A special dance work entitled “The dreamers” is presented by the group “En Dynamei” in Hall B of Piraeus 260 (June 7-9) in collaboration with the internationally recognized Viennese choreographer Michael Klien.

Four years after their participation in the 2019 Athens Festival with the show “Horses in Love”, which thrilled the audience and critics, the group from Thessaloniki returns to present a work of social choreography choreographed by Mikael Klien and artistically directed by Eleni Dimopoulou.

In the play “Dreamers”, which dynamically opens the Greek dance program of Piraeus, “En Dynamei”, a group of dancers with and without disabilities, invite the spectators to participate and become part of the play themselves.

In an original choreographic concept inspired by the play “Die Schwärmer” by Robert Musil, in an industrial stage space composed of an electro-acoustic soundscape and corresponding lighting, a group of about 40 people of apparently mixed abilities move through the space in personal marches which they themselves create.

“Dreamers” exist in a world inhabited by people with and without disabilities, and create a universe that invites the coexistence of reason and dream.

Michael Klien and social choreography

The Viennese artist is one of the leading figures in contemporary choreography. Social choreography, in which Klien has been specializing for several years, is an emerging inter-artistic field that explores the experience of socialization by highlighting through artistic creation possible realities, capable of proposing new ways of coexistence.

Michael Klien’s choreographic practice has always involved research into new forms that incorporate an expansive understanding of dance. In 2020, he founded the Social Choreography Laboratory of Duke University in the USA.

An ideal collaboration

The show “Dream Cities” (in English “Utopians”) is the result of a harmonious artistic coexistence of the group “En Dynamei” and Michael Klien.

Briefly describing the project, Klien emphasizes: “The Dreamers create the condition for a republic of souls. Throughout the work, each person’s unique perceptual abilities are manifested and woven into a collective matrix of movement and association. For a fleeting moment, we create an expanded sense of humanity (“one alone is a fool, two make a new humanity,” as Robert Musil puts it) that transforms our preconceived notions of society into a living majestic question mark».

Referring to “In Power” Klien says: “There is probably only one set in this world that can aim for such a feast. En Dynamei are at the forefront of folding perceptual abilities and differences into artistic endeavors. Their role model has always been a fearless, courageous meeting and support of those who appear, perceive and think differently. During the “Dream Cities” process, we went through all the processes collectively, deliberately pushing aside pre-defined categories of disability to create a situation that points to the possibility of another world».

Michael Klien wanted to describe the universe of the show “The Dreamers” in simple words: “Democracy can never be achieved if we accept only a narrow range of acceptable awareness in public discourse and in the governance of our affairs. Everyone has unique and dynamic perceptions of reality, and I believe passionately that we need this multitude of minds to navigate a better, more beautiful and healthier society».