Strike

About this event

On a mirrored podium in the middle of the audience, two dancers confront each other in a physically charged encounter. Their movements oscillate between the sharpness of martial arts and the fluid grace of synchronised swimming – a test of strength that shifts familiar codes of masculinity. Fragmented beats and verses from Azzlack rap fill the room, pushing well‑known patterns into unfamiliar territory. Frankfurt‑based choreographer Simon Möllendorf and his company Dorfproduct use ‘Strike’ to negotiate racialised images of masculinity: the violence projected onto these bodies, and the violence done to them through looks, framing and exploitation. By turns sensual and unsettling, the performance makes themes of resistance and refusal tangible, asking what a strike of these bodies could mean. The audience sits around the action, close to the interplay of strength and vulnerability. Music and lyrics come from Niko Ursin and Dragongirl, dancers Santiago Mariño and Omar Torrico carry the piece. The production is part of Tanzfestival Rhein‑Main.