The Other Body?

Our symposium “The other body?”, organised by TANZKOMPLIZEN as part of the Offensive Tanz, would have focused on racist structures in dance and was at the very beginning of the corona era. It was the first event we had to cancel and postpone indefinitely. The camera that recorded Nora Amin's keynote speech that March 13 also captured Raha Nejad's impressive dance performance in the middle of an empty room (recorded above). We took the opportunity to talk to the German-Persian dancer and choreographer by call.

Raha, how do you deal with the current situation, do many jobs just fall away for you?

I think the whole life is just falling away. It has already started before that many events have failed. But I also thought we could do it. Artists inside are generally survival artists inside. But it really hit me when the symposium was cancelled as part of the Offensive Tanz, which was extremely important for me personally. It was a very emotional, blatant day. Doing the performance in front of the empty space in the Schillertheater Werkstatt – I don’t know exactly what it was. This feeling is not something you can control. And the song being played is also doing something to me.

You speak to the music, how did you choose it?

These are the ‘Four Seasons’ of Vivaldi. I generally like to work with classical music, I used to play a lot of violin and saxophone. Music is extremely important to me, especially when working as a soloist. I chose the four seasons because of their increase. The ‘Four Seasons’ of Vivaldi – It is a sad piece, but this sadness then opens up, so you want to go to freedom. And that's how it feels to me, too. So quite strikingly said.

You work with many different dance styles, are known for your versatility. What do you think about these divisions of styles?

The more a dancer deals with different directions, the more his own dance develops. As a young girl, it was very important for me to be able to do everything I wanted to do. You also have to deal with one thing first to be able to say – okay, I understand that. Then you go on to something else. I've always loved being someone who jumps around between different styles. But hip-hop, urban dance, has always been my priority. And then of course there is my background that I bring with me, my roots. I think we're all too busy thinking in boxes. And in one direction. That's not possible. There is not only one direction.

You are also active in the educational context, how do you teach dance?

In addition to working in the dance school, I also teach at the gymnasium, i.e. in a school group. This is, of course, something completely different. I can't expect everyone to want to become great artists. No, but I have to convey it in such a way that they know what dance is all about.

What is dance (laughing) about?

Dance is first about understanding what feeling the dancer wants to convey. To be open and watch what dance does to you. Openness is a very important word in this context. I want to pass something on. Musicality and the stylistics that exist. As well as the freedom we have to mix these stylistics. That's what I want to pass on to the children. What you do is you. When dancing, you create your own base, your own environment. How you want to get this across, you have it in your own hands. Dance enriches, it is a medicine. If we didn't have that in this current situation, it would be very difficult. Artists on the inside are fortunate enough to fall back on something that brings joy in life. That's worth a lot. Even on such a day as that of the unusual trade day, when we went home from the Schillertheater workshop. I was very sad. It was a mixture of sadness, but also delicacy somewhere. Out of sadness and happiness, about being allowed to do what I do. I have the feeling that artists are also getting a special voice inside, in this situation. We live by presenting ourselves and it's the art of making it look easy. But there is a very different work behind it.

I think it's nice what you're talking about, that dance is all about openness. Is this also related to combating racism in dance, school, everyday life?

I can use the openness, the freedom that comes from dancing to make me feel better. That protects me. Whether it's protection from racism or any other conflict you have in life.

I can't avoid being a foreigner. But as an artist, I can make a statement.

For me as a Persian, freedom also has a very important meaning in the game with the hair. Because we have to keep our hair covered, and that's what I'm playing with. I don't do this as a provocation, I present myself as I am. You come forward as a person, as a woman, as a Southerner.

Do you have a vision of dance? A feeling of where it could go?

I think we just have time to think about what this vision of dance can look like. It's a pause where you can reflect on which direction you want to go. This is easier said than done. I think the vision for many is to just continue as before, but maybe with other, or clearer eyes. In the Schillertheater workshop, this was a very conscious moment for me. It was like the last time I danced for a long time.