Four enchanting "cheerleaders" are the protagonists of the choreographic game of chance that is the latest piece by Franco‑Austrian collective Superamas. These spirited young girls fire up the public in "Casino Linz," embodying a US‑style female stereotype, standing for the exciting live experience, the home game on TV, the design of young women in our colourful media world as well as the codex of desire and abuse. They exceed the limits of their cliché role, becoming trash furies, dubbing performers, singers and figures in a tableaux vivant. The piece opens with a cartoon character quoting a criticism of the "aestheticising processes" that politics uses to keep the people diverted and thus under control. Then the game begins with images, situations, contexts and clichés. Superamas transform the dance studio surroundings into a theatre space, a gallery, a cinema and back into a studio, integrating scenes and installations from their earlier works. "Casino" is intended as a site specific work, to be performed in museums or department stores in new variations, always with the aim of renewing the group's relationship with their audience. In theory, they don't want to confuse or mystify ‑ audiences should understand their work ‑ but be both critical and entertaining. In practice, Superamas play bitter‑sweet sounds on the piano of our supposed morality, with growing success.

Helmut Ploebst, Ballet-tanz 08/09/2005

Production : SUPERAMAS

Co-production : Choreographic Center Linz/Austria, Tanzquartier Wien/Austria