Book Launch, Reconstruction, Film Screening by Irene Sieben, Anna Till, Thomas Schallmann
Manja Chmièl (1922–2006) was far ahead of her time. As Mary Wigman's assistant, she turned away from expressionist dance in 1962 to position herself on equal footing with contemporary music, literature, and abstract arts. She founded her company Neuer Tanz Berlin, Germany's first independent dance company. Why has this innovator of contemporary dance been overlooked until now?
Image gallery
Manja Chmièl
Contemporary witness Irene Sieben brings her once most important teacher into the spotlight with her recently published book, "Manja Chmièl – Rebel of New Dance," placing her alongside Dore Hoyer as a key inventor of a specific dance language. The author's reading will be accompanied by Anna Till. The Dresden-based dancer and choreographer has reconstructed three solos by Manja Chmièl. One of these was transcribed into Labanotation by cinematographer Thomas Schallmann in collaboration with Manja Chmièl.
During the screening of historical film footage, the audience on this special evening can experience, among other things, the forgotten dance pioneer in an interview with Walter Höllerer, avant-gardist of the literary scene since the 1960s and founder of the magazine "Akzente".
Additional information
Irene Sieben (she/her) is a dancer, Feldenkrais practitioner, and journalist specializing in dance and somatic learning. Trained by Mary Wigman and Manja Chmièl, she was active in Germany's first independent ensembles, Motion and Gruppe Neuer Tanz Berlin, and in 1981 co-founded and taught at TanzTangente Berlin. As a contemporary of Wigman's work, she coached Sylvie Guillem (1998), Fabiàn Barba (2008), and Christina Ciupke/Anna Till (2014).
Anna Till (she/her) is a choreographer and dancer based in Dresden. She studied dance, context, and choreography in Berlin and cultural studies in Lüneburg. Her artistic work is characterized by an interest in the interplay between past and present and a passion for interdisciplinary experimentation. Anna directs the company situation productions and is part of the collective TILL&LUBICH. Among his most recent works are SWAN LAKE IN SNEAKERS, selected for TANZPLATTFORM2024, and EYES OPEN, EYES CLOSED, a piece exploring themes of aging in collaboration with HELLERAU-EZK.
Thomas Schallmann (he/him) was born on May 1, 1957, in Cottbus, in the former GDR. He studied philosophy, dance pedagogy, and dance and theater studies in Leipzig and Berlin, as well as kinetography-Laban/Labanotation in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. He worked as a dancer and movement educator and held teaching positions in kinetography at various universities. He also notates dances and choreographies and has given lecture demonstrations.
Anna Till (she/her) is a choreographer and dancer based in Dresden. She studied dance, context, and choreography in Berlin and cultural studies in Lüneburg. Her artistic work is characterized by an interest in the interplay between past and present and a passion for interdisciplinary experimentation. Anna directs the company situation productions and is part of the collective TILL&LUBICH. Among his most recent works are SWAN LAKE IN SNEAKERS, selected for TANZPLATTFORM2024, and EYES OPEN, EYES CLOSED, a piece exploring themes of aging in collaboration with HELLERAU-EZK.
Thomas Schallmann (he/him) was born on May 1, 1957, in Cottbus, in the former GDR. He studied philosophy, dance pedagogy, and dance and theater studies in Leipzig and Berlin, as well as kinetography-Laban/Labanotation in Budapest, Hungary, and at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen. He worked as a dancer and movement educator and held teaching positions in kinetography at various universities. He also notates dances and choreographies and has given lecture demonstrations.
Dates
February 2026
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