b12 Berlin Festival for Contemporary Dance: Week 4 Diary
Daily musings from a dancer.
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.
b12 Festival for Contemporary Dance and Performance Art (officially stylized in all lowercase) is an annual dance festival every July in Berlin, Germany. A training ground for professional-level dancers, the Festival offers more than 70+ research workshops, along with somatic, yoga, and outreach classes; free improv sessions; performance projects; and more. Their slogan is, “Research or die.”
I attended b12 from July 1 - 28, 2024.
Dancers come from all over the world to attend b12. It’s one of the most comprehensive dance festivals in the world. But what is it actually like? From the head and experience of an extroverted-introvert dance artist from Canada, solo in Berlin, here’s my story:
Week 4: July 21-28, 2024.
July 21 — Every performance series comes with a day when all hell breaks loose, and today was that day.
It’s the last day of our performance project, with another 2 shows (matinee and evening).
The morning started out with a visit to the RAW-Gelände Flea Market with a fellow dancer before we were due to arrive at Dock11 for notes. My friend left first, and I got a bit carried away at the market. I was 10 minutes late because I stopped to buy a beautiful butterfly ring I’d been eyeing from one of the hawkers (it only cost 8 EUR).
One of our dancers showed up with an awful cut on their calf from last night’s hurdle off a scooter. They showed us the photos, and (be warned) the flesh was coming out. In absolute dancer style, they opted to still go ahead with the matinee.
Despite my personal good feelings about our matinee performance, I discovered once we ran out of the theatre that chaos ensued for some of the others. One girl hit her head twice during the show (once as a collision with another dancer and once on the wall), the girl she collided with possibly fractured her nose, and our already injured dancer finally admitted to needing to go to the hospital.
What followed was a lot of hugging, comforting, and supporting however we could for all of them. Our choreographer took 2 of them to the hospital.
As we awaited news on what we’d do for our evening show, some of us went to Cafe Haferkater down the raod. It was divine. I have never tasted an oatmeal mix so delectable. I asked if they’d slip me the recipe, but they declined (haha).
Even that morning, some of the dancers were already learning each others’ choreography in case we needed to sub, so by the time our choreographer informed us we’d be re-blocking just in case, we were prepared. We combed through the whole piece with new arrangements, but as it turned out, all 3 injured dancers decided to charge forward with the final show, and we didn’t end up changing anything.
That’s show biz for you.
In both today’s shows, I let the tears roll down my face for real in one emotionally charged “protest” section. I was vulnerable but I felt so powerful, and it was mesmerizing to see the attention this simple action attracted from the audience.
A friend from Hamburg made the trek to see me in the final performance, and we found each other in a long-overdue hug after the show.
The cast and I went out for another dinner at The Flying Monkey, and, geez, celebration has never tasted so good. The conversation flowed, we laughed and chatted. Finally, we said our goodbyes with hearts full and minds clear. Despite the distance that will soon separate us, this will remain a very special connection for all of us.
July 22 — The only day I have off from the festival (not counting the first week of my cancelled course).
My Hamburg friend and I planned long ago to spend it at Vabali, the Balinese wellness spa in the heart of Berlin. I was so ready for some self-pampering.
Vabali was a very nice experience. There’s so much to do that I see why people need to come back multiple times to take it all in.
Full review coming soon.
July 23 — I had time before my final workshop, “Partnering and Creation Tools,” started this afternoon, so I went window shopping around Rosenthaler Platz. A very posh and neat neighbourhood, it’s home to many high-end stores, boutique cafés, and vintage shops.
In class, my peers were relieved that most of us haven’t had much partnering experience before. We began with some basic leading and following exercises to help us tune into our partners. Interestingly, this workshop was filled with mostly European dance artists, not the North American bunch I’ve come to expect.
Core principle: listen to each other.
It presented more difficult than it sounds, especially with people you’ve never known before. I felt the oncoming of confusion, and I checked myself regularly to not let it get to me.
Not the most cohesive class I’ve started out with, but I hope this is just a matter of time and practice.
July 24 — This morning, a friend from the performance and I had fun in the sun at Strandbad Wannsee, a lido lake-beach about an hour away by transit.
Best. Decision. Ever.
And it only cost 5 EUR! (Yes, you have to pay for this one, but it’s well worth it.)
Strandbad Wannsee is a combination of beach bar, lake, and park. You can smell the fresh lake air right when you get off the S-Bahn, and the bus that takes you there is a very hilarious but convenient loop of just the one stop.
Full review coming soon.
After returning from the beach, I went directly to eden*****studios for class.
I bumped into a peer on the tram, and I told her how “wrong” it felt to be going to class after such a relaxing morning at the beach. It feels like I should be done by now; the performance project was perfect closure.
Class today was … confusing, if I may use the word again. Even more so than yesterday. I asked my questions, I tried to stay positive, and I tried to apply the principles. Still, there was something off.
We went into some group lifts today, and that alone required a lot of mutual trust, much less personal technique.
My feelings around this workshop are a bit unclear. Again, hopefully things will get better as the week progresses.
July 25 — I met a Berlin friend I haven’t seen in almost a year for brunch at Ewig Freunde. The food was good but expensive. The conversation was great.
My final workshop, “Tai Chi Chuan for Dancers: Awareness and Energy,” started today, and it was a nice reprieve from the demanding physicality of all my other workshops so far. We were told it’s impossible to learn tai chi in 4 days, so, “Don’t learn it; just do.”
In between classes, I happened upon the site-specific Performance Project Area 51 in the garden, which was a lovely (and free) way for me to see another show in b12, which I haven’t been able to do much.
Unfortunately, the partnering workshop dispelled whatever calming feelings I had. Maybe I’m not cut out for it? Probably I don’t have the necessary vocabulary (i.e. basic partnering techniques) or strength yet to attempt these higher-level tricks.
Someone asked me after class how I felt about the workshop, and I told them honestly that I’m still confused. At my level, I’d need more basic drills or contact improv training to feel comfortable with all the stuff we’re doing.
I expressed my concerns to the teachers, and they offered to try some things out next time.
July 26 — Grabbed brunch at luuv café. It took almost an hour to get my order, since they make everything from scratch, but it was delicious. Review coming soon.
Tai chi, surprisingly, was confusing me a little as well (not the movements but the general energy of it). Granted, there are many different forms of tai chi and many different ways of teaching it. I wasn’t feeling as into it as I wanted to be.
Partnering was a beast today, as we tried out a very acrobatic barrel-jump-into-hip-catch in partners. It’s quite clear by now that I don’t have a high partnering level, but it saddened me to see how that affected my partner’s trust in me and their willingness to go full-out in the jump.
I don’t blame them; I’d be cautious too.
It reiterated to me how unprepared I am for this workshop. I’m much better as a flier than a base, if only because I’m small enough for my partner to muscle me through the movement if need be.
A group of us went out for impromptu drinks at Eschschloraque, and I was relieved to hear the others had similar concerns. I didn’t actually drink any alcohol, but the honest conversation was a godsend, and I got to know my fellow peers a lot more :D
July 27 — Breakfast at Lonely Hearts Café.
I’m not proud to say this, but I attended tai chi as usual and skipped the partnering workshop. I know many others did the same.
On another note, it was also Christopher Street Day in Berlin (aka. Pride Parade in some areas of the world), and the transit systems were packed to the max with parade-goers.
Once I squeezed through the throngs to get home, my flatmate and I watched a movie in bed together. Honestly, what a chill and low-key way to end the day. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
July 28 — Last full day in Berlin and the last day of b12.
Mauerpark Flea Market has purportedly turned too “touristy,” but I gave it a go this morning. It was awesome. It had as much cool stuff as the RAW-Gelände Flea Market, just with way more people.
After tai chi, I went back to Mauerpark to grab lunch. A random guy tried to pick me up, but I politely declined. Unfortunately, by that time, a lot of the food trucks had already sold out of, well, food. I ended up buying a Vietnamese bao bun for 5 EUR. It was delicious, but not nearly as large enough of a portion as I needed.
I was on the fence about attending the last partnering workshop, but I didn’t want to leave the festival like that, so I went. The first half was familiar enough, as we reviewed some previous material. However, there was a strange negative tension in the air (along with some tiredness), and my partner was visibly agitated for some reason.
I do not need that kind of energy in my life. So, at halfway, I bid goodbye to my new friends and the teacher and went home. (My friends had also been on the fence, and they actually commended me for making a decision and doing what felt right for me.) It was the better choice for both me and my partner, probably.
After all, I didn’t want to leave b12 and Berlin on a negative note. I texted my flatmate that I wanted a nice last evening with her instead, so I bought some takeout, and we spent a quiet candlelit dinner together. She’ll be gone for work before I get up tomorrow, so we said an affectionate goodbye. Hugs!!!
What a lovely last evening.
Weekend Summary: My last week at b12 was challenging for completely different reasons than before. In spite of the demanding physicality of previous workshops, I wanted to be there. The workshops in the last week didn’t quite inspire me like that. Whether it was exhaustion or the feeling that I should’ve been done already or something else, this week was strange for sure.
Nevertheless, I had many great moments with friends and awesome food at local joints. My time in Berlin has come to a close, and I couldn’t be more grateful for all the bruises and tears and highs and lows.
Till next time, Gotham City.
Photo by Lonely Girl, Lonely World.