«Layaz»

A doll-like silhouette, a strongly veiled modern Olympia: what lives in the core of this strange figure, under the cocoon of layers that simultaneously protect and hold it captive? Me, who is that? Who could, should, do I want to be? Do what?

Longing takes up space. Movement and life unfold. A young woman discovers her alter ego and the potential in her body. Unveiled all her energy unloads, her body pulsates in the rhythm of booming basses, first faltering, then increasingly secure, almost oblivious of herself, and with incredible physical presence. The dancing female body gains magical depth from the strongly coded style of Urban Dance, unfolding undreamed power, dynamics and elegance.

Is that finally freedom - is that me?

The editta braun company is exploring unknown terrain for its 30th anniversary. In Cat Jimenez, experienced in urban dance and the discipline of battle, an originally deeply masculine aesthetic is combined with feminist contemporary dance.

Layaz combines the artistic exploration and development of this terrain with the question of identity, freedom and the "other" inherent in each of us - incredibly alienating and strangely familiar.


The critics appreciated the theme of the search for true identity, "which does not only concern the dancer, Cat Jimenez, personally, but many people, whether they have left their country of birth, their cultural space, voluntarily or forced, out of need or adventurousness. (…) But also the aesthetic risk of entering new territory "between free, contemporary dance and the rules of urban dance - battle or ballet" is appreciated: "Exciting, as in the performance developed jointly by dancer Cat Jimenez and choreographer Editta Braun, the languages of movement replace each other. It is exciting to see how the stylised image of the conventionally suppressed becomes an image of the self-confident modern woman. Asmall - only fifty-minute - but fine work that Editta Braun gave herself and the audience in her thirties of her company in the Salzburg scene.  (Heidemarie Klabacher, DrehPunktKultur)


Cat Jimenez

Vienna-based artist Cat Jimenez was born in 1986 in Cebu City, Philippines, and moved to Austria with her family at the age of four. With her background in fine art and street dance, she combines in her work the expressive fullness of hip-hop culture and the minimalist aesthetics of contemporary art. Since 2015 Cat Jimenez is mainly active in theater. She worked u. a. with Hungry Sharks, Cie. Gervasi, Studio Nita, Jungle Vienna and performed at festivals like Sound: Frame, Danube Festival, Danza Bolzano. https://whadupcat.tumblr.com


dance, performance, choreography: Cat Jimenez

alter ego: Editta Braun (Pascale Staudenbauer)

movement research: Cat Jimenz, Martyna Lorenc, Nella Turkki

idea, artistic direction: Editta Braun

composition: Thierry Zaboitzeff

dramaturgy: Gerda Poschmann-Reichenau

light design: Thomas Hinterberger

tailors: Janett Sumbera, Hilde Böhm

length: ca. 50 minutes

co-production: L'Estruch Sabadell, Fábrica de creación (Spain)

technical rider - download here