Jochen Roller was born 1971 in Berlin and studied Applied Theatre Science in Gießen. He studied Choreography at the Laban Dance Centre in London. Since 1997 he works as a freelance choreographer and has produced numerous works for the stage, films, and galleries. His creations have toured over 20 countries.
In addition, Jochen Roller works as a dramaturge and performer for various choreographers, as a curator for different festivals, and teaches at several universities. Since 2009 his choreographic works have been increasingly promoted in the Asian-Pacific region, and for that reason he has chosen Sydney, Australia, as his second place of residence.
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Portrait
He who explains must know the question. Getting to the heart of it then becomes dance, performance or a lecture, but leaves the question with a remnant of its own secretive air. Jochen Roller is a thought mover. His “perform performing” trilogy (from 2002) analysed his own working conditions, enthused the audience with its dry humour and toured worldwide. Jochen Roller then changed the question and choreographed a group piece about choreographing. The following duets then dealt with a third issue: a different medium. “Mnemonic Nonstop” describes extremities on city maps and streets on bodies. “-VOID-” places emptiness as a sculpture on a pedestal in a gallery and asks about the value of art when it is present in its absence. “Kojote – eine Moralanalyse” explores the Wild West’s filmic myths – fantasies from the late adolescence of two German states. The toaster on stage sends up smoke signals. Wild is something else.
However, domesticated man is also a myth; dance history, among other things, draws on this fact. The kinship between the action fighter Van Damme and not-so-painless ballet training is demonstrated in Roller’s “Janclod!”. Finally, he delves into the remembrance and non-remembrance of the Shoah with his Israeli colleague Saar Magal: “Basically I don’t but actually I do” places photos – collective images of genocide – on stage as gestures and positions in skits – numbers – that, if you look closely or through it all, don’t manage to tame the horror.
Works available for touring
Der Carpenter-Effekt (2012)3 performers – stage 10 x 10 m – 60 min
Get your Freak on! (2011)
solo – conference room or cinema hall – 60 min
–VOID– (2010)
2 performers – gallery space (white cube)
60 min (live) + 10 min (online)
Basically I don’t but actually I do. (2009)
2 performers – stage 12 x 14 m – 55 min
JANCLOD! – être aware and beyond (2008)
solo – stage 10 x 10 m – 45 min
mnemonic nonstop (2005)
3 performers – stage 12 x 14 m – 60 min
