hystera prótera Between Hysteria and Norm-alcy

“Are you ready to take a fresh look at the world,
over and over again? Discover new faces?
If so, then courage for change, keenness to take on
a new identity, and fun to play along are
the recipe for your success!”
Beautifully spruced up, well-shaved, and BOTOXed.
We’re headed towards loosing our identity.
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In my performance, I’m working with the issue of hysteria which continues to be an issue nowadays in respect to body aesthetics, beauty, and in relation to the (lack of) self-consciousness and / or self-conception associated with the related norms. My reflections have found their expression in a dance-choreography inspired by motion studies on the so called ‘hysterical attacks’ (a ‘hysterical Iconography’) from the late 18th and beginning of 19th century.
In the performance, I am focussing my own individual physique
- Do I correspond to the established beauty ideal?
- Do I want to correspond to the established beauty ideal at all?
- How individual am I really?
- Can I or do I actually want to live up to my own narcissism?
- What is the source of my vanity?
- How far would I go to be ‚beautiful’?
Initially, I submit myself to the norms. But I start having doubts: Do I really want this? Bewildered by the snatches of talk coming from the off / my environment and my own self-questioning, I start becoming in-sane.
This performance is a critical engagement with the ‘hysteria’ revolving around body aesthetics, beauty and individuality.
Performance Contributors: Jillian B. Suffner (Idea, concept, performance) – Alexandra Säidow (stage direction, technical development) - Jose-Antonio Roque-Toimil (Choreography).
Originally performed at the HAU, Berlin. Feb. 2006