In her dance performance, Kristy Nataraja takes the audience on a journey beyond the self and questions gender roles through space and time - with her body and her movements.

Nataraja is an interdisciplinary performance artist from Equatorial Guinea, Russia and Ukraine who has come to Berlin from her last place of residence. This cultural journey - from alienation to rapprochement with different cultures - is reflected in her body language.

Inspired by animation dance, hip-hop and traditional Indian dance styles, the performer initially moves like an avatar: distanced, almost mechanical.

Gradually, she connects with history, emotions and social roles - between maternal, paternal and youthful upheaval.

This creates a space in which traditional roles are questioned, memories become tangible and new forms of connection become possible.

The performance developed especially for the Humboldt Forum unfolds in three stations of the ethnological collection, which were selected for the special exhibition Beziehungsweise Familie:

Station 1: Cynthia Schimming "No Title" (Namibia) - "Matriarchal care, resilience, empathy and memories are embodied; the body encourages intergenerational reflection." Kristy Nataraja

Station 2: Mandu Yenu Thron (Cameroon) - "Dance as a mirror of power, care and responsibility.

Matriarchal and patriarchal structures enter into a physical dialog about leadership, control and self-discovery. How to lead and govern?" Kristy Nataraja

Station 3: Oceania (initiation house from Palau) - "Making transitions tangible. The path from child to adult can be experienced ritually, the animated body embraces change." Kristy Nataraja

Costumes, rhythm and encounters create a space that reaches beyond the individual - towards the collective and the transpersonal. The audience is invited to take a fresh look at their own identity: How are we shaped, what do we carry forward, what do we change?

At the end there is space for questions and discussion with the performer.

PARTICIPANTS

Kristy Nataraja (born 1990 in Kharkiv) is an Afro-Ukrainian interdisciplinary performance artist who explores universal cultural patterns and Jungian archetypes through ritual practices from Central Africa and India. Her work combines mask symbolism, traditional gestures and dream work to bridge scientific, artistic and spiritual dimensions.

Based on years of intensive study of Indian traditions and transpersonal psychology, Kristy combines traditional Indian techniques with modern street dance animation to create performances that transcend cultural boundaries. Her practice integrates depth psychological concepts and transpersonal psychotherapeutic approaches, offering deep insights into the human experience through movement as ritual.

Andres Markus is a South American sound researcher, multi-instrumentalist and educator from Buenos Aires who lives in Berlin. He explores the intertwining of rhythms with ancestry through the modern lens of electronic techniques.

He works in various fields: Live performances, music direction, sound curation, artistic assistance and mentoring.

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