Movement - Expression - Gesture - Performance
This website presents the creative pursuits and works in progress of
Dr. Tonja van Helden (Ph.D). Van Helden's specialization in dance, theatre and choreography explores how gesture and body movement relate to forms and concepts established by 20th century Ausdruckstanz. Her latest choreographic work will be presented in Alan Ayckbourn's "Seasons's Greetings" featuring a cha-cha and tango piece using the inspiring music of Ruben Gonzalez (13/14/15.12. 2018) and Dea Loher's Blaubart Hoffnung der Frauen the Gallus Theatre, 07.02-10.02.2018 in Frankfurt.
Sponsored by Kunstvoll-Kunstfonds, Dr. van Helden has choreographed a section of Stravinsky's Sacre du Printemps for a contemporary work titled, Eskalationsrisiko based on the Albayrak case in Offenbach. Performances debut at the Gallus Theatre in Frankfurt am Main on 27.May and 01.June, 2017. She has choreographed for Theatre4You's production, Sag beim Abschied: Scenes and Songs of Love and Loneliness. Performances at the Gallus Theatre in Frankfurt am Main on 16. and 17. June,2017.
In January 2017 she taught Contemporary Cabaret for the International Theatre School Association. She has choreographed for Living with Lady Macbeth at the Frankfurt English Theatre. ETF is the largest English speaking theater in continental Europe. She presented a lecture/demonstration at the Society of Dance History Scholars at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University on her research about contemporary dance video and documentary. Her dissertation titled, "Expressions of Form and Gesture in Ausdruckstanz, Tanztheater and Contemporary Dance" is available and published by ProQuest.com.
“O body swayed to music, O brightening glance,
How can we know
the dancer from the dance?"
- Among School Children
by William Butler Yeats