Die Tanzstunde

Dancing and dreaming with the legs

He couldn't prevent it: Professor Ever Montgomery must learn to dance for an award ceremony. That would not be a problem in itself, but Ever Montgomery abhors physical contact. He is autistic. In conversations, he takes almost everything literally. He struggles to decipher the expressions of those around him. At least he has perfectly organized his daily life.

His neighbor Senga Quinn is a dancer. Leaving aside a failed relationship and difficult family circumstances, after an accident, it is questionable whether she will ever wear dance shoes again.

The atmosphere between the two is therefore quite tense when Ever asks his neighbor for dance lessons. It takes a few measures and tactlessness, but both come closer step by step.

A touching and humorous piece about an unequal pair who can only awkwardly keep the same rhythm. A woman who does not want to face the truth meets a man who cannot lie.

A production by Theater Curioso Darmstadt | Performers: Annette Potempa & Ulrich Sommer

Ticket pre-sale: at all known ticket outlets, by phone at 0611 1724596 or online www.kuenstlerhaus43.de

Press Reviews

Darmstädter Echo

… Ulrich Sommer and Annette Potempa skillfully brought the funny – but also profound – piece to the stage under the direction of Hans Richter and with the set design by Matthias Heinrichs. In the fully packed Mollerhaus Theater, there was much laughter, cheering, and applauding. Without batting an eyelash, Potempa and Sommer embodied their difficult roles in the most absurd and humorous situations for 90 minutes. … These scenes made the audience laugh and deeply touched them through the virtuoso performance. A strong piece by Theater Curioso, which deals with existential experiences of a sincere togetherness, in which all participants learn quite a bit about themselves and each other.

Sybille Maxheimer, DA-Echo, 14.10.2024

FAZ

Actor Ulrich Sommer has chosen a role and piece that fit perfectly into the schedule of his Theater Curioso. If one takes the degree of amusement at the premiere as a measure, then "Die Tanzstunde" should become a great success in the small repertoire of Curioso. … Author Mark St. Germain lets the quirky oddball meet his gruff neighbor (Annette Potempa masks her character's depressive mood with stubborn anger), making "Die Tanzstunde" a special variant of screwball comedy. … What is presented under the direction of Hans Richter as a quirky and idiosyncratic farce culminates after an hour and a half of entertaining time in a melodrama that unexpectedly resonates deeply.

Stefan Benz, FAZ, 17.10.2024