“Friedensschritte” eine Performance von Babak Radmehr

Friedensschritte (Steps towards Peace) is an intense and abstract dance performance by Iranian choreographer Babak Radmehr. Inspired by his memories of the Iran-Iraq War, the piece focuses not on the external battlefield, but on the internal geography of human beings. It explores how echoes of the word “war” continue to reverberate psychologically and physically once introduced to a young, growing body.

In an exploratory movement-based language, the ensemble approaches these deep-seated memories without explicitly retelling them. Instead, the stage becomes a laboratory for physical research into concealed conflict and the persistence of trauma. Radmehr’s radical focus on the body is also a silent act of resistance – in a cultural context where dance is subject to restrictions and prohibitions, any movement becomes an assertion of freedom.

The choreography combines the aesthetics of Persian dance elements with the dynamics of contemporary dance. The dancers make emotional scars visible – not as stiff signs of pain, but as flowing, rhythmic impulses. This results in sequences that challenge the body and eventually transform it. The abstract nature of dance makes the attempt to imbue old wounds with a new, healing meaning tangible.

Step by step, patterns emerge on the stage that extend far beyond the realm of the individual. Avoiding explicit imagery and political rhetoric, the performance allows the audience to make its own associations. It is an invitation to experience the transformative power of dance – an art form that can articulate the universal longing for peace in a way that is both fragile and powerful. 

Julia Fuchs – Dancer

Daniella Preap – Dancer

Bartosz Maria Przybylski – Dancer

Xiao Fu – Composition / Laptop

Parichehr Bijani – Make-up / Styling

Babak Radmehr – Artistic Director / Choreographer