Mani Obeya
“Dance and Movement Class: Stand”
August 4 – 8, 2026
14.30 – 16.30 H
Advanced
17.00 – 19.00 H
Professionals
Muffathalle Studios
Zellstraße 4
Studio E
In English
“C'est une révolte? - Non, Sire, c'est une révolution!” – La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt
Uprisings are a recurring feature of human history – an expression of resistance, the will to change, and collective action. From the secessio plebis in Ancient Rome to the French Revolution and the forms of protest in the Civil Rights Movement or on the Maidan: it has always been bodies in space that made political and social dynamics visible. Whether peaceful, politically forceful, or violent – every form of rebellion gives rise to its own physical language.
This workshop explores precisely this physical dimension of protest and uprising. It begins with visual imagery from social media, which serves as a catalyst for examining, transforming, and distilling movements into dance. The focus is not only on the outward form of protest but also on what drives it: emotions, tensions, and collective energy.
Through this dance class, participants explore different roles within uprisings – from demonstrators and those affected to mediating authorities – and engage with the underlying, danced dynamics. What postures emerge in moments of resistance? What do they reveal about strength, vulnerability, or ambivalence?
Mani Obeya, born in Nigeria and raised in England, is a dancer, singer-songwriter, and choreographer. He trained at the Arts Educational School, Ballet Rambert, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, among other institutions. He was a soloist in Heidelberg, Mannheim, and at the Volksoper Wien, and later a guest artist with the Forsythe Company.
This was followed by international engagements, including a long-standing collaboration with Michael Keegan Dolan’s company (now: Teac Damsa), with which he toured worldwide and also worked as an assistant and rehearsal director.
Since 2004, he has been a singer with the band Sofa Surfers and has been honored with two Amadeus Austrian Music Awards. He also works as a choreographer at renowned theaters such as Deutsche Oper Berlin, Deutsches Theater Berlin, Theater Bremen, and at Schauspielhaus Dresden, and is involved in international youth projects, including in Nairobi and with asylum seekers in Austria.