Film screening: Streetwear. A film by Mark Sieczkarek (2022)

Sunday, 26 October 2025

In this quirky dance film, Wuppertal was transformed into a vibrant total work of art combining movement, fashion and urban poetry. With 22 performers, the city came to life – staircases became stages, graffiti walls became dance partners and a football pitch became the setting for spectacular choreographies. In Streetwear, with Mark Sieczkarek and the multifaceted individual episodes, the city takes on a fascinating and diverse life of its own, blurring the boundaries between art and everyday life.

Stars of the international dance theatre scene meet local artists: Pina Bausch legends such as Julie Shanahan, Ophelia Young and Kenji Takagi dance side by side with Wuppertal-based creatives such as Karlo Wentzel and Udo Sträßer – all clad in Sieczkarek’s unique costumes made from recycled everyday materials. Created during the pandemic, when the world stood still, this film celebrates life in its wildest, most colourful form. A film that proves: art can emerge wherever people have the courage to dream. With a visual feast, this film makes Wuppertal the secret capital of contemporary dance.

Camera, editing, sound collage, costumes: Mark Sieczkarek
Dancers: Mateusz Bogdanowicz, Emily Castelli, Aaron Samuel Davis, Gabrio Gabrielli, Eray Gülay, Mertcan Güler, Thor Galileo Àse, Niklas de Haas, Stsiapan Hurski, Nayoung Kim, Keisuke Mihara, Pierandrea Rosato, Julie Shanahan, Wigabriel Soto Eschebach, Telma de Souza, Gustavo Stanley, Udo Sträßer, Kenji Takagi, Karlo Wentzel, Ophelia Young, Tsai-Chin-Yu, Francesca Zaccaria

Supported by the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The discussion following the film screening with Member of the Bundestag Helge Lindh, Bettina Milz, content coordinator of the emerging Pina Bausch Centre, Thomas Thorausch, director of the German Dance Archive, and dancers Julie Shanahan and Kenji Takagi, was moderated by Melanie Suchy and Uta Atzpodien.

Further information: https://under-construction-wuppertal.de/en/events/okt-2025/s…