Spiegel (working title),
is about a 10min. showing of the first research phase of a project by Solmaz Sajadieh and Niloufar Shahisavandi in collaboration with the percussionist Mohammad Reza Mortazavi. Solmaz and Niloufar met accidentally in Berlin in 2014 and discovered that they had lived a very similar life: born in Iran, raised in Germany, studied contemporary dance in France and graduated from university with a degree in humanities. Fascinated by this magical meeting, Solmaz and Niloufar look for reasons for their similarities. If two persons have the same origin and a similar path of life, to what extent are they still individuals? Do they see themselves more clearly through the other? What constitutes our individual identity and how can one feel or define it through its body?

Solmaz Sajadieh, born 1985 in Tehran (Iran). She studied contemporary dance at the art school „Conservatoire Jean-Wiener“ in Paris and graduated in philosophy and sociology from the University Sorbonne-Paris 4. Solmaz danced in numerous dance pieces in France and Germany and presented these works in several spaces for dance (Maison de la danse/ Lyon, théâtre de la Cartoucherie/ Paris, E-Werk/ Freiburg, etc.). In addition to her activities as a dancer, she gained further education as an actor. Now she lives in Berlin and works as a freelancer in dance, theatre and movies (Volksbühne Berlin, Heimathafen Neukölln, etc.).

Niloufar Shahisavandi, born 1982 in Tehran (Iran). She studied dance at EPSEDANSE in Montpellier (France) and worked as a dancer with internationally renowned choreographers like Akira Kasai (Das Schinkiro) and Helena Waldmann (Letters from tentland – return to sender). Niloufar gained first experience as a choreographer on her own dance piece (Body Story) in collaboration with Moroccan performer in Casablanca in July 2015. In addition, Niloufar has a solid academic background. She graduated from Free University Berlin with a Master’s degree in Ethnology, Iranian and Political sciences. In her thesis she investigated the underground dance scene in Tehran.