"For me art is dramatic. I try to wring out emotions, to build disturbing images, because human history is made up of a series of extreme events that have contributed to our evolution. Art can reflect these things: events, atmosphere, the dark depths of humanity." - Mircea Suciu, in the book "Picturing people" (Charlotte Mullins, Thames & Hudson, 2015) 

For this piece, Cologne-based choreographer Carla Jordão works with the simple yet complex concept of hatred in various group dynamics and social constellations. 

In her first collaboration with the long-established ensemble of the Folkwang Tanzstudio (FTS), she develops a plot in "A UNIVERSAL HOSTILITY" that oscillates between deep seriousness, looseness and moving absurdity. Human relationships arise and disintegrate; hostility and its empty foundations move the bodies, faces and feelings. Detached from the concrete conflicts of the time, appeals to reason and raw anger are combined. With still bodies, controlled gestures and frozen expressions, "A UNIVERSAL HOSTILITY" becomes an emotionally intense piece. In staged group images of the ensemble, calm meets unleashing and control meets chaos. 

Company

SPECIES is a dance company based in Cologne that creates works for moving bodies.

www.species.group 

The FTS, founded in 1928 by Kurt Jooss, is an international graduate company that currently employs 10 professional dancers from all over the world and is part of the Institute for Contemporary Dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts.

www.folkwang-uni.de 

TEAM

Artistic direction and choreography Carla Jordão 

Dance Mateusz Bogdanowicz, Jennifer Boultbee, Tullia Francischiello, Gabriel Gaudray-Donnio, Harrison Rodrigues Gomes dos Santos , Yun-Ru Lee, Tzu-Chun Liou, Julius Olbertz, Djamila Polo (ensemble of the Folkwang Tanzstudio) and Érika Polifroni Martín (guest) 

Project management Anna-Luella Zahner 

Dramaturgy Dr Daniel Rademacher 

Music Timm Roller 

Assistance Jan Möllmer 

Costume Carla Jordão & Anne Bentgens 

Lighting design Oliver Semrau & Wolfgang Pütz 

Sound engineering Thomas Wacker 

Financial management mueva Performance - Lena Peters 

Video Julia Franken & Dawid Liftinger 

Audio Description Theresa Hupp 

Design Büro Freiheit 

Folkwang Tanzstudio Artistic Director Prof. Rodolpho Leoni 

Collaboration Claudia Lüttringhaus 

Photos Christian Josef Clarke 

Supported by the Cultural Office of the City of Cologne, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW and the NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste 

"A UNIVERSAL HOSTILITY" is a collaboration between SPECIES and the Folkwang Tanzstudio/Institute for Contemporary Dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts