In a world that is portrayed as dangerous, processes of protective shielding are inextricably linked to our everyday lives. When simplified narrative replaces differentiated discourse, contradictory perspectives are quickly misunderstood as an attack. Shields, walls, gates, and borders are erected to separate and protect the inside from the potentially threatening outside.

In the solo Shield is a Weapon, the boundary between inside and outside, between the self and the other is choreographically explored through movement, vocal soundscapes, and text. The mouth becomes both a shield and a gate, which, once opened, speaks in many tongues and expresses the polyphony of the individual subject.

What otherness is at work within me? Which invasive voices do I host? Who guards my throat?

In this piece, choreographer and performer Liza Baliasnaja continues her ongoing exploration of how emotions such as fear and disgust shape our political imagination. This time, the focus is on the symbol of the shield, which offers protection while simultaneously indicating impending conflict. The work examines the ambivalent interplay of vulnerability and aggression, of concealment and confrontation. Through the change of perspective, sometimes behind, sometimes in front of the shield, the work reflects on topics such as (self-)censorship and politics of defence.

LIZA BALIASNAJA

Over the past decade, Liza Baliasnaja has been active as a choreographer and performer working between Lithuania, Belgium, France, and Germany. She studied dance at P.A.R.T.S. and philosophy at KU Leuven.

Her artistic work explores themes of power, violence, and subjectivity, with a recent focus on the emotions of fear and disgust. She is particularly interested in choreographing with diverse materials, often integrating writing and voice into her body-based research.

Her performance practice is shaped by collaborations with artists such as Eszter Salamon, Christine De Smedt, Lenio Kaklea, Lina Lapelytė, Ula Sickle, DD Dorvillier, and Mårten Spångberg, among many others. Her work has been presented at numerous festivals including New Baltic Dance, FAVORITEN, Bâtard, Radiant Nights, Almost Summer/ Feminist Futures. In 2025, her performance Chiaroscuro was nominated for Lithuania’s highest theatre award Golden Stage Cross.

TEAM

Choreography and performance Liza Baliasnaja

Sound and composition Pablo Garreton

Dramaturgical advice Rūta Junevičiūtė

Scenography and objects Liza Baliasnaja together with Jara Vlaeminckx / Cachet

Lights and technical direction Julio Ernesto Escobar Mellado

Costume Laura Stellacci

Vocal coaching Britta Tekotte

Outside eye Amanda Barrio Charmelo

Production management Alexandra Schmidt

Photography studio pramudyia/Nathan Ishar

Produced by Liza Baliasnaja, in co-production with Tanzhaus nrw and Tanzfaktur. 

Funded by Kunststiftung NRW, Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW, NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste.