Tess Voelker presents new solo work «Teddy Bear» at Bärenzwinger Berlin

In Teddy Bear, Tess Voelker examines the body, control, and the gaze placed on female artists. The work takes the history of the Bärenzwinger as a place of captivity as its starting point and connects it with questions of gentrification, self-determination, and the commercialization of female bodies.

The cage becomes a metaphor for control and observation. At the same time, the work addresses the physical discipline inherent in dance. Teddy Bear considers how labels such as “wild” or “crazy” are imposed on women, and what happens when those labels are reclaimed.

The performance is part of Act III, Nirgends wird Welt sein, als innen., the third and final act of Bärenzwinger’s 2026 artistic programme. The programme draws on Rainer Maria Rilke’s Duino Elegies (1922) and addresses loss, memory, preservation, and transformation.

Tess Voelker is an American dancer and choreographer. She danced with Nederlands Dans Theater and has worked with choreographers including Crystal Pite, Paul Lightfoot, Marco Goecke, and Johan Inger. At 23, she became the youngest choreographer to create a work for the Paris Opera Ballet.

Since 2023, Voelker has worked independently. Her work has been presented at Théâtre National de Chaillot, Musée National Picasso-Paris, and Guggenheim Bilbao. She has also created work for Ballet Dortmund. Most recently, she contributed to Issey Miyake’s Spring/Summer 2027 show in Paris, choreographing the opening performance and appearing on stage herself.

Event
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Tess Voelker – Teddy Bear
New solo work
Saturday, 17 October 2026, 7 pm
Bärenzwinger Berlin
Im Köllnischen Park
Rungestraße 30
10179 Berlin

Admission free

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