«Paula»

Paula is loneliness, constriction, an unhoused existence - and the attempt to remember, to bethink one’s origins, the essentials. Being on one’s own, a human among metallic items, life among lifeless materials. At times, the limitations hurt, at times there is a kind of self-sufficient pleasure, then fury bursts out and suddenly the borders seem to disappear by force of evocation. Fantasy blasts everything that confines the quest for what really counts.

During her last production Iris Heitzinger sang „Hoamatlandl” (“home country”), thus hitting a nerve in Editta Braun, coming from Upper Austria like her. She had been wanting to work with this charismatic young dancer and choreographer for a long time whose moving qualities she appreciates as well as her choreographies. The overdue collaboration is actually delighting both of them through a deep complicity that feeds on their common origins, on rural-provincial socialization and joint memories. Working in dialect opens supplementary dimensions of mutual understanding.

Two novels serve as a source of inspiration: In „Die Wand“ Marlene Haushofer, Upper Austrian-born like them, writes about a woman who is suddenly thrown back on herself in the solitude of the mountains, among animals, cut off the rest of the world – or whatever is left of it. In Sten Nadolny’s „Ein Gott der Frechheit“ Editta Braun was fascinated by the role of metal as an embodiment of modern life, symbol forthe appropriation of nature by mankind. Starting from here, in a space invented by Arturas Valudskis and with the support of Thierry Zaboitzeff’s compositions, Editta Braun and Iris Heitzinger create together a small world, in which there is astonishingly much space for humanity.

editta braun company & Iris Heitzinger: Paula

Solo, 50 min.

Premiere: 11.+12. Oct 14, tanz_house festival 14, ARGEkultur

dance, creation, performance: Iris Heitzinger  

composition: Thierry Zaboitzeff, lightdesign: Thomas Hinterberger, stage-set: Arturas Valudskis, dramaturgy: Gerda Poschmann-Reichenau, artistic direction: Editta Braun

photos: Bettina Frenzel, Leo Fellinger

www.irisheitzinger.com


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Iris Heitzinger

studies contemporary dance and pedagogy at Anton Bruckner Private University in Linz/Austria. In 2001 she becomes a member of the postgraduate company x.IDA/Linz to which she later returns as choreographic assistance. In the season of 2002/2003 she is given a scholarship by the Austrian Ministry of Culture, which allows her to continue her studies in England, Holland Belgium and Finland. In 2005 she graduates with the Bachelor of Arts. Since then she has been collaborating as a freelance dancer with artists such as Vincent Dance Theatre (UK), H2Dance (SE, NO), Jeremy Wade (USA), Ted Stoffer (BE, USA), Cie. Willi Dorner (AT), Cie. Laroque (AT), editta braun company (AT), Guillermo Weickert (ES), Cia. Lanònima Imperial (ES), Natalia Jiménez (ES), Group LaBolsa (ES) & Thomas Hauert (CH/BE), etc.

Besides her work as a performer Iris has been teaching contemporary dance, improvisation and composition workshops and regular classes for professionals in Austria, Poland, Canada, the UK, Spain and Japan.

Since 2007 Iris has been making her own choreographic work with an interest in interdisciplinary and intercultural collaborations that investigate the bodies capacities from different angles. So far she has made: Hotel Eden/cafe mut. (2006), Lo Que Es (2008), Blackbox (2010), Breve ensayo sobre la nada (2011), L_ENTES (2012), Contenedor (2012), Trinity (2013), Caída libre (2013), performance intervention Wunschkind (2013) commissioned by CaixaForum/ Barcelona, Paula (2014) with editta braun company, The measure of disorder (2015) with Group LaBolsa & Thomas Hauert.

In 2009 the guinea pig collective is born, which forms the base for creative processes and exchange of inspiration of 3 artists coming from the fields of new media art, experimental music and performance art, Iris being one of the founder members. Their first collaboration „Blackbox“ receives financial and infrastructural support in both Austria and Spain, premiering in March 2010.

In 2012 Iris starts to collaborate with the fellow dancer and choreographer Natalia Jiménez. Together they create L_ENTES a site specific dance piece for natural spaces which is co-produced by the Festival NEO / Mercat de les flors and premiered in may 2012.

For the festival IDN 2013 she makes the interactive dance piece Trinity in co-creation with the audiovisual artist Oscar Sol supported by Nu2s, el Graner and Mercat de les flors.

In April 2013 Iris develops a commission for the Museum CaixaForum in Barcelona. She makes the performance intervention Wunschkind within the exposition “Que desear” (what to wish for). Also in the same year Iris carries out research with the circus artist Joan Catalá which results in the work in progress Caída libre which is presented at the theatre Can Felipa/Barcelona, the Festival tanz_house/Salzburg and the Theatre Espacio Inestable/Valencia.

After a significant break, brought about by a serious injury in 2013, Iris has happily returned to work in a long pending collaboration with editta braun company (AT) co-creating the solo piece PAULA, which premiered within the tanz_house festival Salzburg in october 2014 and is currently touring internationally.

In July of this year Iris finished working on the creation of the project The measure of disorder, under the artistic coordination of Thomas Hauert (CH/BE) in co-creation with Group LaBolsa (Cecilia Colacrai, Anna Rubirola, Mireia de Querol, Natalia Jimenez, Federica Porello, Xavi Moreno and Iris Heitzinger). The work is co-produced by the Festival Grec/Barcelona, Charleroi Danses/Brussels, Les Brigittines/Brussels and was premiered in July 2015 in Barcelona.

Iris lives and works between Austria and Catalonia/Spain.

www.irisheitzinger.com