Stepping - Out of the Box

Foto: Russ Smith

What happens when a Chemist, Molecular Biologist, and a Behavioral Scientist turn to their artistic expression and join with other dancers and musicians to explore and express the message of GALERIE LISTROS in Berlin?

STEPPING - Out of the Box
Tuesday 15.04.201418:00 Uhr
St. Matthäus-Kirche im Kulturforum
Matthäikirchplatz | 10785 Berlin-Tiergarten

Stepping - Out of the Box

A Dance Theatre collaboration, ‘Stepping - Out of the Box’ is an exploration of the significance of work and character as agents of growth and inspiration. This thought-provoking, poetic Dance Theatre program employs original live music as well as beautiful imagery and movement to honor the light in every conscious, work of a loving heart.

Following the old Christian tradition of veiling the altar before Easter, Berlin-based LISTROS art initiative will install 3.500 shoe shine boxes from Ethiopia to cover the altar at St. Matthäus-Kirche in central Berlin. In Ethiopia, teenage shoe shiners and their boxes are called Listro - after the Italian lustro, „make shiny, spread gloss“. The art installation calls for a change of perspective and for overcoming prejudices about the Listros as the "poorest of the poor" and socially humiliated, although they contribute greatly to society with their „shining jobs.“

Out of the Box” as an expression is usually employed to describe the action of daring to be dissimilar. It may also describe a person who refuses to completely give up and mimic the prevalent fashion of her times. 'Out of the Box is also an expression that describes non conformal, creative thinking. In this case the expression is used as a symbolic way to denote the bringing out the best of self, from the depths of our heart and our consciousness.

In every seed there is all of needed information
In every heart there is all of creative hope
When there is light in our heart, all of the space surrounding becomes luminous
The ‘emergence’ of colors produces the brightest of lights
Out every individual ‘box’ there is a shining beam into the future
When we dream of future full of love and kindness, we also may reveal our inner light.
Only by bringing out your unconscious nature, your deep nature, you may approach the Divine. 
                                                                                                                                               (Toni Bravo)

This is a collaboration between Toni Bravo, award winning Dancer/Choreographer, and Russ Smith, film maker and composer, in partnership with an international dance community. We create an eloquent tribute to an endangered resource that sustains us: ‘hard work’ as character builder and builder of community.

We take educational influences of dancers such as Pina Basuch, Zena Rommett, Maggie Black, Jennifer Muller, and Michael Jahoda blended with the classical musical influence of Arvo Pärt and various African musical influences as well as modern day folk rock - Blend it all up into a unique and powerful program that will bring your heart to new places and your mind to deeper understanding of the Listros and their world.

In this way Stepping - Out of the Box brings together artistic expression and social change activism in order to raise awareness about Human Rights issues throughout our global dynamics.

Performance Features

Dance

  • Toni Bravo (USA)
  • Mariam Ribón (Ireland)
  • MariaGiulia Serantoni (Italy)
  • Claudia Albrecht (Germany)

Music

  • Christoph Hillmann, Perkussion (Germany)
  • Meike Goosmann, Saxophon (Germany)
  • Anna Vierling, Piano-Voice (Germany)
  • Russ Smith, Piano, (Germany)

Entrance fee
12 Euro / 10 Euro (red.)
Tickets at the Box Office
Ticket reservation: mail@listros.de