Can I be here?

But what if they could bend the bridge? What if they could change direction and decide for themselves where it leads?

“Can I Be Here?” is a performance (work in progress) developed collaboratively by members of the Berlin Whacking community. It explores how far they can stray from their predetermined paths and what this journey requires. Through the dance style known as Whacking, the piece asks what happens when they question the paths laid out for them and dare to imagine a different place.

Whacking Berlin Community, led by Anna Koddenbrock & Joanna Woźnicka

The Berlin Whacking Community is not only a place for people to come together through dance and self-expression, but also a space to create new forms of performance and care. Whacking is a dance style that emerged in the 1970s in the gay clubs of Los Angeles and was significantly shaped by Black, Latinx, and Asian communities.

Performers: Filine Volkmann-Spruijt, LaBaijka, Minh Phan (Keksi), Luna Victoria, Zorani, Jelena Pokrovac, Anna-Sophia Hanke, Antonio Tuccillo, Mathi Berbineau

Anna Koddenbrock is a queer performer. She creates theatrical experiences that connect stories of community across time, breaking down hierarchical dichotomies such as Then/Now, You/Me, and professional dance/community dance.

Joanna Woźnicka is a Polish-British multidisciplinary artist. Her theater work focuses on queer and migrant stories and often explores themes such as identity and belonging.