Ana Kavalis is a Cuban-German performance artist and teacher based in Berlin since 2004. In Cuba, she studied modern dance with teachers such as Tangin Fong, Manolo Vasquez, and Narciso Medina. In 1996 she emigrated to Montevideo, Uruguay, where she studies drama at the E.M.A.D. In 2001 she takes part in the Cptzinho at the CPT (Theater research center) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, where she learned the actors, method developed by the director Antunes Filho. In her practice, she combines elements of Butoh dance, physical theater, improvisation, instant composition, breathwork, meditation and somatic bodywork. Her aim is to create a physicality where there is no division between body-mind/ body-voice, but a fluid and permeable whole. She researches around the concept of embodiment, and the relationship between movement-breath- language-sound- images- emotions. In her performance work she looks for ways of exchanging and connecting with the audience where performer and audience could experiment a transformation into different levels of consciousness: physical, energetic, and spiritual. She is interested in feminists and decolonial bodies and thinking practices. She collaborates with several independent theater and dance groups in Berlin and abroad. The long collaboration with the Djalma Primordial Science (led by Ephia and Jeff Gburek), significantly influenced her body/performance research. Some of her Solo-performances are Eurydike - eine Anatomie des Schattens (2006/2007), Penthesilea (2009), Lilith im Spiegel (2010/2011), Das Meer hinter der Mauer (2012), Qui se cache dans ce corps? (2016/2017), Lilith’s pomegranate (2019) and Somehow standing (2019/2020). In 2021 she collaborates with different Projects and artist: Tilitilibom, Regie: Ynez de Zilón; FemWut, Regie: Ulrike Düringer ( ); Sudaca, Regie: Diana Veneziano, (Iberoescena Fonds Uruguay). Her researchproject Urbane Hexen: Widerständige Frauen in Berlin got funded by Distanzsolo Förderung from Dachverband Tanz Deutschaland. She teaches creative dance and improvisation theatre for children. Since 2018 she leads The resonant body training.
