My Tail and I

interactive dance performance for families with children 3+ y.o.
Long before any school term
a fang came off mesoderm.
In lacunas among stars
vertebrarely it tramps.

The spongy bone that was thrown
today in fascia grows.
Duramater holds it tight,
and tenderly surrounds.

Taper-shaped, the tail end
moves to dance with its friend.

The performance is focused around an inconspicuous decline from our evolutionary ancestors – the tail bone. Built on a somatic approach to the body and movement, My Tail and I invites families to accompany and take action in the process of becoming the creatures, called humans.

With a humorous atmosphere and in a form appropriate for the youngest audience, the performance asks: How many tails do we have? How do we feel them? How can they support us in our daily lives? How can they feed our movement and our imagination?

The performance is an artistic response to one of the contemporary plagues of civilization, which is sitting for a long time without moving, very often causing back pain, especially in its tail section. It affects both caregivers and, unfortunately, children, who are mirroring the adults, and who are often trained not to move too much. Long-term freezing often means cutting off valuable signals flowing from the body. One of the main goals of the performance is to deepen the awareness of the body and encourage them to enjoy the common family dance.

My tail and I is a clear gesture emphasizing the great importance of early artistic experiences, embracing an open and critical attitude towards art, respect for diversity (intergenerational and bodily) of every being, and strengthening family bonds.

concept: Hanna Bylka-Kanecka
choreography: Holobiont collective in collaboration with Heike Kuhlmann, Adalisa Menghini, and Ka Rustler
creation and performance: Aleksandra Bożek-Muszyńska, Hanna Bylka-Kanecka, Dana Chmielewska
set design collaboration: Mr.Tail
music: Józef Buchnajzer
light design: Łukasz Kędzierski/Ewa Garniec
production: Performat Foundation
co-production: Polish Theatre in Poznan, The Jan and Halina Machulski Ochota Theater in Warsaw
partner: Somatische Akademie Berlin
distribution: Performat Production – Karolina Wycisk
photos: Marek Zakrzewski / SZKICEzWIDZENIA
Co-organised by the National Institute of Music and Dance as part of the “PolandDances / Choreographic residencies” program. Co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage
In 2024, performance was presented at the Polish Dance Platform, organized by the National Institute of Music and Dance, as well as Internationale Tanzmesse NRW in Düsseldorf.