Laura Waltz is a Berlin-based performer with a focus on movement research and puppetry/object theatre.

Educated in dance, acting, and puppetry/object theatre, she explores the deep possibilities for meaning through/of movement and interdisciplinarity. She is interested in how these different forms can feed and influence each other within the creative process, and in their combination on stage as an extension of traditional expressive power. She experiments both with her own body as an instrument as well as the animation of external performative materials, the merging or the separation of those, and all the possibilities that lie in between. In doing so, she questions the resulting effects as echoes of dramaturgical choices.

This performative focus and creative process has become the core of her work. As such, she appeared in the leading role in the inclusive production "VOM UMTAUSCH AUSGESCHLOSSEN" (D. M. Couturier) at Thikwa Theatre (invited to PAF 2021), where she danced, acted, and used puppets. Furthermore, she continued guest performances as a dancer and choreography assistant at "SpeeDance Project" (curated by T. Zirkilevich and E. Starke) at Dock 11 in July 2022.

Laura wrestles with content that deals with feminism and inclusion, as well as experiments with and positions herself against hyper-sexualisation and objectification of the female body, patriarchal dynamics and their persecution, foreign appropriation of bodies, discrimination against women and FLINTA* individuals, and more. Through this work, she met artist Nora Amin and became a guest dancer at Sophiensaele in Amin's solo "My Dance" (Festival White Money by FLINN WORKS, 2021), as well as a performer/dancer in the creation "Re-Rooting" also by and with N. Amin, with duos and solo scenes (cofinanced by Tanzfabrik, supported by Prozessförderung, #TAKEHEART) at Theater Oyoun - Kultur NeuDenken in Sept. 2022. Diving deeper into these themes, and passionate about exploring the basis of feminist/sociological theses on witch-hunting and current social manifestations of it, she conducted her research project entitled "Own my Body?" in Autumn 2022 (Residency Funding for Graduates/NeuStartKultur/Fonds Darstellende Künste, as part of #TAKEHEART, supported by Kampnagel). This exploration became a physical research project on the freedom of the female body within a patriarchal society, translated into a stage context. Her main questions included: "Is the associative space on stage only an extension of social patriarchal attributions? Or can I ultimately determine the sexualisation or nonsexualisation of my body on stage?"

From August till December 2022, she collaborated as a dancer/performer in the residency 'AR Magic Loop' at Dock11 and performed during DOCKDigital's "OPEN LAB" in four different projects as a dancer/digital dancer ("Persona" and “Organism” by Baris Pekcağlıyan and Katrine Bregnum, as well as in the digital movement research "body parts {con}fusion" (performance + concept) with Nora Krahl and as visual artist, her mentor Beka Tcharbadze.

Most recently, Laura acted in the VR-Oper “Am Ende der Welt”, directed and composed by Nora Krahl, as well as danced in the inclusive production "Herzen. ZWISCHEN. Vulkanen" by Karina Suárez Bosche. This dance creation, which premiered in TAK in the frame of the "Special Olympics Berlin 2023” received the 3rd prize “Berlin Prevention Award 2023” from Berlin State Commission against Violence and the Berlin Senate.

From September 2023 till March 2024, Laura was Fellow at the Academy for Theatre and Digitality with her movement research 'A_live'. This exploration led to a new body methodology for 3D avatars embodiment, and will be used a.o. for the theater production “Urban Legends” from the director Vidovszky György, (Premiere: May 24, Kolibri Theater, Budapest, co-produced by 'Play On!' and the Academy for Theater and Digitality).

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