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11. – 13.
DEC
2025
TRAJAL HARRELL / ZÜRICH DANCE ENSEMBLE
the collection
© Luz Soria
After pieces for the big stage, Trajal Harrell returns to more experimental forms. Inspired by Japanese avant-garde artist Tatsumi Hijikata and his search for the genuine dance experience, Harrell and his exceptional performers let us experience their artistic pursuits at close quarters in the collection.
Trajal Harrell draws upon the intense years of his research in Japan and his dialogue with the experimental dance of Japanese artist Tatsumi Hijikata. In his quest for a true dance experience, Tatsumi Hijikata founded in 1960s Tokyo a place for living and working, the Asubesuto-kan (engl. Asbestos Hall). There, the paths of many artists crossed: they created new works, slept, and debated diverse topics, giving rise to what remains one of the most significant moments in contemporary dance in Japan. After touring major theatres, Trajal Harrell, together with fellow artists, revives the intense and experimental spirit of this studio through unique, free-form, multidisciplinary performance evenings. the collection was born over the last couple of months from an open-ended process, under the attentive gaze of the audience. It offers a series of snapshots of a creative journey open to chance, risk, and encounter, blurring the line between research and result.
At Tanzquartier Wien, the audience is invited to discover a daily changing selection of five short pieces in different constellations.
the collection consists of the following five short pieces:
- Arena: loosely based on the only two characters, the dealer and the client, in the play In the Solitude of the Cottonfields by Bernard-Marie Koltès.
- A Ghost Ballet: the notion of the black and white leotard ballet takes a spin.
- Five Friends in Five Acts: a duet for three performers – Trajal Harrell, Songhay Toldon, and Perle Palombe – inspired by the exhibition Five Friends at Museum Ludwig of work by Robert Rauschenberg, Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Merce Cunningham, and John Cage.
- Education in Tambourines or The Celebration of the Girl Child: a Puritan re-evaluation of passion and the role of women as a contemporary mirror of our own time.
- The Powder Rooms: a series of different soloists each perform a voyeuristic trip through a diptych of light and dark.
Time
-
Location
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Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
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Artist Bio
Trajal Harrell
gained international recognition for his early work, which addressed the historical links between early postmodern dance and voguing dance tradition. His audience and critical recognition grew further with his second period, which theoretically addressed the bifocal lens between Butoh dance and early modern dance. The artist puts the body at the center of his research, exploring the ways in which it becomes a receptacle of memory, speculation, past, and presence. Intertwining notions of time, the historical imagination, and transcultural references, his oeuvre reveals the multitude of layers that make up the richness of contemporary dance. Harrell is considered one of the most important choreographers working in contemporary dance today. In 2024, he was awarded the Silver Lion of the Venice Biennale of Dance. He is the founder and artistic director of Zurich Dance Ensemble.
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Credits
Choreography, costumes, sound Trajal Harrell With Vânia Doutel Vaz, Maria Ferreira Silva, Challenge Gumbodete, Trajal Harrell, New Kyd, Perle Palombe, Stephen Thompson, Songhay Toldon, Ondrej Vidlar Dramaturgy Sara Jansen Scenography Nadja Sofie Eller, Trajal Harrell Lighting Stéfane Perraud, Trajal Harrell Technical management, sound Santiago Latorre Wardrobe manager Sally Heard Production assistance Cynthia Naef Production, international relations, management Björn Pätz
Production Zürich Dance Ensemble Co-production Kunstenfestivaldesarts (Brussels), Holland Festival (Amsterdam), Festival d’Automne (Paris), Tanzquartier Wien (Vienna), La Biennale di Venezia (Venice), Museum Ludwig (Cologne) and The Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) With the support of Pro Helvetia – Swiss Arts Council -
Supporting Program
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DEC
1118:00 – 18:30
Introduction
In English
Time
18:00 – 18:30
Location
TQW Halle G Foyer
Duration
30 Min
Price
Free admission
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Events
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DEC
11
18:30 – 21:00
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
18:30 – 21:00
Location
TQW Halle G
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #1 :
1. Arena
2. Five Friends in Five Acts
3. A Ghost Ballet
4. Education in Tambourines or The Celebration of the Girl Child -
DEC
11
20:30 – 23:00
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
20:30 – 23:00
Location
TQW Halle G
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #2:
1. Education in Tambourines or The Celebration of the Girl Child
2. Arena
3. Five Friends in Five Acts
4. A Ghost Ballet -
DEC
12
18:30 – 21:00
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
18:30 – 21:00
Location
TQW Halle G
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #3:
1. Arena
2. Five Friends in Five Acts
3. A Ghost Ballet
4. Education in Tambourines or The Celebration of the Girl Child -
DEC
12
20:30 – 23:00
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
20:30 – 23:00
Location
TQW Halle G
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #4:
1. Education in Tambourines or The Celebration of the Girl Child
2. Arena
3. Five Friends in Five Acts
4. A Ghost Ballet -
DEC
13
18:30 – 21:00
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
18:30 – 21:00
Location
TQW Halle G, TQW Studios
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #5:
1. Arena
2. Five Friends in Five Acts
3. A Ghost Ballet
4. The Powder Rooms -
DEC
13
19:00 – 21:30
Trajal Harrell / Zürich Dance Ensemble
the collection
Time
19:00 – 21:30
Location
TQW Studios, TQW Halle G
Duration
150 Min
Price
€ 28/23/14
Additional Information
the collection variation #6:
1. The Powder Rooms
2. Arena
3. Five Friends in Five Acts
4. A Ghost Ballet
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© Luz Soria
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© Luz Soria
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© Luz Soria
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© Luz Soria
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© Luz Soria
