IT’S THE END OF THE AMUSEMENT PHASE
Three women dance as if they have been transported into the midst of a never-ending marathon. Their bodies carry memories, history and exhaustion – and refuse to let them go. In IT’S THE END OF THE AMUSEMENT PHASE, choreographer Chara Kotsali explores what remains of the idea of progress, now that technological promises and social revolutions sound increasingly hollow.
Dance styles, iconic movements and references to pop culture and dance history – from Bob Fosse to Beyoncé – are mixed together into a edgy, overwhelming collage. On stage, celebration and exhaustion, optimism and cynicism collide.
Electric guitars, percussion and sharp beats drive the tempo. The performers march, celebrate, paint their bodies, destroy symbols of festivity: cheerleaders of an era that feels both absurd and ominous.
Kotsali’s gaze is focused, sharp and, at times, humorous. She shows how a society can celebrate whilst exhausting itself, and how history keeps repeating itself as long as no one dares to stop the music. The question the performance leaves in its wake is simple and urgent: how do we move forward?
Chara Kotsali
Chara Kotsali is a choreographer, performer and teacher based in Athens. She studied at the Rallou Manou Professional Dance School and also holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Studies and a master’s degree in Social and Cultural Anthropology. In her work, she combines methodologies from anthropology, documentary art and music, with a particular interest in the politics of sound and movement.
Credits
Concept, Choreography, Text & Video Chara Kotsali
Performance & Material Co-creation Sofia Pouchtou, Christina Skoutela, Chara Kotsali
Assistant Choreographer VassiaZorbali
2nd Assistant Choreographer Clara Aguilar
Sound Design & Music Anna Maria Rammou, Chara Kotsali
Set & Costume Design Periklis Pravitas
Lighting Design Eliza Alexandropoulou
Dramaturgy Consultant Dimitra Mitropoulou
External Eye Konstantina Georgelou
Line Production TooFarEast & Chara Kotsali
Photography Pinelopi Gerasimou
The presentation of this performance is a collaboration between Julidans and Dansateliers Rotterdam. Artists presented in the framework of Aerowaves, co-funded by the European Union
