staged as narrative mind games and abstract narratives where sensitive music, close body contact combine to create rich choreographic images. Productions, which were developed from a conflict between theatre and abstraction, have stirred much national attention. COCOONDANCE has been invited to perform nationally and internationally and have won numerous awards.Artistic development is based on improvisation and ensemble work. Although projects are low- budget, artistic freedom is essential, placing special emphasis on form and content in a broader context. Experimental possibilities are not confined to constraints of commercial success, rather, content and artistic quality are established by democratic structures and team work.
The company maintains professional working conditions and has organized a "network" of co-producers and partners, as well as of sponsors and promoters, (e.g., in Switzerland), as well as a collaboration with the dance agency, The Lab, in Berlin.
COCOONDANCE has toured in places such as, Chengdu, (China), Berlin, at the "Schrittmacher" festival in Aachen, at the "Tanzstrasse 2002" in Cologne, Düsseldorf, Krefeld and Bonn, at the Tanztheater festival in Schwerte in 2003 and 2005, at the "Theaterzwang", (Theater Force), of the two-year old "Best Of" gathering of the independent scene of North Rhine Westphalia, as well as with the 2002 REFLEX promotion prize of the Patrizia-Van-Roessel Foundation in Groningen (NL).
Since the 2004/05 season COCOONDANCE is responsible for the dance program in the > theaterimballsaal, which is financially supported by the city of > Bonn. And, together with the experimental theatre group, > fringe ensemble they are responsible for organization, program planning and financing.
COCOONDANCE is continually seeking dialogue and artistic exchange between other Tanztheater groups both home and abroad. Thus, e.g., they co-organized and were in charge of the first Ballsaal Festival "Spiele ohne Grenzen", ("Play without Borders") in the summer of 2005.
//Press reviews of COCOONDANCE
"Just go to Bonn, at least those in Rhineland who want to see some dance." (ballet-tanz, 2/2004)... a highlight of the independent Bonn dance scene ...". (General-Anzeiger, Bonn)
"The works of Ballsaal´s resident group of Rafaële Giovanola and Rainald Endraß remain unbeatable, an absolute must for any local dance fan here, and, by no means, should it be missed."(SCHNÜSS, Bonner Stadtmagazin)
"In the past years the independent Bonn group has made a name for itself by creating narrative scenes of great intensity. Through set design, sensitive music and bodies coming in close contact with one another they have connected rich choreographic images." (STADTREVUE, Kölnmagazin)