For Ludwig [Re:birth]

“I’ll never forget blowing out the candles, and how we went running around again immediately, with mouths full of cake, and our heads exploding with never-ending ingenious ideas on what to do, where to go, who we are, why we count, when to start… something I now as a grown-up, have problems answering to. No one cared about the gifts, decorations or any other birthday trash. Nothing could replace that blissful feeling of simply being.” 

Intertwining movement, performance art, poetic scenery and sound landscape, FOR LUDWIG [RE:BIRTH] calls for our reflection on how we celebrate and memorize life’s small and big events. It centres on the individual and highlights his inner feelings rather than the gathering itself. The performance could just as well be thought of bringing an anthology of expectations, astonishments, feelings of belonging but also solitude, disenchantment or estrangement, that are ever present at such events. It wholeheartedly embraces minimalism, projecting a counterpoint to the materialistic direction the festivities nowadays tend to, seeking out the immanent essence of gatherings. 

Behind the scenes

In 2019, when the research started, our primary intention was to set up a movement homage to Ludwig van Beethoven, one that would encompass also his loss of hearing. With this in mind, we worked closely with the deaf and hard of hearing community, to attain a better understanding of possibilities for their inclusion in performing arts and music. During several residencies in Denmark, Slovenia and Switzerland, we held workshops with local deaf and hard of hearing individuals, who have contributed with input, knowledge and experience to the expression of the performance. Through body, movement, assistive technology and visual abundance, the performance is now inclusive and accessible to deaf/hard of hearing and hearing audiences alike.

Jernej Bizjak (SI/DK) is a dancer and choreographer based in Copenhagen. He graduated at CODARTS Rotterdam, joined IT Dansa in Barcelona in 2010 and in 2012 became a member of Danish Dance Theatre. He has freelanced since 2015 with a.o. Korzo Theatre, Fors Works, Dansehallerne, LW Dance, Andersson Dance, Helsingborg City Theatre, Royal Swedish Opera, Skånes Dansteater, and choreographers such as Fabio Liberti and Emrecan Tanis. Jernej is part of artistic collective Institute 0.1 and co-founder of cultural association DUK47 in Slovenia.