With Mathilde Monnier, an icon of French Danse Contemporaine, coming to Heidelberg, we encounter an artist who consistently engages with societal issues in her work. With her keen sensitivity to the significance of the dancing body, she stages and choreographs stories in »Black Lights« that resonate with us because they are true, immediate, and relevant to half of humanity.

Drawing from texts by well-known female authors, eight women—dancers and actresses—present on stage, in an unpretentious, direct, and casual manner, the assaults and violence they experience, as well as the injuries, derision, and scorn that our society holds for women who resist these injustices. The performers testify to their anger and vulnerability while simultaneously conveying the sense of community and strength of an ensemble.

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