Rozhina Rastgoo
IT FEELS LIKE FREEDOM
Rozhina Rastgoo recommends that we throw ourselves on the carpet more often.
How old are you and what do you do at the Gorki?
I’m 19 and I’m part of the AKTIONIST*INNEN. That’s the Gorki’s youth theatre club.
Are you getting ready for your Abitur exams now?
Yes.
Just a yes? But that’s quite a bit of work, right?
That’s right. But school, the school system – it robs you of a lot of power. It’s mega stressful. During rehearsals I soak up energy. The Gorki gives me the strength to do better in school.
What are you working on at the Gorki?
On the dance performance 4 Wënde. It isn't a finished piece in which everyone has their part. It’s all teamwork. We used the walls because how much distance we have to have from one another is very specifically stipulated at the moment. They’re the walls that we should stay within in these Covid times. So we don’t just base it on ourselves, we also conduct interviews. For example, what happens when one doesn’t have their own four walls at all?
In the scene that I just saw, you move constantly. You throw yourself on the floor, roll around on it, jump up and down again.
We improvise a lot. But in that part every movement has been choreographed exactly. Everything must be done quickly and still be very precise. We run out of breath and get sweaty as well. That feels like freedom. Feeling one’s own body. Noticing what it can do, what it learns. I love that.
Do you also throw yourself on the floor at home and practice?
My carpet and I – we have a very special relationship. I love throwing myself on the floor and feeling this energy. In daily life we sit, stand and walk, always the same movements. So it’s good to just do very different movements in rehearsals. The body feels that and it enjoys it. You’ve definitely got to try it.
Interview: Arno Widmann