In the performance “Dance for Nothing (revisited)”, presented at Radialsystem as a German premiere, the choreographer Eszter Salamon revisits John Cage’s “Lecture on Nothing” (1949). In 2010, Salamon first approached this work, widely regarded as one of the most important texts of 20th-century experimental literature, in her solo performance “Dance for Nothing”, which combined Cage’s words with movement.
This time, Eszter Salamon experiments with the modulation and transformation of physical gestures and focuses on the sonic aspect of Cage’s groundbreaking lecture on nothing, emptiness, and composition. To do this, she uses an earlier performance of her own, in which she repeated Cage’s text following a slowed-down recording by American cellist and composer Frances-Marie Uitti – a layering of interpretations, so to speak – and thus creates an auditory exploration of translation and transference. Salamon’s merging of body, voice and score establishes the framework for a meditation on the simultaneity of movement and sound as well as on interpretation.
“Dance for Nothing (revisited)” will be presented at Radialsystem as part of the :LOVE: cooperation between Tanzfabrik Berlin and Radialsystem. With the Radialsystem ♥ Tanzfabrik initiative, the two institutions have joined forces to specifically improve the presentation conditions for dance professionals in Berlin.
Accessibility / Content Notes
The performance takes place in English.
Access Infos for Radialsystem can be found here:
Artist talk
Following the performance, we invite you to an artist talk with Eszter Salamon and Matthias Mohr (in English).
On 08.03.2025 “Reappearance” (2022) and “Summer Games” (2023)” two films by Eszter Salamon will be shown.