François-Eloi Lavignac - Fifth position (Huggy Bears Days)

Huggy Bears Days *** Dance, performance *** World premiere *** in English *** Duration: ca. 60 minutes

How far are we willing to go for success? Ballet as a personal way of tackling classic dance is the subject of François-Eloi Lavignac’s Fifth position – an autofictional, subversive devotion as a tragic ballet love story.

This one certain way of crossing one’s legs, taking advantage of the outward turn and fixing one’s legs to the ground – only in this manner of permanent rotation does the language of ballet come to life. Somewhat paradoxically, it is impossible to achieve the perfect Fifth position that lends former Vienna State Ballet member François-Eloi Lavignac’s solo its title. The piece combines ambition, craving and sexuality in a type of fight. Most narrative ballets tell a tragic love story and so does this one: “Fifth position explores what lies between discipline the pursuit of success and the question of how far I am willing to go for it,” says the French-born choreographer/performer. “It’s an autofictional solo, in which I allow myself to live out fantasies such as sleeping with the boss to be successful, becoming a star, being the most wanted, being the best.” Fifth position thus becomes a personal test in self-perception, the clumsy voice of a sex object that was never supposed to speak at all.

Content notes: The performance addresses explicit content, uses strong language and includes depictions of sexual violence. Recommended from the age of 18 years.

Combined tickets are available for the performances of Fifth Position by François-Eloi Lavignac and PIERRE by Laureen Drexler & Giorgia Scisciola on 12.11., 13.11. and 14.11. at studio brut: €30 / €22 / €18.