something shared

The piece combines tap dance, extended vocal techniques and live mixing to explore what the political and cultural history of diasporic Jewish rhythm (and its embodiment) can teach us in an era marked by polarisation and violence.

Inspired by the work of the scholar Ussama Makdisi (who explores the history of the recently invented dichotomy between ‘Jewish’ and ‘Arab’ (who traces the history of this recently invented dichotomy), as well as the artist and scholar Ariella Aisha Azoulay (who re-embodies the craft of her Algerian ancestors in order to unlearn Zionist imperialism), Yasmeen Al-Qaisi, hoyah, Gry Tingskog and Anna Lublina are exploring those traditional Jewish-Muslim rhythms from which they have become estranged: from Morocco, Bosnia, Uzbekistan, Andalusia, Yemen, Romania and Palestine.

As part of their research, they have traced the paths of these rhythms through archives and examined how they transformed as their worlds collided with colonial, imperial and national projects such as the Soviet Union, Israel or the Mandate system. The rhythms have changed (to a greater or lesser extent), just as they themselves have changed – by increasingly adapting to the white Western colonial world.

The 5/7 time signature became a 4/4 time signature; music that was once played in domestic settings found its way onto the stages of philharmonic halls. *something shared* explores the political history of these rhythms, but also questions its original premise: is there a pure, traditional rhythm that people have lost? One that the world has corrupted? Probably not. Music and rhythm – just like food or technology – cannot be confined by ethnic, religious or national boundaries. They permeate, evolve, blend, assimilate, advance and resist.

The creation of this performance was supported by: the Ottilie Roederstein Scholarship from the Hessian Ministry of Science, Research, Art and Culture; the Frankfurt Cultural Office; the Giessen Cultural Office; and the Performing Arts Fund, financed by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media.

The development was supported by the LAB at the English Theatre Berlin and the Ma’r’ayah Fellowship for Jewish and Muslim artists at the Künstlerhaus Bethanien.

• A tactile guided tour will take place at 7.30 pm; the performance begins at 8.00 pm.

• The performances will take place on Friday 2 October AND on Saturday 3 October!