b12 summer | main event
research or die.
© cree barnett williams
b12
sungrazers
cree barnett williams
elefantin
dates (dock 11 theater)
the theatre hall is located at ground level in the second courtyard. it is accessible via a step that can be bridged with a ramp, if necessary. due to current renovation work, which is expected to last until september, there is currently no barrier-free toilet available. severely disabled persons who require accompaniment will receive a free accompaniment ticket. unfortunately, it is not possible to book the accompanying ticket online. please book your ticket online and send an e-mail to dockart@dockart-berlin.de for the accompanying ticket. we will then provide the accompanying ticket. people in wheelchairs or with other physical or cognitive impairments who need assistance, we ask for prior registration by email at dockart@dockart-berlin.de.
unfortunately, there are no disabled parking spaces near DOCK 11.
cree barnett williams:
cree is a berlin-based choreographer/director, moderator/curator and performer. through dance, theatre and satire, her work explores mental health, the cult of wellness, the political nature of the female body and the urgent need for joy, and has been presented at theatres and festivals including staatstheater kassel, the place london, b12 festival berlin, mayfest bristol, london’s royal opera house linbury theatre, sadler’s wells’ lillian baylis studio and dock 11 berlin. as a moderator, cree regularly facilitates panel discussions and events for b12 festival in berlin and is a co-curator of their platform deep space, exploring topics such as artificial vs embodied intelligence, education in the performing arts, personal and career sustainability and power dynamics in the dance sector. she believes the discussion and interview formats to be critical in connecting us as individuals through our experiences while also challenging the structures of dance and the arts. jamaican-irish and born in the uk, cree graduated from london’s rambert school and was a member of johannes wieland company at the state theatre kassel. she has worked internationally with artists such as tom weinberger, helder seabra, thrbdrgns, marina mascarell, elisabeth schilling and christopher roman, as well as on film with sidi larbi cherkaoui, punchdrunk, holly blakey and carla massolini, in who’s short film to the body she featured as both actress and movement director.
alessia ruffolo
Currently based in Berlin, Alessia is a Canadian-born choreographer, dancer, actor and creative working across theater and film. She holds a BFA in dance from Point Park University Conservatory of Performing Arts (Pittsburgh, USA), and has also trained in theatre/acting for film at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and The New York Film Academy. Currently, she is working closely with theatre directors Phillip Rosendahl, Alexander Nerlich and Ulrich Greb as a co-director/choreographer at Staatstheater Cottbus, Gothenburg Opera, Staatstheater Mainz, Stadttheater Ingolstadt, Schlosstheaater Moers. Her Recent work “Alice" in which she co-directed and choreographed alongside Philipp Rosendahl was selected among the top 10 Best pieces of the Nachtkritik Theatertreffen 2025. From 2016-2021, she worked with FAUST nominated choreographer Johannes Wieland as member of the Staatstheater Kassel. As a performer, she has also worked with Maxine Doyle - Punchdrunk, Lenka Vagnerova, Kristian Lever, Dani Vitale, Yamila Kodhr, Tom Weinberger, Helder Seabra, and Luke Murphy. Alessia’s Independent choreographic work has been showcased across Europe and North America in various festivals/theatres, including Teatri Riflessi’s Short Play Festival, The University of Michigan, the 34th International Choreographic Competition Hannover, CAOS Stalker Teatro, The 15th Copenhagen Choreography Competition, etc. Her ScreenDance work has also received recognition from numerous international film festivals, most notably winning the “Most Daring Film” Award from the Dare2Dance in Public Film festival 2021.
elefantin
“I could sell my dream house, move to Switzerland, get fat, grow old and die.”
- Barbie on turning 60
ELEFANTIN is a feminist dance-theatre-satire preoccupied with the image of an inwardly crumbling,
outwardly shining plastic icon, on the verge of physical and mental breakdown. In 2019, Barbie
celebrated her 60th birthday. Now 67, we ask: how is Barbie? And what does she really want for
herself?
Drawing on music videos, advertising, and 90s/00s comedy sketch shows, the audience in ELEFANTIN witnesses a vulnerable, fallible, and ultimately very human Barbie speak for herself. Channelling female rage and resistance, satirising the spectacle of aggressive pop-cultural sexuality, she stumbles, doubts, screams, laughs, tries to maintain her carefully constructed image, and struggles with herself - just like the rest of us. As impulses of refusal arise, her image distorts and falls apart in front of our eyes. Tragically funny, the comedy of her discomfort illuminates the dark and complex tension between performance and agency, control and surrender for women in contemporary culture.
Concept, direction: Cree Barnett Williams
Choreography: Cree Barnett Williams in collaboration with Alessia Ruffolo
Performers: Alessia Ruffolo and Cree Barnett Williams
Sound design: Jan Beyer
Costume design: Angela Roudaut
Projection design, initial sound design and costume development: Cree Barnett Williams
Duration: ~50 mins
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