UNEXPECTED LESSONS 1: Somewhere at the Beginning

Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre

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  UNEXPECTED LESSONS 1: Somewhere at the Beginning 1 – Eine Person in einem ärmellosen, dunklen Kleid beugt sich nach vorn, während zahlreiche weiße Federn durch die Luft wirbeln.

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  UNEXPECTED LESSONS 1: Somewhere at the Beginning 2 – Eine Person in ärmellosem dunklem Kleid auf einer dunklen Bühne.

Germaine Acogny is an African contemporary dance icon, and winner of the Dance Biennale Golden Lion. In her moving solo “Somewhere at the Beginning,” she takes tentative steps into the past, towards the origins and ancestors that accompany her like shadows and witnesses.

Germaine Acogny’s body tells stories of departure and return, of leaving the African continent, of life in European exile, and of homecoming. The performance unfolds as a search for identity – never complete, always in a state of becoming. Under the intimate direction of the German-French director Mikaël Serre, a space is made for memory, in which the personal, the fragile and the unfinished is central.

The performance will celebrate its Berlin premiere in Radialsystem at the end of May, opening the series UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound, which runs from May 2026 until February 2027. The performances will be supplemented by an accompanying programme over several days: alongside workshops, we will show the Berlin premiere of the documentary film “Germaine Acogny – The Essence of Dance” by Greta-Marie Becker. The film will be showing in German cinemas from 28 May 2026.

Artists/Collaborators: Mikaël Serre (Konzept und Regie), Germaine Acogny (Choreografie und Tanz), Patrick Acogny (Choreografieassistenz), Maciej Fiszer (Bühnenbild), Johanna Diakhate-Rittmeyer (Kostüme), Fabrice Bouillon “LaForest” (Musik), Sébastien Dupouey (Video), Nicolás Kretz (Video-Operator), Sébastien Michaud (Lichtdesign), Marco Wehrspann (Technische Leitung), Togoun Servais Acogny, Aloopho, Germaine Acogny, Euripides (Medea), Bearbeitung von Mikaël Serre (Text von)

Somewhere at the Beginning is a production by JANT-BI, Senegal, in co-production with Les Théâtres de la Ville du Luxembourg / Théâtre de la Ville, Paris / Institut Français, Paris. Residency and co-production La Ferme du Buisson, scène nationale de Marne-la-Vallée. Residency Le Centquatre, Paris.

The series ‘UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound’ is supported by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin. In cooperation with the Betty Center for Movement Research in Dance Studies at LMU Munich. An event as part of the TALKING OBJECTS LAB.

Media partners Radialsystem: taz. die tageszeitung, tip Berlin, Rausgegangen, The Berliner.

UNEXPECTED LESSON 1 

Sun, 24 May 202612 – 14 h: „Contemporary African Dance“ – Workshop with Patrick Acogny15 – 17 h: „Contemporary African Dance“ – Workshop with Patrick Acogny17 – 19 h: „LA PALABRE Space“ – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*

Mon, 25 May 202618 – 20.30 h: „LA PALABRE Space“ – Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*19 h: „Somewhere at the Beginning“ – Performance by Germaine Acogny20.30 h:„Germaine Acogny. Die Essenz des Tanzes" – Film by Greta-Marie Becker

Tue, 26 May 202618 – 20.30 h: „LA PALABRE Space“– Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions*19 h: „Somewhere at the Beginning“ – Performance by Germaine AcognyArtist Talk afterwards

Wed, 27 May 202614 – 16 h: „Technique Acogny – Contemporary African Dance“ – Workshop with Germaine Acogny (at Tanzfabrik Berlin)

*The program at LA PALABRE Space is curated by Arantxa Ciafrino.

Next date:

• Date Monday, 25/May/2026 19:00 (1 more date)
• Venue Radialsystem V
• Address Holzmarktstraße 33, 10243 Berlin-Friedrichshain