b12 summer | main event
research or die.
© suzy hazelwood
b12
asteroids
b12 participants work out and research ideas with a choreographer in order to present them in a performance setting. the following workshop description is the starting point for the piece to be developed. the draft will then be presented to the public at dock 11. b12ers can get tickets at a reduced ticket price (10 euro)!
akira uchida // marco di nardo // evangelos poulinas
performance projects
dates (dock 11 theater)
akira uchida
based in nyc, ottawa-born akira uchida is a dancer, choreographer and director whose work in dance intersects with the mediums of film, animation, fashion and photography. he has previously presented work at fire island dance festival, battery dance festival and capezzio ace awards, and has created work for the clyfford still museum, point park university, the juilliard school summer intensive, cli conservatory and flight path dance project. he was recently an emerging choreographer at springboard danse 2025. he has choreographed and movement-directed for music artists including florence and the machine, inji, haai, leon vynehall, saint levant, flyana boss, photay and indochine, and his recent films love tempo, still and what a place premiered on nowness. he is also a resident choreographer at play me techno, an underground performance rave in brooklyn. outside of artistic achievements, akira regularly teaches in the nyc dance scene through workshop series and pop-up classes, and remains dedicated to inspiring the next generation through teaching and advocacy: he is a board member at share the movement, a non-profit dedicated to supporting and providing opportunity to young bipoc dancers.
Everything Forever
this performance project invites participants to step inside the world of my choreographic process as we develop a new work together. i prioritise creating an environment where collaborators are both challenged and supported, encouraging growth, risk-taking and the expansion of individual artistry as part of a collective body. my movement tasks and core concepts ask dancers to engage with their bodies by balancing precision with a rich sense of imagination. the work carries a charged quality, requiring heightened awareness and sensitivity from the performers. in this state, movement connects to life force, power and vulnerability.
marco di nardo
Artistic Director of Frantics Co | Assistant Choreographer of Wang Ramirez
marco di nardo started his journey in dance in the breaking scene, gaining recognition and becoming one of the founders of the unbreakable battle in belgium in 2012. in 2014, marco co-founded the berlin-based frantics dance company, where he continues to serve as an artistic director and choreographer, leading collaborations with orsolina 28, of curious nature, staatstheater osnabrück, and co-creating the freiart festival. since 2017, he has collaborated with wang ramirez as an assistant choreographer and former dancer in productions such as we are monchichi, you.me, au revoir for göteborgsoperans danskompani, and l’après-midi d’un faune for opera du capitole de toulouse. he is currently working on their new production, a l’origine. previously, he worked as an assistant choreographer at braunschweig staatstheater and as a dancer for panorama dance company, theater strahl, and southpaw dance company. marco has taught at renowned institutions such as opera bastille paris, ballet preljocaj, staatstheater kassel, staatstheater braunschweig, l’opéra national du capitole toulouse, northern school of contemporary dance, of curious nature, göteborgsoperans danskompani, and b12 berlin. in his workshops and classes, he focuses on merging the dynamic elements of urban and contemporary dance while incorporating a theatrical approach to bring depth and narrative to movement.
Resonance
my choreographic approach is based on exploration, participation and inclusion. it begins with the individual, the dancer with their own story and unique physical language, and develops into a collective expression that preserves each performer's authenticity. i believe the role of the choreographer is not to impose a shape, but to activate processes of improvisation, sharing and composition that lead to a final result which feels strong, alive and true to the body and the experience of the performers, aiming to create a living connection between body, light and sound. through guided improvisations and clear movement tasks, dancers explore their own physical language while staying connected to the group’s shared rhythm and energy. i like to integrate light design and electronic music as active elements in the creation, not just as background but as real partners in the choreography. light shapes emotional spaces and transforms together with the dancers, while the music drives and inspires movement, changing its texture and intensity. the goal is to build a collective atmosphere where each performer moves within the same vibe, free, present and connected.
evangelos poulinas
evangelos poulinas is a professor at the palucca university of dance in dresden. he received his bfa from the aristotle university of thessaloniki, a diploma from the athens state school of dance, and his mfa at the tisch school of the arts in new york. his choreographies have been presented in the usa, europe and asia, and his piece, alternative bodies, has been performed in germany, greece, france, italy, spain, the netherlands, switzerland, macau and china. he has danced in pieces by j. wieland, m. doyle and w. vandekeybus, and was director of the annual one small step festival in greece from 2010 to 2018. he teaches contemporary techniques in europe, the usa and asia, and has received scholarships from the alexandros s. onassis public benefit foundation, new york university, a greek state scholarship and a scholarship from danceweb europe. he is a founding member and artistic director of the annual b12 contemporary dance and performance art festival in berlin. (www.b12.space)
Sincere Illusion
sincere illusion is a performance project exploring how we construct, perform and perceive our identities in relation to others. the work investigates the paradox between authenticity and presentation, the tension of who we are, who we wish to be and the traces of ourselves we reveal or conceal. as our human interactions shift and multiply, the piece asks: what does it mean to connect, to be seen and to remain human? the creative process blends task-based exploration, improvisation, set material and spoken text. together, we will experiment with gestures, repetition, loops, subtle rituals and fragments of speech, highlighting the humour, contradictions and occasional absurdities of navigating selves in flux. participants are encouraged to bring their curiosity, personal experiences and playfulness into the studio, shaping the work collectively. this project welcomes movers with an interest in contemporary dance, floor work, partnering, improvisation and collaborative creation. no previous experience with spoken text or thematic work on identity is required, only openness, imagination and a willingness to explore human connection as fluid, performative and delightfully paradoxical.
performers
akira ushida // nn
b12 |||||||||||||| 2026 |||||||||||||| we are you ||||||||||||||