From 7 to 16 April 2005, the House of World Cultures present the performing arts programme Translating Acts within the framework of the festival ABOUT BEAUTY. Using body language and choreography, dancers and choreographers from China, Japan, India and Germany engage in a dialogue on beauty.
We cordially invite you to attend a public rehearsal of Shanghai Beauty on Wednesday 6 April 2005 at 11 p.m. at the House of World Cultures. Afterwards, Jutta Hell, Dieter Baumann, Jin Xing and Johannes Odenthal will be available to answer your questions.
“In China, nakedness is considered superficial and unattractive. The veiled, the concealed, and the mystical qualities of the clothed body are the source of inspiration and of the imagination,” Chinese star dancer Jin Xing tells us. She developed her latest production, Shanghai Beauty, in co-operation with the RUBATO dance company from Berlin: fifteen dancers confront an Asian concept of the body with the European ideal. The première is on 7 April.
In Eidos_Tao, another co-operation project between Rubato and the Jin Xing Dance Theatre, four dancers explore and develop the choreographies of Gerhard Bohner.
In contrast, German expressive dance and Butoh are the fields of reference for Susanne Linke and Yumiko Yoshioka, who thematise the concept of beauty in their solo and improvised dance on 11 and 12 April.
The performances are accompanied by lectures and talks: Akira Kasai, one of the most important representatives of the Japanese dance scene talks about his latest project, where he compares body images from different cultures. Sasha Waltz will be talking about beauty with Indian dancer Padmini Chettur.
The two philosophers and dance experts Rudolf zur Lippe and Rolf Elberfeld invite people to join them in open discussions with, among other people, the Sinologist François Jullien, who will continue developing his cultural-comparative philosophy during the course of the festival. Translating Acts, which presents four commissioned works and two co-productions, is one of the exchange projects sponsored by the Hauptstadtkulturfond and run by the House of World Cultures in conjunction with the Asian dance scene. Shanghai Beauty has been made possible by the Schering-Stiftung and Lufthansa Shangai. The 3sat television station is the official partner of the project ABOUT BEAUTY.

We look forward to seeing you.
Christine Regus
Please confirm your participation by e-mail.

TRANSLATING ACTS – Programme Overview
Dance
Shanghai Beauty, Jin Xing Dance Theatre, RUBATO dance company
Thurs. 7 April 8.30 p.m.
Fri. 8 April 8.30 p.m.
Sat. 9 April 9.00 p.m.

Im Bade wannen I furu-zoom
Susanne Linke, Yumiko Yoshioka, TEN PEN Chii art labor
Mon. 11 April 8.30 p.m..
Tues. 12 April 8.30 p.m.

Eidos_Tao Jin Xing Dance Theatre, RUBATO dance company
Fri. 15 April 8.30 p.m.
Sat. 16 April 8.30 p.m.

Talks and lectures: Rudolf zur Lippe and Rolf Elberfeld:
Questionable Beauty
Thurs. 7 April 7 p.m.

Akira Kasai:
Body Images Lecture
Sat. 9 April 5.00 p.m.

François Jullien:
The Beauty of Form, the Development of the Mind/Spirit
Lecture
Sat. 9 April 7.00 p.m.

Padmini Chettur, Sasha Waltz: Two Women Choreographers in Dialogue – Talk
Sun. 10 April 12. a.m.

Admission € 15, reduced rate € 10
Talks and lectures admission free
Lecture by Francoi Jullien € 4

The purchase of an admission ticket includes a free visit to the exhibition