Practicing Empathy #2 by 2

Here, the audience is invited to try out a little empathy practice for themselves: in each of several 2 x 2 metre squares, two viewers can meet two dancers from the Yasmeen Godder Company and immerse themselves in a shared experience. This practice appropriates the two-metre social distancing rule of the Covid-19 pandemic and transforms it into a tool for connection, empathy and intimacy.

We recommend that you wear comfortable clothing for the performance which will allow you to sit on the floor if necessary. Should you wish to inform the dancers of something they should know about your participation in the piece, please email the Münchner Kammerspiele dramaturgy department. Contact: Olivia Ebert (olivia.ebert@kammerspiele.de).

Yasmeen Godder has been one of the leading exponents of dance in Israel for the past twenty years. Her choreographies often arise from an exploration of questions about coexistence and engage the audience with their precise yet expressive power. In her “Practicing Empathy” series, she and her company have been developing choreographies and events since 2019 which invite viewers to practice empathy. A two-year research period saw the company traveling to various places and coming into contact with diverse communities in Tel Aviv, Bassano del Grappo and Düsseldorf. For a long time, Yasmeen Godder’s work has focused on encounters and emotional connections – between both acquaintances and strangers. The starting point for her sensitive research work has always been her own artistic practice in which the mediums of dance and choreography play a central role.