Brigel Gjoka
Rauf « RubberLegz » Yasit
Ruşan Filiztek Neighbours

[Dance]

Two virtuoso performers from seemingly opposing artistic universes shed new light on the codes of hip-hop, classical and contemporary dance, thereby inventing a new language for the body. Under the supportive gaze of William Forsythe, they draw upon their personal and cultural memories in a dance piece which is forthright, playful, and joyous.

Brigel Gjoka trained as a classical dancer in his native Albania, and then went on to become a contemporary dancer. Rauf « RubberLegz » Yasit grew up in Germany, where he participated in Kurdish family festivities prior to indulging in his passion for hip-hop. They met while working as performers on William Forsythe’s A quiet evening of dance, an outstanding piece which outlined a new vision of ballet. Following on from this, their artistic exchanges with the composer, instrumentalist and musicologist, Ruşan Filiztek, helped them invent a near-fusional choreographic language, nourished by their respective traditions and openness to the different forms of contemporary, experimental expression. The body becomes a fertile feeding ground for the merging of memories going back to their childhood and youth – where neighbours become friends and the articulations spar with each other, as if their virtuosity was nothing more than a childhood game. Pushed to the limits, their movements embody the adage of their cultural traditions, by which “you don’t buy a house, but the neighbours”.