"This is, first of all, very informative, and secondly, hilarious." - KulturStattBern

"A speaker, a dancer, an entertainer…" - Berner Zeitung

 

"I feel a great respect and admirations for all these flagship artists but I do not want to mystify them. They are normal people like us. Yes, we can mime them, we can even mock them. We need to undo their sacredness for those of us who are still alive. I am for a respectful desecration." – Neopost Foofwa, an interview in Edelweiss, May 2012

 

Experience the history of 20th century Western dance in this condensed and humorous one-man performance lecture by Swiss dance artist Foofwa d’Imobilité. Within two hours, this self-described “respectful desecration” will cycle through the iconic styles of legends ranging from Rudolf Laban, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch and more.

 

Armed with just a suitcase of costumes, Foofwa will introduce and perform the key techniques and philosophies of these famous choreographers. Besides providing an engaging crash course in modern and contemporary dance, he will also share backstage stories of choreographers in rehearsals, as well as anecdotes of their idiosyncrasies and successes.

As evidenced from the word play in his name, humour is a big part of Foofwa’s work. (His name plays on the French words “fou” –meaning crazy— and “immobilité” – meaning immobility”). But he also happens to be one of the most technically accomplished dancers in Switzerland, having danced in Stuttgart Ballet and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. With a superb command of different dance languages from ballet to contemporary forms, Foofwa provides a light hearted but expert look at the various currents and practices that will delight anyone interested in dance and its heritage.

 

About Foofwa d’Imobilité
Born Frédéric Gafner in 1969, Foofwa d’Imobilité trained at the Ecole de Danse de Genève. From 1987 to 1990, he danced with the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany, and then with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in New York from 1991 to 1998, where Cunningham called him a "risk-taker". His work crosses international, artistic, and pedagogic borders.

Since 1998 he’s embarked on a solo career, and along the way has won several awards, including a 1998 New York Bessie and a 2006 Swiss Prize for Dance and Choreography. Foofwa has performed as a dancer around the world, notably at the Paris Opera, the Fenice Theater in Venice, Italy, and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

 

 

Performance: Foofwa d'Imobilite
Lighting designer: Jonathan O'Hear
Producer: Neopost Foofwa