German choreographer Stephanie Thiersch’s latest work navigates through rituals of mourning and loss, to be performed in Kolkata

German choreographer Stephanie Thiersch draws from her research through a collaborative performance with Parvathy Baul called, Hello to Emptiness. The performance will take place today and tomorrow at GD Birla Sabhaghar Kolkata which would also double up as the Kolkata premiere of the performance presented by Goethe Institut/ Max Mueller Bhavan, before it travels to Bengaluru and New Delhi. The performance would be blending dance, music, and poetry with deeply moving cross-cultural references that would navigate grief and loss. The international ensemble includes Parvathy Baul, Mariana Sadovska, Juan Jruz Diaz De Garaio Esnaola, Julien Ferranti Manon Parent, Riya Mandal and Joshua Sailo.

What does Stephanie have to say about the performance and connecting with the audience?

We caught up with Stephanie ahead of the performance and here’s a quick comment on the title and its deeper significance, “Several years ago I wanted to do a piece about the situation people are in when they are faced with death, separation or disappearance. In the Western world this is considered as a void that opens up. ‘Hello’ means how we can find a way to embrace that emptiness and separation. What ways to we have a humans to deal with these situations of loss and death”.

All you need to know about the performance

What: Hello to Emptiness

When: April 9 and 10 , 2025

Where: GD Birla Sabhaghar

Timing: 7 pm onwards

Free Passes can be collected from Goethe Institut (between 10 am and 6 pm) or GD Birla Sabhaghar (between 10 am and 6 pm)