:: program As in his solo work, distanzlos, Thomas Lehmen pushes in mono subjects the limits of conventional concepts of stage, performance, and audience. In doing this, he brings up questions that he then proceeds to answer, discuss, and comment on. The audience sees three performers, dancers and musicians, who do not pretend to be anything other than themselves. Lehmen puts the spotlight on movement and on the difference between "abstract" and "concrete" movement – the difference between scratching yourself and that which is considered "dance." The piece, mono subjects, was presented during the KÖRPERSTIMMEN N°6 series with great success. Thomas Lehmen shows that grappling with stage and performance concepts and humor need not be mutually exclusive. April 6 + 7 8:00 p.m. Thomas Lehmen mono subjects Concept/ Choreography: Thomas Lehmen, Choreography/ Music/ Performance: Maria Clara Villa-Lobos, Gaëtan Bulourde, Thomas Lehmen, Assistant: Melanie Mohren, Visual Design: Katrin Schoof, Technical director: Götz Dihlmann, Artistic Adviser: Petra Roggel Produced by: Thomas Lehmen, Petra Roggel, Co-produced by: FAR festival des arts vivants Nyon, Kampnagel Hamburg, Mousonturm Frankfurt, Springdance Festival Utrecht, TanzWerkstatt Berlin, Podewil, with additional support provided by Haupstadtkulturfonds Berlin and Fonds Darstellende Künste Essen e.V. www.thomaslehmen.de A dancer, who thinks, who, in his own words, "tries to look behind the movement," and wants to tell his audience, "This is what you see and no more than that." Irmela Kästner, taz (Hamburg), May 17, 2001 Spiced with a liberal dose of humor and self-mockery, this dissection of the rules of performance by no means becomes a dry theoretical presentation. Actually, the evening unfolds in a playful tone devoid of pretension. Lehmen and his fellow artists have slipped in enough surprises and subtle subversiveness to win over even the skeptics. Stéphane Brody, La Presse/Montréal, September 29, 2001 Fotos: Katrin Schoof Biographical Information Thomas Lehmen, born in Oberhausen in 1963, attended the School for New Dance Development in Amsterdam from 1986-1990, where in addition to dance he pursued interests in music and kung fu. During his training, he soon took charge of the concept, choreography, and music composition for various solo, duet and group pieces. Since 1990 he has been living in Berlin and working as a dancer, choreographer, theater and film performer, light designer, teacher, and carpenter. His successful production, distanzlos, premiered in October 1999. His group piece, mono subjects, was shown during his residency at Podewil in 200I and subsequently toured extensivly. A selection of Lehmen's own projects: 1990/91 Core Cracker (music piece); 1992 Zanx, 1993 Brainsand (duo); 1995 Moleskine (duo), International Dance Festival Montpellier Danse; 1997 EXTENDED VERSION THU Berlin; 1998 friendly fire and No Fear; THU Berlin; 1999 Baustelle. Einfahrt freihalten commissioned by the Goethe Institute in Tallinn in cooperation with the Estonian Summer Dance Company and Von Krahl Theatre, distanzlos premiere in Berlin, tour in Europe, Brazil, and Hong Kong; 2000 One table, two chairs with Makoto Matsushima in cooperation with House of the Cultures of the World Berlin and the Hong Kong Arts Festival; 2001 mono subjects at the Podewil Berlin and Clever a work commissioned and premiered in Lancaster. :: program