Chris Leuenberger & Marcel Schwald

When male bodies touch each other tenderly, it is often interpreted as a homosexual act – and still regarded by many as offensive. From a young age, boys learn to avoid exchanging such touches with other boys. This phenomenon is referred to as «touch isolation» In their performance of the same name, choreographer Chris Leuenberger and director Marcel Schwald explore the question of how this phenomenon affects our society. Their latest work focuses on the globally dominant US film industry and the masculine archetypes it portrays. Together with three US dancers, Schwald and Leuenberger reveal glimpses of more disarmed, negotiable masculinities.

Marcel Schwald and Chris Leuenberger have twice before, in 2015 with «Kreutzberg» and in 2018 with «Ef_femininity», explored a choreographic and documentary experience in their dance performances. «Ef_femininity» deals with various forms of femininity* and was invited to the Festival Impulse NRW as well as to the Sélection Suisse en Avignon in 2019. Schwald/Leuenberger now explore the issues of male identity in «Touch Isolation».

Choreographers at Work is a documentary film series about creation processes in contemporary dance by Mona De Weerdt & Michelle Ettlin. More at https://choreographersatwork.ch

Masks mandatory in the performance venue. Further information here.