Dance Ambassador Celine

In the whale

Between whale, water world and children's fantasy - A morning with "Im Wal" at Kulturhaus Karlshorst

“Im Wal” is a dance theatre play for children from 4 years of age by the collective “OOPSALA”. The collective consists of 4 Berlin artists. They have made it their mission to teach children dance interactively and with fun. They deal with climate policy issues and let the children of their imagination run wild.

Journey into the underwater world

Already the journey began excitingly, because the Berlin S-Bahn trains drove this morning anything but reliable. Nevertheless, I reached the Kulturhaus in time. Even before I entered the building, a young man ran in front of me – apparently he too had the same goal. In the foyer we were warmly welcomed and accompanied directly into the hall.

Even before the beginning there was a special atmosphere. Around me, numerous elementary school classes and kindergarten groups were waiting for the entrance full of anticipation. The kids sat on the floor talking excitedly and couldn't wait for it to start. After greeting the three performers, I took my place. Shortly thereafter, the children flocked to the hall – loud, curious and full of energy.

With the extinction of light began a quiet, almost dreamlike journey into an underwater world. The three dancers appeared with large plastic wraps and bags reminiscent of floating jellyfish. Slow, flowing movements brought the sea to life on stage. While I found these poetic images very atmospheric, many children responded with giggles and laughter. In the subsequent conversation, the artists told me that they had also surprised this reaction. For them, this scene was romantic and peaceful – a fine example of how different children and adults can perceive the same images.

After a short time, the children themselves became part of the performance. Together, they learned simple hand signals such as ‘stop’ or ‘everything is okay’, because underwater people cannot speak. When asked if they had come to learn to dive, a boy spontaneously shouted: ‘I always drown!’ This unexpected comment caused a lot of laughter and eased the mood.

Dance, fantasy and interactive moments

I especially remembered a boy with a high-visibility vest. He was full of urge to move and was always looking for the way to the stage. I found out later that he was autistic. While many adults might have tried to hold him back, the open structure of the piece seemed to give him space to engage in his very own way.

A particularly touching moment arose when the performers were swallowed by the whale over the course of the story. After numerous attempts to come out, they were exhausted. They covered themselves with the plastic sheets and lay down to sleep. It was at this very moment that the boy ran onto the stage, looked attentively at the scene, also took a slide, lay down next to the dancers and covered up carefully. Without a word, he became part of this silent image. It was neither disturbing nor set-up, but rather a very honest, almost magical moment arose.

Later, the three dancers transformed underneath the foil into a long, caterpillar-like being that moved through the room. Here, too, the boy slipped under the foil and became part of the monster. It was only when this disintegrated that he left the stage and was warmly received by his teachers.

Finally, the question arose as to how the dancers could leave the whale. The children enthusiastically developed a wide variety of ideas: jumping out, building a tower or helping each other. However, the most creative answer came from a boy who suggested simply tickling the whale to spit it out. That is exactly how it finally happened.

After the end of the story, all the children were allowed to experiment with the plastic films themselves, dance and discover the materials. There was a lot of applause and many children did not want to leave the hall – some even wanted an encore.

I personally liked ‘Im Wal’ very much. I was particularly impressed by the imaginative visual language and the cordiality of the three performers. In the subsequent conversation, I received exciting insights into their way of working. I also learned that the piece was inspired by the Spanish production ‘Plankton’.

However, I had a small point of criticism. The many participatory moments during the performance repeatedly led to unrest. Until all the children sat in their seats again, often some time passed, whereby the narrative flow was interrupted several times. I could imagine that bundled participation phases – for example, more at the end – would further increase the impact of the piece.

Nevertheless, the positive impression clearly prevailed for me. ‘Im Wal’ combines dance, fantasy and interactive moments in a very loving way. It shows how different children experience art, how valuable spontaneous moments can be and that sometimes the unplanned moments leave the strongest memories.

You are also interested in becoming a dance ambassador, then contact Canan Erek: info@purple-festival.de