SOMEWHERE AT THE BEGINNING
Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre
May 25/26, 2026, 7 p.m.
HALLE, Radialsystem, Berlin
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.
Tickets for the performance “Somewhere at the Beginning" can be bought through the links below. The performance marks the start of the series “UNEXPECTED LESSONS – Knowledges of Body and Sound” and will be complemented by a supporting program lasting several days:
DANCE WORKSHOP with Patrick Acogny
May 24, 2026, 12-2 p.m.
May 24, 2026, 3–5 p.m.
STUDIO, Radialsystem, Berlin
The work of the Senegalese-French dancer, choreographer, and teacher Patrick Acogny moves at the intersection of contemporary African dance, body work, and contemporary choreography. His powerful and vibrant training is open to all levels, as he himself says: “In many African cultures, you don’t start by knowing how to dance. You start by being there, listening, and entering the circle.” The workshop of this internationally renowned artist is based on the spine as a source of movement, breath, and polyrhythms, unfolding from warm-ups to small choreographic sequences. The workshop will have musical accompaniment by Lath Mbaye and Seydina Mouhamadou Gueye Koité.
Tickets >>here<<.
SOMEWHERE AT THE BEGINNING
Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre
May 25, 2026, 7 p.m.
HALLE, Radialsystem, Berlin
Tickets >>here<<.
GERMAINE ACOGNY – “Die Essenz des Tanzes”
Berlin film premiere
May 25, 2026, 8:30 p.m.
HALLE, Radialsystem, Berlin
In addition to workshops and an artistic meeting space, we will be showing the Berlin premiere of the documentary film “Germaine Acogny – Die Essenz des Tanzes” by Greta-Marie Becker. The film will then be released in cinemas throughout Germany.
Tickets >>here<<.
SOMEWHERE AT THE BEGINNING
Performance by Germaine Acogny & Mikaël Serre
May 26, 2026, 7 p.m.
HALLE, Radialsystem, Berlin
Tickets >>here<<.
At the table with…
May 26, 2026, 8:30 p.m.
HALLE, Radialsystem, Berlin
Artist talk with Germaine Acogny, Patrick Acogny, Mansour Ciss Kanakassy, moderated by Prof. Dr. Mariama Diagne and Isabel Raabe. The talk will follow right after the performance.
LA PALABRE Space — Tea, Reading & Resting Room
May 26, 6-8:30 p.m.
KUBUS, Radialsystem, Berlin
Tea, Reading & Resting Room with artistic interventions. The programme at LA PALABRE Space is curated by Arantxa Ciafrino. On May 26, LA PALABRE Space will feature hn.lyonga and Melanie Garland. More information on the LA PALABRE Space will follow shortly.
DANCE WORKSHOP with Germaine Acogny
May 27, 2026, 2-4 p.m.
TANZFABRIK BERLIN, Möckernstr. 68, 10965 Berlin
Germaine Acogny, the mother of contemporary African dance, developed her own technique, which she describes as ‘African dance in modern expression’. At the centre of her work is the spine – a symbol of the snake and the tree of life. Many movements are inspired by images from nature – from the baobab tree to the water lily to the eagle – as well as by everyday gestures. The Acogny technique is precise, lively, and powerful. Warm-ups, floor work and choreographic sequences invite dancers of all levels to rediscover their movement qualities and transform traditional forms into a contemporary, universal dance language. This is a unique opportunity to experience Germaine Acogny in person in Berlin and learn directly from her. The workshop will have musical accompaniment by Baye Mor Dieng.
The series UNEXPECTED LESSONS — Knowledges of Body and Sound is funded by the LOTTO Foundation Berlin. In cooperation with the Betty Center for Movement Research in Dance Studies at LMU Munich.