17. ANTISTATIC FESTIVAL: Radical Cheerleading

“… power for the people: use your body... use your voice... make a choice…”

Bodily resistance and choreographed protests in public spaces have become effective and powerful means of peaceful demonstrations in capitalist democracies. Developed by queer feminist activists in the 1990s, so-called “radical cheerleading” combines non-violent, direct action with theatrical elements. Cheerleading is well known in the form of organised cheering groupies at sporting competitions. The makers of this performance use and subvert the codes of cheerleading to convey their own messages. Glamour, glitter and a mix of various slogans are the components of this joyful, satirical alternative to militant forms of protest. With vehemence, precision, and humour, the heterogeneous ensemble led by choreographer Zufit Simon, who also appears on stage, poses the question of what is worth taking to the streets for.

“Zufit Simon realises a clear concept and presents effective images with great skill and intensity. Together with her ensemble, she successfully transforms the peaceful form of protest known as “radical cheerleading” into an unconventional dance performance full of humour and depth”.From the nomination statement for “DER FAUST”, German Theater Award 2023 – Staging Dance.

The world premiere was supported by the Cultural Department of the City of Munich and the Lower Saxony Foundation, and made possible by the BLZT, Bavarian State Association for Contemporary Dance, with funds from the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. The research phase of this production was supported by the NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK - STEPPING OUT, funded by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of the NEUSTART KULTUR. Aid Program Dance, as well as funding from the Fonds Darstellende Künste with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as part of NEUSTART KULTUR.

Zufit Simon is a performer and choreographer, born in Israel, who studies contemporary dance at the “Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst” (HfMDK) in Frankfurt am Main. In 2012, she was selected for the German Dance Platform pitching in Dresden with the solo “Wild Thing”, and in 2014 again at the German Dance Platform 2014 at “Kampnagel”, Hamburg, presented the choreographic concert “I LIKE TO MOVE IT”. In 2015 – 2018 together with the director Moritz Schönecker, she opened the “Theaterhaus Jena'' season with the productions “Die Zofen“ (Genet) and „Judith“ (Hebbel) and curates dance series there. She has been a part of the artistic direction of the artblau Tanzwerkstatt since 2018.  In 2019 she completes the trilogy “un-emotional” focused on the relationships between physical language, mimicry and gestures. In 2020 together with Lois Alexander and Clarissa Rêgo she created “Strange Foreign Bodies”, inspired by „58 Indices on the Body“ by Jean-Luc Nancy premiered on the stage of “schwere reiter”, Munich. “Radical Cheerleading” is her latest production, premiered in 2022, at “LOT-Theater Braunschweig“.

The international program of Antistatic Festival for Contemporary Dance and Performance is organized is organized by the "Brain Store Project" foundation and the "Nomad Dance Academy Bulgaria" association, with the financial support of the Ministry of Culture, Goethe-Institut Bulgarien,  Sofia Municipality - Calendar of Cultural Events, National Culture Fund, programme “Creative Europe”, SEEDS - South-East European Dance Stations project - co-funded by the “Creative Europe” Programme of the European Union, and in partnership with RCSI "Toplocentrala", "Derrida" Stage, National Gallery “Kvadrat 500” and Club “DOM”.

Bulgarian Dance Platform is realized with the financial support of Ministry of Culture.

The Educational programme “Without Distance” 2024 is part of the project „Life Long Burning – Future Lost and Found (LLB 3)   and is realized with the financial support of the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union, National Culture Fund, programme “Creative Europe”, and in partnership with Goethe-Institut Bulgarien.