Selected Events 2006
Dances for the Blue House in Breisach
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July 19 - August 5, 2006. Jonathan Hollander and Aviva Geismar, two Jewish-American choreographers, and their New York-based dance companies are joining with German partners to launch a series of events that respond through dance to the historical events that led to the destruction of the European Jewish community during WWII. Together they have forged a joint approach to the exploration of a universal issue: how do the next generations of Germans and Americans respond to the Holocaust?
An 18-month planning period for this program of creative and educational projects had begun in the Fall of 2004 with meetings in New York City, and it will culminate in performances, workshops and other public events centered in the towns of Breisach and Freiburg from mid-July – August 5, 2006. German high school students and dancers-in-training from Breisach and Freiburg will create and perform their own artistic responses leading up to the finale in Breisach.
During the week of January 27th, 2005, the 60th Anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, Aviva Geismar and Jonathan Hollander had traveled to Germany on a grant from the U.S. Government to present their project "Dances for the Blue House." Dancers, students, teachers and community, foundation, corporate and government leaders offered to join the project, strengthening and expanding it into a truly bilateral effort.
This summer, the members of Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action will mentor local dancers and school groups during week-long workshops at three high schools and one community center.
The sessions will culminate in a concert made up of two parts: Battery Dance Company and Drastic Action will present four dances that metaphorically reference Holocaust issues, and the local dancers and students will present their newly-created short works.
Both performances and educational workshops are designed to involve a broad crosssection of young people, professional dancers and the general public in the exploration of art, education, history and mutual understanding.
At the heart of this expansive program of international cultural exchange is The Blue House project of Breisach that demonstrates poignantly and powerfully the actions individuals can take to change attitudes and air social and historical injustices in their communities. The Blue House is an old building which served as the gathering place for Breisach’s 300-year old Jewish community up until the community’s demise. After decades of neglect and decay, the house was slated to be torn down in 1999. Instead, it was purchased by a group of community members, the Förderverein, and restored as a living museum and memorial.
With the building as a base, the Förderverein searched for the survivors of Breisach’s Jewish Community and their descendents. These individuals have returned to Breisach three times at the invitation of the Förderverein and the town government, and have shared their histories with community members and schools. The Förderverein, in its endeavor to enlarge the scope of its programs, has invited Geismar and Hollander to develop this new initiative joining art and social consciousness.
