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THE WINTER OF DESIRE
Stephan Müller talks to Joachim Schlömer

When did you turn to dancing? Why has dancing become a passion, almost a necessity, for you?

Schlömer When I was studying archictecture. I couldn’t bear the incorporeality any longer. I was no longer able to accept the unsocial character of competition. Dance is always concerned to a greater or lesser degree with the communication of a very direct and concrete energy. I knew that through my dance, through my theatre, I could give expression to something very concrete. But I still have a long way to go before I find out what exactly that is.
It is this that impels me forward, that drives me on in a continual search. For everything that we say in the theatre is, fortunately, concrete only for a moment. Afterwards one must continue the journey once more.

What has your past been like as dancer and choreographer?

Schlömer After my 4 years at the Folkwangschule, where I was also responsible for a number of productions of my own while training to become a dancer, I went as dancer to the Théaˆtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels to the Mark Morris Dance Group. I remained there for three years. During that period I also started my own group, JOSCH, with which even at that stage I created some full-length works.
In 1991 I was appointed Director of Ballet in Ulm, in 1994 Director of the Tanztheater at the National Theatre in Weimar, and in 1996 Director of the Tanztheater at the Basle Theatre. In recent years I have also done productions at the Stuttgart Opera (Rheingold and Tales of Hoffmann)

What do you consider to be the special characteristic of dance theatre?

Schlömer Dance theatre is a pigeon-hole which I don’t like. In general I don’t like pigeon-holes at all. I think the special characteristic has evaporated, having moved far away from the original notion of dance theatre as represented by Pina Bausch. In the meantime many new faces have appeared, many new methods and developments. Dance theatre is, above all, something different from traditional ballet. The time had come for new developments, new directions, new movements in dance not contained within ballet.

What will you be bringing to Salzburg, what novelties can we expect?

Schlömer A new work dealing with the theme of pain: The Day I go to the Body. We will also be presenting a work I began in Basel Senza Fine – which is about Rimini when the weather is cold, about the winter of desire.

Joachim Schlömer (*1962)
Stephan Müller (*1951)
The Day I go to the Body
Dance Theatre

Premiere: 13 August 2002
14, 21, 22, 24 and 25 August 2002
Performances begin at 7.30 pm

At the Perner Insel in Hallein

Joachim Schlömer (*1962)
Senza fine – Or When Rimini was still Beautiful
Dance Theatre
Salzburg Version

Premiere: 16 August 2002
17, 18 and 19 August 2002, Performances begin at 7.30 pm

At the Perner Insel in Hallein

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