Waiting Places – Bobbi Jene

'Waiting Places' af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer

Grey concrete walls. Tall, arched windows make me think of an old, beautiful train station. Through the windows I see: a man wearing headphones, a piano. In front of the windows: four or so tables on a row, each with a chair as if it was a school or maybe, a waiting room. On the back wall next to the windows: chalk lines, one two three four and five, like in a prison or as part of a game. To the right: a door with a glass window, bright light shining through. To the left: a monitor showing surveillance footage of the space (again: train station). Beneath: a table, a chair, a woman with long dark hair sitting with her back turned to us. On the table next to her, office props: a yellow telephone, a water dispenser, two drinking glasses.

'Waiting Places' af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer
‘Waiting Places’ af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer

Waiting as a way of searching

Trying

Trying again 

Failing

Trying again

making an effort!

Failing

Tryingagain

Trying hard to find pleasure in failing

Waiting

Waiting for it to feel right.

Waiting as a way of wasting time

Waiting without knowing for what

for time to pass? 

for the game to begin?

for it to be your turn?

(An image of time: a woman sitting on the edge

of a table, legs moving from side to side like a

pendulum, tick tock tick tock)

Waiting for the door to open

for the light to enter

Waiting for someone to start dancing

for someone to share a dance with you

performer horizontary on top of a table
'Waiting Places' af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer
‘Waiting Places’ af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer

Waiting as a way of knowing silence

Waiting for the phone to ring

for the call 

the message

Waiting to know for certain

to be hit by the pain

the pain

Waiting for it to stop

the pain

Waiting for it to be enough (is it enough now?) 

Waiting for the exhaustion

Waiting to give up

to stop

to collapse

Waiting for the silver lining

for the music to start

for the tears to come 

energy to return

Waiting for a smile to arrive in both of your faces

Waiting for each other

top performers and two chairs
'Waiting Places' af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer
‘Waiting Places’ af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer

Waiting as mirror and repetition

Waiting for someone to see you

for you to become 

visible

Waiting for your picture to be taken

for a silence to be broken

for someone to use their voice

Waiting for change

Waiting to draw a line between waiting and not waiting anymore

Waiting for someone to finally leave you

for a sneeze, that doesn’t come

Waiting to be replaced

to be alone

quiet

Waiting for yourself to arrive

for a memory to return

Waiting for pleasure

connection

Waiting to be carried away

desired

conquered

mastered

to fall

person with long blong hair in a long and flowy red dress
'Waiting Places' af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer
‘Waiting Places’ af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret. Foto: Christian Friedländer

Waiting to fall out of love, again 

the repetition

Waiting to say it

to be caught, revealed 

humiliated

yelled at 

trashed

Waiting to die

(An image of death: a woman lying on her back

in a black dress on a long, black table being

carried by four people)

Waiting to be able to do the right thing

Waiting because there is nothing else to do

Waiting for someone to stop waiting for you

for them to let you go

Waiting as if it was a prayer

Waiting to find freedom in a place that is brand new

Waiting to feel ready

to be brave enough

to join the dance

Waiting to be together about it

to be synchronized

synergetic

Waiting to dare

to move

jump

shake

run

kick

Waiting to live, more

Waiting for you to allow yourself to laugh

Waiting as an action

holding someone’s hand, hair, head, body

moving

and being moved

inhabiting time and space together.

Waiting Places af Bobbi Jene på Betty Nansen Teatret

10. februar – 9. marts

Dancers: Bobbi Jene, Or Schraiber, Astrid Elbo, Kizzy Matiakis, Alexander Bozinoff, Yonatan Daskal

Choreografi: Bobbi Jene og Or Schraiber

Set design and costumes: Christian Friedländer

Composer and musician: Yonatan Daskal

Light design: Christian Vest Berntsen