Lucinda Childs | Dance On Ensemble
Works in Silence

Works in Silence offers insights into a decisive development phase of Lucinda Childs, one of the most important choreographers of the 20th century.

This collection of early works is exciting because of its rarity and importance in the dance field. Most of them have not been seen since they were first shown in the 1970s. Childs has left behind all hallmarks of the Judson Dance Theater era in these dances and has chosen to focus on the body’s passage through space to zero in on the essence of initial movement, which, for her, is the act of walking. From walking to running to changing direction to skipping to leaping: “Works in Silence” illustrates the evolution of movement into dance through Lucinda Childs’ choreographic vision. 

These works express a fragility and humanity that are a perfect example of the value of experience, ideally suited to the dancers of Dance On Ensemble, who bring their own abundant histories and knowledge.

Lucinda Childs began her career in 1963 as a choreographer, performer, and original member of “The Judson Dance Theater” in New York. She formed her own dance company in 1973 and always worked as a principal performer and solo choreographer in various productions. Childs has collaborated with several composers, designers, and major ballet companies through the years. She received numerous honors, including the NEA/NEFA American Masterpiece Award, the Samuel H. Scripps Award for lifetime achievement in 2017, and the Venice Biennale de la Danse Golden Lion Award. In 2004 she was elevated from Officer to Commander of France’s Order of Arts and Letters.

Dance On Ensemble is a Berlin-based company for professional dancers over 40 who look back on a long dance biography. In collaboration with internationally renowned choreographers and directors, including Rabih Mroué, Deborah Hay, William Forsythe, and Jan Martens, the Dance On Ensemble develops a repertoire of groundbreaking and exciting contemporary dance works to create an ambitious repertoire for dancers 40+ while sustainably developing their professional careers. 

Dance On Ensemble was founded in 2015 by the Berlin-based cultural non-profit organization “Bureau Ritter” as part of the “Dance On” initiative, which recognizes the artistic excellence of dancers aged 40+. As part of the pan-European collaborative project “Dance On, Pass On, Dream On,” this initiative generates solid international partnerships and is dedicated to preserving the intangible cultural heritage of dance.