Two nights of “JOY” at CIFCET
Egypt
September 19, 2018 till September 20, 2018
Performances
From 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm
Location
El Hanager Arts Center, Cairo Opera House
This year, Swiss performance “JOY”, by Joshua Monten, is taking part of Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental Theater for two consecutive nights, on September 19 and 20, 2019.
“Joy” is an evening-length dance production for five charmingly violent dancers. It explores the unexpectedly joyful art of stage fighting, freed from the constraints of plot and psychological realism.
The choreography is based on the classic elements of stage fighting: punching, slapping, kicking, tackling, and so on. Intricate sequences of consensual violence are deconstructed and reconstructed through distortions, changes of perspective and merciless repetition. This is serious play, hilariously tragic, and thrilling to watch.
However “Joy” is more than just a glorification of violence. The choreography explores how violence has such an electrifying effect upon its viewers — even though many are loathe to admit this most guilty of pleasure. Central to the work is Freud’s notion of Schadenfreude — the ways in which we are all capable of taking pleasure in other people’s misfortune.
This year, Switzerland was chosen by the Cairo International Festival for Contemporary and Experimental theater as the guest of honor of the Festival, celebrating 30 years of Pro Helvetia Cairo.
