Dancing plates, a hiccup that moves down to the feet, chewing bodies, talkative dishes, a singing spoon, a delicate egg dance; our tummies are melting with delight. After the huge success of the play “Headwalker”, Barbara Fuchs and her team study now the theme “the meal and its rituals”. The actors invite us around the table: everything that is presented on the table will be swallowed, savoured, consumed, chewed on, listened to and digested by the actors and their audience. During this eating concert, live-produced sounds will be flown from some microphones and will be mixed with pre-recorded sounds. An experimental and respectful way of treating food and drinks allows a sensory experience of a particular genre. At the end of the play, the children are invited to discover the stage and will be tested on their ability to recognize different tastes. The premiere of “MUNCH!” took place on 16. September 2012 at tanzhaus nrw in Düsseldorf.

DATES

23 January 2022 I 4 pm
24 January & 25 January 2022 I 10 am

Guest performance at the Baden-Baden Theatre

TEAM

Artistic direction/ Choreography/ Concept: Barbara Fuchs

Dance/ Choreography: Emily Welther, Odile Foehl

Sound / Music: Jörg Ritzenhoff

Costumes: Sabine Kreiter

Photo: MEYER ORIGINALS

Co-produced by tanzhaus nrw, Düsseldorf, BARNES CROSSING – Freiraum für TanzPerformanceKunst

Supported by: Kulturamt der Stadt Köln, NRW Landesbüro freie Kultur, Landschaftsverband Rheinland

Press quotes:

Melanie Suchy, Rheinische Post (Düsseldorf), 18. 09. 2012 

Munch dance for the very youngest

[…] It consists of a huge tablecloth, plates and cutlery on the floor in the middle of two audience rows. At the end of the fake table, the choreographer peels carrots, bakes waffles and controls the volume of Jörg Ritzenhoff’s lively music. Once she smacks into her microphone and gives the dancers a beat and a way of moving: fast and rakishly twitching their bones or banana-like curving. Munch dance.

It is beautiful when things themselves make sound, almost music: the dancers drop spoons, gather them together, spread them out on the floor again. A varied, semi-ordered sound of sounds is created. Dance? The two of them move nimbly in a squatting position, get caught and roll around, push plates and eggs away with their toes without breaking, and swing and slide elegantly on their knees on the finally flour-stained playing surface.

The children look on eagerly, wondering too. That is good. […]

Dorothea Marcus, akT, the theatre newspaper – October 2012

Sweet egg dance

Barbara Fuchs premiered “Munch!” a dance and sound performance for children aged 0-4 years – and captivates with a beautiful basic idea, which could become even more exuberant in terms of dance and music.

[…] The half-hour performance has an extremely sensual and charming basic idea. It picks up toddlers directly in their living environment, takes up their perceptions and movements, their facial expressions and gestures, alienated through dance, so that they recognize themselves in them. Nevertheless, many scenes are too long (such as the clinking spoon scene), too contemplative, and the attention of the little ones quickly fades. More could easily happen on stage – the potential for this lies in both the choreography and the two dancers. […]

Barking and singing, fur-covered stones and furry flowers, here a breeze blows, a smell comes from there – in Karla’s, Ändi’s and Arthur’s world there is much to see, hear and feel – each of the three does this in his/her own way: Karla sees with her knee, Ändi preferably with her nose. Arthur prefers to look good. Besides, Karla is older than Ändi and Arthur, Ändi has four legs instead of two, and Arthur is the only one with dark hair. On the other hand, Ändi can drum with his tail, Karla knows how to dress, and Arthur knows how to move. In this world dogs and humans are equal: no matter wether they are quadrupeds or bipeds, old or young, fury or not – cuddling, kissing, chatting, rubbing, dancing or looking at the stars is most beautiful in a when done with the three of them.

Choreographer Barbara Fuchs, composer Jörg Ritzenhoff and the dancer Arthur Schopa have let Karla Faßbender and her guide dog Ändi show them a new world. It is not the world as we know it through which Ändi leads Karla, but a realm in which all of the senses are equal. Follow, Karla, Ändi and Arthur into this unique world.

Dates

PREMIERE: October 1st, 2021 I ehrenfeldstudios, Cologne

January 29 & 30 2022 I 4pm
January 31 & February 1 2022 I 10am
at the ehrenfeldstudios, Cologne

For people with visual impairments, we offer a touch tour on stage half an hour before the performance. Please register for this with us in advance.

Team

Idea, artistic direction: Barbara Fuchs
Music and lyrics: Jörg Ritzenhoff
Performance: Karla Faßbender, Ändi, Arthur Schopa
Choreography Arthur Schopa & Barbara Fuchs
Narrator Gisela Nohl
Stage Odile Foehl
Costume design: Stefanie Bold
Lighting: Wolfgang Pütz
Mediation and dramaturgy Vivica Bocks
Production management: Carina Graf
Press relations: Kerstin Rosemann
Photos: Sabine Grosse-Wortmann

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, by the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Beauftragten
of the Federal Government for Culture and Media and the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne and RheinEnergie Stiftung Kultur.
Co-produced by tanzhaus nrw and Feldtheater Berlin.