IN PROCESS: THIS IS (NOT) THE END
A dance duet influenced by Kurdish feminism, liberation movements, and post- and decolonial theory.
15.00-17.00
Thoravej 29
Participation is FREE, but please reserve a ticket, as there are limited spots. You can reserve your ticket here.
The artistic research
Tekin's choreographic practice is informed by Kurdish feminism, liberation movements, and post-/decolonial theory. In previous works, she has explored the entanglements of body, land, language, and power.
With THIS IS NOT THE END, she continues this line of inquiry through a DUET that will premiere in November 2026 at the Sophiensæle Berlin. At the core of the research is an investigation of the power structures and systems of knowledge that determine which bodies and movements are recognized and valued.
Drawing on Gayatri Spivak’s concept of EPISTEMIC VIOLENCE, the project examines how dance can operate beyond folkloric appropriation and neoliberal identity politics. The duet brings together SOCIAL DANCES from LEVANTINE TRADITIONS with Western codified forms such as the Waltz. Through this entanglement, frictions and dialogues emerge between collective and formalized movement practices. These encounters reveal how dance functions as a form of CULTURAL MEMORYwhile remaining shaped by power relations, destabilizing hierarchies between “high art” and folkloric practice.
The artists
Elvan Tekin
Elvan Tekin (Izmir, 1994) is a choreographer, dancer, and community organiser based in Berlin. Her choreography is a testament to the enduring spirit of resistance and the quest for liberation. How can the transformative potential of movement be a catalyst for (social) change? In this sense, her practice seeks to mend the fractures caused by rupture and violence, infiltrating and penetrating deeply, like creeks. In 2023, her solo performance to be a fish in a raki bottle was presented at Tanztage Festival in Sophiensaele, Berlin. She holds a master’s degree in Choreography from HZT, Berlin. Elvan is organising and curating the developing curatorial project emergent spaces, which centres queer and trans* feminist perspectives in the diaspora. As a dancer, Elvan has collaborated among others with Alex Baczynski-Jenkins and Ligia Lewis touring internationally.
Samuel Francis Pereira
Samuel Francis Pereira, born on August 29, 1992, in Melbourne, Australia, trained at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (2005–2010) and the Australian Ballet School (2011–2014). He began his professional career with the Slovak National Ballet as a a member of the corps de ballet (2014–2015) before moving to the Tyrolean State Theater as a soloist (2015–2018).
Since 2018, he has been part of the Ballet de l'Opéra de Lyon and has also worked freelance with artists such as Alex Baczynski-Jenkins, Enad Marouf, Tiran Willemse and Ligia Lewis.
The format
IN PROCESS creates space for physical brainstorms and supports the exploration and development of new ideas and collaborations within the performing arts.
This residency is co-curated by Sara Jordan and HAUTs artistic leader Lili Blum.