Theatre
GROOVE
GROOVE is the third work in choreographer Jonas Frey’s Urban Deciphered series, exploring the intersections of contemporary choreography, club and street dance, and music within a pop-cultural context.
Club and street dances are intrinsically intertwined with music: we dance to music, and music is created to dance to.
The approach goes beyond examining urban dance as an art form and incorporates the personal experiences of the audience as potential dancers in a club, at a party, or at home. The collective memory that emerges is reinforced through familiar movement and recognizable music, with a focus on each individual’s personal groove – their unique way of moving to music.
Associative stories and memories arise through watching and listening, while at the same time space opens for personal reflection, shaped by silence, danced fragments, music samples, and the transformation of both music and movement. GROOVE is dedicated to our innate urge to move to music, while searching for those moments in dance when we forget everything around us.
Jonas Frey
Jonas Frey is a contemporary street dance artist, choreographer, and dance educator based in Mannheim, Germany. Rooted in the philosophy of hip hop culture, he develops artistic works that explore the potential of street dance within contemporary choreography. His pieces extend beyond the boundaries of urban dance and are created for both traditional stages and unconventional spaces outside the theatre. Together with Julie Pécard, he founded COTA projects in 2025 as a platform for creation and collaboration. He is also an artist-in-residence at Theater Freiburg and part of the Reseau Grand Luxe programme.
Creative Team
Choreography & artistic direction: Jonas Frey
Created and performed by: Andrea Böge, Mike Planz, Gabrielle Aidulis, Kasia Kadłubowska
Music: Kasia Kadłubowska, Vunky Lao
Dramaturgy: Célestine Hennermann
Costume & stage design: Petra Vašková
Lighting design: Stefan Grießhaber
Producer: Jonas Frey
Duration: 50 min.
Premiere: 25 October 2024, EinTanzHaus Mannheim
Photo: Lys Y Seng
Supported by the State Association of Independent Dance and Theatre Makers Baden-Württemberg, funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of the State of Baden-Württemberg and the Cultural Office of the City of Mannheim.
Developed at Inter-Actions Studio in cooperation with EinTanzHaus.
