A humorous dance theatre piece about believing in one’s own strength
The Ugly Duckling tries to do everything right but ends up doing everything wrong. Branded as ugly and a nuisance by the duck community, it tries to be the most ‘duck-like’ of them all and becomes entangled in the snares of an identity crisis. Thus begins an adventurous journey through the world, driven by a fear of its true self, until it realises that it is a swan.
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Das hässliche Entlein
Das hässliche Entlein
Hans Christian Andersen’s story is one of the classics of modern fairy tales. Yet whilst many stage productions – or even animated versions, such as Walt Disney’s arguably best-known adaptation – emphasise the duckling’s sad role as a victim, director and choreographer Maria Walser focuses on an active exploration of ‘not belonging’. The production is a humorous dance theatre piece about trusting in one’s own strength.
With a total of four performers from the worlds of music, dance and drama, an imaginative journey unfolds through the confusion of identifying with oneself and others, exploring the potential of anger and longing.
At the same time, however, the piece also centres on the question of subjective perception and the assignment of roles. Is the duckling really ugly, or is it a mental stereotype that makes us perceive it as such? Can one move beautifully in a body that others have labelled as ugly? And what, anyway, constitutes a beautiful movement?
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Participating artists
Falk Berghofer
Gina-Lisa Maiwald
Marcel Siegel
Steffi Sembdner-Erfurt
