2050 – Our Utupias

How can we create a just world together? And what utopias do we need to get there? “2050 – Our Utopias” is a call to dream beyond what is possible and to rethink what is achievable – a dance theatre performance that transcends time and space, transporting us into a world where urgent social and ecological challenges have been overcome.

Under the direction of choreographer and dancer Raphael Moussa Hillebrand – recipient of the German Dance Award 2020 – and in close collaboration with dancer Joy Alpuerto Ritter, “2050 – Our Utopias” unfolds as a choreography in which dance, language, and spiritual elements flow into one another. It is accompanied live by the poetic sounds of cellist Eurico Ferreira Mathias and Djielifily Sako on the kora, a 21-string bridge harp from Mali. Together, the four artists transform the stage into a creative universe that reveals new pathways toward a global community – one that places the rights of all above the privileges of the few.

“2050 – Our Utopias” is an artistic experiment that explores the boundaries of the present and points the way to a hopeful future. The performers draw on their diverse influences to develop new perspectives on today’s challenges and possibilities – and invite the audience into a dialogue on shaping a more just world.

PREMIERE: 10/03/2025
DURATION: 90 MIN
VENUE: RADIALSYSTEM

Press reviews

"Two outstanding performers, accompanied by two equally outstanding musicians – the result is over an hour of collective lift-off into dreaming." (tanz, Dorion Weickmann / November 2024)

"2050 – Our Utopias invites us to dream — ‘for those who come after us,’ but also for ourselves. The piece is playful, confrontational, intimate, and above all encouraging and full of hope." (Tanzschreiber, Miriam Tischler, October 2024)

"Things take off together with the audience. A firework of ideas, dance, live video, shadow play, interaction with the audience, singing together, and moments of closeness. Not to mention the outstanding live music by Eurico Ferreira Mathias (cello) and Djielifily Sako (kora, a 21-string bridge harp)." (Tanzschreiber, Dieter Hartwig, October 2024)

How can we create a just world together? And what utopias do we need to achieve it? “2050 – Our Utopias” is a call to dream beyond what is possible and to rethink what is achievable – a dance theatre performance that transcends time and space, transporting us into a world where the pressing social and ecological challenges have been overcome.

Under the direction of choreographer and dancer Raphael Moussa Hillebrand – recipient of the German Dance Award 2020 – and in close collaboration with dancer Joy Alpuerto Ritter, “2050 – Our Utopias” unfolds as a choreography in which dance, language, and spiritual elements flow into one another. It is accompanied live by the poetic sounds of cellist Eurico Ferreira Mathias and Djielifily Sako on the kora, a 21-string bridge harp from Mali. Together, the four artists transform the stage into a creative universe that reveals new pathways toward a global community – one that places the rights of all above the privileges of the few.

How can we create a just world together? And what utopias do we need to achieve it? “2050 – Our Utopias” is a call to dream beyond what is possible and to rethink what is achievable – a dance theatre performance that transcends time and space, transporting us into a world where the pressing social and ecological challenges have been overcome.

Under the direction of choreographer and dancer Raphael Moussa Hillebrand – recipient of the German Dance Award 2020 – and in close collaboration with dancer Joy Alpuerto Ritter, “2050 – Our Utopias” unfolds as a choreography in which dance, language, and spiritual elements flow into one another. It is accompanied live by the poetic sounds of cellist Eurico Ferreira Mathias and Djielifily Sako on the kora, a 21-string bridge harp from Mali. Together, the four artists transform the stage into a creative universe that reveals new pathways toward a global community – one that places the rights of all above the privileges of the few.

“2050 – Our Utopias” is an artistic experiment that explores the boundaries of the present and points the way to a hopeful future. The performers draw on their diverse influences to develop new perspectives on today’s challenges and possibilities – and invite the audience into a dialogue on shaping a more just world.

Cast

Concept and Artistic Direction
Raphael Moussa Hillebrand

Choreography, Performance, and Text
Joy Alpuerto Ritter
Raphael Moussa Hillebrand

Direction and Choreographic Assistance
Kysy Fischer

Dramaturgy
Amrit Walia
To Doan

Outside Eye
Magda Korsinsky

Music
Eurico Ferreira Mathias
Djelifily Sako

Costume
Marcus Barros Cardoso

Lighting Design
Jörg Bittner

Production Management
Annett Hardegen

PR
Jasmin Blümel-Hillebrand

Photography
Denis Koonè Kuhnert

Costume Photography
Kasapio

Biographies

Raphael Moussa Hillebrand was born in Hong Kong and raised in Berlin. With roots in Germany and West Africa and shaped by hip-hop culture, he completed his Master's degree in Choreography at the University of the Arts – HZT Berlin in 2014. His work fuses body and language into powerful, decolonial narratives. As a member of Battle Squad, Animatronik, and through numerous institutional collaborations, he has built creative bridges with dancers worldwide for over 20 years. As a founding member of the hip-hop political party Die Urbane, he advocates for decolonization, empowerment, and cultural diversity. In 2020, he received the German Dance Award. His solo performance On My Shoulders (Ballhaus Naunynstraße, 2019) marked his first collaboration with Eurico Ferreira Mathias.

Joy Alpuerto Ritter was born in the USA to Filipino parents and raised in Germany. After training in ballet and Filipino folk dances, she earned her diploma from the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden. She developed a hybrid movement language blending contemporary, urban, and traditional styles. She worked with choreographers including Christoph Winkler, Yui Kawaguchi, and Heike Hennig, and toured internationally with Cirque du Soleil, Wang Ramirez, and the Akram Khan Company. For her role in Until the Lions, she was nominated as “Outstanding Female Dancer” (Modern) by the National Dance Awards UK. Since 2016, she has also worked as a choreographer, creating stage and film works, including Babae (Aerowaves 2020) and OZ – Der Zauber in uns, which won the Ikarus Prize 2023.

Eurico Ferreira Mathias is a musician and cellist who has developed a unique vocabulary on his instrument. His improvisations transcend musical styles and art forms. He collaborates with filmmakers, poets, dancers, painters, sculptors, and musicians, performing across Europe, South Asia, and Brazil. He is the founder of The String Archestra and the Muacy Trio.

Djielifily Sako comes from a renowned family of musicians and griots in Mali and is a master of the kora, a 21-string bridge harp. He studied under Sidiki Diabate and later with Toumani Diabate, with whom he performed extensively in concerts and on television in Bamako. He has lived in Berlin for nearly 15 years and has played at almost every major venue in the city. His traditionally learned repertoire merges with modern influences, creating jazz-inflected, contemporary interpretations of West African music.