A solo figure standing at the edge of the proscenium stage, silently morphs from one pose to the next. Iconic and mundane images emerge in a dramaturgy that exposes a nuanced embodiment of what it means to sustain a place, a pose, a representation. Maria Hassabi merges the strength and vulnerability of being on stage – being uncovered. She frames her signature style of stillness, slowness and aesthetic precision, and invites her audience to awaken their own references to a parade of images as they unfold. What happens when the process of an image is revealed? In a contemporary culture fiercely flooded by images, does it lose its appeal when compared to our expectations? On Stage is undoubtedly one of her most radical and personal works, offering a feminist reflection and a piercing insight to her artistic trajectory.

“When Hassabi holds her hands before her body, time appears to flow through her hands. (…) Always on the edge, right before eruption. She proves that even in a time where innovative ideas are scarce, it’s possible to pioneer new horizons in the field of dance.” Helmut Ploebst, Der Standard

Performance: Maria Hassabi
Sound design: Stavros Gasparatos, Maria Hassabi
Light design: Aliki Danezi Knutsen
Costume: Victoria Bartlett, Maria Hassabi
Assistance: Elena Antoniou, Maribeth Nartatez
Dramaturgy and production: Ash Bulayev
Management: Rui Silveira, Something Great

SHOWS:

Tanzquartier Wien / MuseumsQuartier- Halle G, Vienna, Austria (November 24-25 2023)
Kunstenfestivaldesarts – Théâtre des Martyrs, Brussels, Belgium (May 16-17 2024)
Primavera dei Teatri, Castrovillari, Italy (May 25 2024)
Julidans – Amsterdam International Dance Festival, Amsterdam, The Netherlands (July 10-11, 2024)
Choreo Poetics – Choreographies of Power, Radialsystem, Berlin, Germany (April 26 and 27 2025)
Teatro do Bairro Alto, Lisbon, Portugal ( First half of  2025 – Dates TBA)
Fundação Serralves, Porto, Portugal ( First half of  2025 – Dates TBA)
Taipei Arts Festival / TPAC Taipei Performing Arts Center, Taipei, Taiwan (Summer 2025 – dates TBA)
Festival d’Automne à Paris 2025 – Théâtre National de Chaillot, Paris, France (October 16-18 2025)

On Stage is a production Maria Hassabi in collaboration with Something Great (Berlin, Germany) co-produced by  Tanzquartier Wien (Vienna, Austria), Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels, Belgium), Julidans – Amsterdam International Dance Festival (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), Festival d’Automne à Paris (Paris, France), Taipei Arts Festival/TPAC – Taipei Performing Arts Centre (Taipei, Taiwan).

Distribution: Something Great