About
In BÉTON BRUT the Austrian dance company Hungry Sharks combines the aesthetics and principles of brutalist architecture with the social aspects and history of breaking. Hungry Sharks bring to light a rich web of contextual similarities between architecture and hip-hop culture, ranging from the social to the material concrete is built with or danced on. In this work the intersection of both worlds becomes the driving force of dance and choreography of a „brutalist body theatre.“
The revolutionary current of Brutalism enriched the architecture of the 1950s with new values, principles and buildings that are still visibly present in cityscapes around the globe. On the dance form breaking – one of the four pillars of hip-hop culture, the Hungry Sharks uncover a wide range of similarities in the history of its creation. The social thought, which addresses the poorer society with an expressive aesthetic and numerous other similarities serve as the basis for the development of the piece. The common aspects arrange themselves in a leitmotif- like manner around the authoritative element of raw concrete, which is both an important means of expression of brutalist architecture and a physical basis for the development of breaking. The piece was premiered in 2022.
Hungry Sharks Company
Choreographer Valentin Alfery and producer Dušana Baltić founded the dance company Hungry Sharks in 2011. In order to establish the movement language of urban dance styles in theatre as well, the company regularly produces feature-length, urban dance pieces for international performance. They perform their productions in Austria, Germany, USA, Spain, Turkey, Italy, UK, Croatia, Romania, Sweden and Sri Lanka.
Workshop Sun 11 June at 12.00
Choreographic Tools: Repetitive Movement Patterns
Teacher: Valentin Alfery, Hungry Sharks Company
Duration: 60 min.
Venue: Stoa, (Turunlinnantie 1, Helsinki)
For whom: advanced dancers
In the workshop, Valentin Alfery teaches the choreographic tool of repetitive movement patterns (“walks”). Challenging the fragile concept of repetition within the street and club style community, he developed and distilled a method to create and charge up movement along any desired topic.
All participants are taken through the different steps of this artistic process and end up with a choreography that is informed by all bodies present.
The workshop is aimed at advanced dancers and welcomes all dance styles, all bodies, all genders.
Credits
Idea, artistic direction, choreography, text: Valentin Alfery
Dance, movement research: Elena Bartosch, Timo Bouter, Alexander Tesch, Maëva Abdelhafid
Live sound, composition: Manuel Riegler
Dramaturgy, choreographic assistance: Marco Payer
Production, artistic advice, voice: Dušana Baltić
Light design: Valentin Alfery
Costume design, production: Kreineckers / Anna & Magdalena Kreinecker
Production assistants: Maira Darja Horvath, Laura Graciela Saiz, Max Rosenberger
Residency support: SZENE Salzburg and Festspielhaus St. Pölten
Co-production: Kulturverein Hungry Sharks, brut Wien and SZENE Salzburg.
Supported by: Kulturabteilung Stadt Wien, Sektion Kunst und Kultur des Bundesministeriums für Kunst, Kultur, öffentlichen Dienst und Sport, Stadt Salzburg, Land Salzburg, Land Kärnten.
Tour supported by: Dance on Tour Austria