DAGADA dance company
Since 2014, under the artistic direction of Karolin Stächele, DAGADA dance has been creating full-length productions performed at various venues such as theaters, clubs, and galleries. Based in Freiburg im Breisgau, DAGADA dance collaborates with a dynamic group of artists from diverse genres to develop a repertoire that includes both solo and group performances. The cast is selected on a project basis, and Stächele’s choreographic process encourages dancers to explore and express extreme physical states. The resulting works are deeply connected to the contributing and co-creating artists. The ensemble has presented its work nationally and internationally in cities such as Berlin, Leipzig, Basel (Switzerland), Haarlem (Netherlands), Brest (France), and Prague (Czech Republic).
DAGADA dance aims to make significant social contributions through contemporary dance, which transcends verbal forms of expression. The group addresses current societal issues and invites audiences to perceive, reflect, and engage in dialogue through innovative artistic presentations.
DAGADA dance views dance as an international and intercultural medium. The group places great emphasis on participation, collaboration, and appreciation throughout the creative process, involving both professional contemporary dancers and amateurs. Through firsthand experience in these processes, the “understanding” of dance art is deepened, establishing a meaningful and enduring connection to cultural experience. This collective process gives rise to an original aesthetic.
In 2022, DAGADA dance was selected as one of 12 established independent ensembles in Germany to participate in the TANZLAND Guest Performance Workshop, organized by the German Dance Association and the Federal Cultural Foundation in cooperation with the INTHEGA venues.
TEAM
Artistic Direction, Choreography & Concept Development
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Driven by personal interest and later as a musician (flute, vocals, and drums), Karolin Stächele began traveling to Guinea/Conakry and Congo/Brazzaville for extended periods starting at the age of 16. There, she expanded her musical knowledge by engaging with the complex rhythms of these countries. As an active member of various groups specializing in Afropop, Afrobeat, and traditional West African music, she toured internationally, performing at numerous festivals.
Through her exploration of various traditional African dances, Karolin discovered her passion for movement, eventually leading her to contemporary dance. In 2011, she completed her training at bewegungs-art freiburg. Since then, she has worked as a freelance choreographer, dancer, performer, and dance educator.
In 2014, Karolin launched her own label, DAGADA dance, under which she creates full-length productions. Her strong connection to (West) Africa and her fascination with complex rhythms are evident in her choreographies: From her very first work, she has collaborated with composers to create original soundtracks for her pieces, using rhythm as a guiding principle in developing her distinctive dance language.
As a teacher, Karolin has shared her knowledge for over a decade in various training formats and professional dance programs. Her artistic direction in several children’s and youth productions has earned her multiple awards, including the Innovation Prize for Socioculture and the BKM Award for Cultural Education in 2018, the highest national award in the field of cultural mediation.
Karolin is also actively engaged in cultural policy in Freiburg and the surrounding region. She was a founding member of tanznetz|freiburg (2018–2022), contributing significantly to the dance development concept implemented through TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund.
Since September 2021, Karolin has served as Co-Director of the training program at bewegungs-art freiburg, a center for dance, improvisation, and performance.
„My work is loud and tender; it seduces and confronts. It challenges by refusing to simply please, daring instead to explore the raw and uncomfortable – that which lies deep within us all and is a part of who we are.”
Dramaturgy
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(DANCE AND TEXT DRAMATURGY, CONCEPT, PERFORMANCE)
After completing her acting and dance training, Sabine has worked freelance in various ensembles, both nationally and internationally. Since 2000, she has also been active as a choreographer and director (including TDT Tanztheater, La Fura dels Baus (ES), Theater Freiburg, Aktionstheater PAN.OPTIKUM, Bregenz Festival (AT)). She is a co-founder of the choreographers’ collective freiburg.
Production Management
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Nicki is a freelance dancer, choreographer, and production manager. Her roots in dance lie in street dance, and she made a name for herself early on through her expertise in popping, actively participating in the battle scene. She is one of seven members of Germany’s most renowned female crew, “Déjà Vu,” where she held her own against international competitors both as a solo dancer and with the crew. She completed her training in Sweden at the renowned “Åsa Folkhögskola.”
As a dancer, choreographer, and production manager, Nicki is a member of the internationally acclaimed Aktionstheater PAN.OPTIKUM (Freiburg i. Br.). Among other achievements, she choreographed for the European project “Power of Diversity - The Crossing Lines Project,” which collaborated with nine other European partners across eight countries.
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Sarah is a performer and production manager based in Freiburg. In addition to her work in modern and contemporary dance, she brings expertise in organization and process management for dance projects, having collaborated with artists such as Bernardo San Rafael, Tina Halford, and Laura Heinecke. Actively engaged in the dance scene, Sarah is a founding member of NEXO e.V., combining her organizational skills and passion for art and culture to successfully realize artistic and performative projects.
With a background in philosophy and a particular interest in exploring questions of the self from both physical and intellectual perspectives, Sarah integrates her diverse areas of expertise into a holistic approach.
Music
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(MUSIC, GRAPHICS)
Paul is a composer of contemporary electronic music, sound designer, and artist. During his art studies at the University of Leeds (UK) with a focus on sculpture, he developed more interest in sound than in objects and began experimenting with sounds in space. Over the past ten years, his work has led the Berlin-based artist to various projects, as well as commissions in dance and film productions (Verve/UK, Polski Teatr Tànica/PL, Mloda Polska, Limitless/Aus).
Stage & Costume Design
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(STAGE)
After his training, Sönke worked for two years as a carpenter and five years as a project manager in trade fair construction before becoming self-employed.
Since 2000, he has been a member and, since 2006, a partner of the Aktionstheater PAN.OPTIKUM, with which he has been touring worldwide for 18 years. In numerous national and international large-scale projects, he has been responsible for technical direction.
For twelve years, Sönke has been designing and creating stage sets for touring theater productions, including Oropax, Take Two, and the Kleine Oper in Bad Homburg. Together with concept artist Peter Zizka, he realized art projects such as the installation “Das virtuelle Minenfeld” at the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Berlin and in the Old Town Hall of Freiburg, as well as the “Symbiosis” project, which was exhibited at the ZKM in Karlsruhe and the E-Werk Freiburg.
Photo & Video
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(PHOTOGRAPHY)
The Berlin-born photographer Yasemin, who works as an artist under the name MiNZ&KUNST, is a freelance enthusiast of light painting. When reflecting on the focus of her photographic work, the human being is at the center. She specializes in portrait, dance, theater, and documentary photography.
ARTISTIC COLLABORATIONS WITH:
Marta Capaccioli, Yannis Karalis, Manon Parent, Tidiani N’Diaye, Amael Mavoungou, Nia Shand, Beuz Thiombane, Djeli Kouyate, Titina Camara, Christina Mertzani, André Soares, Carla Wierer, Lubi Kimpanov, Zoe Ingellis, Fiona Combosch, Nadine Jundt, Dj URTE, Lola Villegas Fragoso, Linda Pilar Brodhag, Carlos Aller, Yeonji Han, Alan Fuentes y Guerra, Gal Naor, Matan Zamir, Lilly Bosse, Lotta Sandborgh, Chiara Marolla, Angelo Petracca, Christian Leveque, Marco Rizzi, Jonathan Sanchez, Natalia Gabrielczyk, Simone Elliott, Olivia Grassot, Katharina Ludwig, Neil Höhener, Zweatlana, Jule Weber, Arno Verbruggen, Fabio Calvisi, Luka Fritsch, Abiba Sokoto, Gregor Krammer, Bryan Doisy, Charles Antoni, Efthymia Chatzakou, Paco Ladrón de Guevara, Kirill Berezovski, Peter Butler, Marcella Centenero