Mladi levi | Jana Jacuka: HA

performance

“A friend of a friend put his arm around me – ha – it made me feel uncomfortable, but all I could manage was hahahaha.”
Ha is a performance about the many situations in which we might utter “ha” to augh off awkwardness when we don’t know what else we could, should, or would like to say. At the same time, it’s a search for a different kind of “ha” – one that would break through shyness, cultural codes, and politeness to roar out in response.
For the local audience, Latvian dancer and choreographer Jana Jacuka could be described as the “child” of artist Irena Tomažin Zagoričnik and a Finnish death metal singer. She is coming to the Mladi levi festival with a solo piece developed at the DAS Academy in Amsterdam. In it, she tackles the universal “ha”, while also launching a new artistic exploration of the syllable “aha” through the EFFEA programme, in collaboration with the Homo Novus and Santarcangelo festivals.

Choreographer and performer: Jana Jacuka
Mentor: Miguel Melgares
External advisors: Bruno Listopad, Ira Brand
Outside eye and dramaturgy advice: Eva Susova, Sam Scheuermann, Toni Steffens
Text advisor: Joachim Robbrecht
Text editing in collaboration with: Nicolas Lange
Vocal advisors: Moa Holgersson, Monica Janssen, Maria Magdalena Kozłowska
Graphic designer: Estere Betija Gravere
Sources of inspiration: A Mouthful of Tongues – Stina Fors, No Title – Mette Edvardsen, Alma Söderberg; Meredith Monk
Special thanks: Veronika Abdul-Visocka
This performance was developed within the context of the DAS Theatre Master’s programme.
SSupported by: ATD-Aart Janszen Fund (NL), Young Art Support Amsterdam Award (NL), International Bursary Award (Amsterdam Fringe Festival, NL), State Culture Capital Foundation (LV)
Co-produced by: Theatre on Gertrude Street

The performance is in English with Slovene surtitles.

Photo: Peteris Viksna