The dancer, the freerunner, the cyclist: none of them are comfortable standing still – just like the city in which they live. Exemplifying Dresden in constant motion, they are out and about on the roads and streets and sometimes, for the briefest of moments, up in the air. Three Dresdeners tell us about their individual passion.
The freerunner: parkour as a way of life
“I first discovered parkour on YouTube. To move freely through urban space, to surmount obstacles without assistive equipment – I imitated what I saw without even knowing the name for the sport. The fascination has not diminished. You don’t need anything apart from a pair of trainers. You go out, start running and immediately get this incredible sense of freedom. The odd graze or bruise is to be expected, but serious injuries are rare, though I did once break a metatarsal in my foot. Since I started, I’ve done parkour in London, Rome, Prague – you can find like-minded people everywhere. Dresden is a good city for parkour, especially the newer building sites which tend to have more regular edges and smoother surfaces.”
You go out, start running and immedialety get this incredible sense of freedom.
Leonard Fischer, student, born 2000 in Dresden
Frauke Thielking
Leonard Fischer findet Dresden ist eine gute Stadt für Parkours, vor allem die Neubauviertel mit vielen Kanten und glatten Flächen
Frauke Thielking
Leonard Fischer beim Springen über die Betonplatten
Frauke Thielking
Leonard Fischer macht einen Salto in der Luft
Frauke Thielking
Der Dresdner Student Leonard Fischer wurde 2000 in Dresden geboren
The dancer: expressing innermost feelings
“When dancing, I am able to externalise my inner feelings, to express myself without the use of words and thereby utter the unutterable. Whenever I do it well, it is the greatest happiness I know. I have been dancing since I first went to the Palucca School in Dresden at the age of ten. Dresden is a city of dance – the legendary Mary Wigman taught here, and Gret Palucca was her student. Dresden has the ballet ensemble of the Semperoper, of course, but there is also an extensive free dance scene. The Festspielhaus at Hellerau offers a wonderful performance venue for all these creators of dance. Everyone finds their own audience here.
When dancing, I am able to utter the unutterable. Whenever this works out, it is the greatest happiness.
Katja Erfurth, dancer and choreographer, born 1971 in Dresden
Frauke Thielking
Katja Erfurth vor dem Festspielhaus Hellerau
Frauke Thielking
Katja Erfurth vor dem Festspielhaus Hellerau
Frauke Thielking
Katja Erfurth vor Hellerau
Frauke Thielking
Katja Erfurth, Tänzering und Choreographin, geboren 1971 in Dresden
The cyclist: traveling in all directions
“The Schleudergang (spin cycle) started in Nuremberg. The name was essentially a play on words, because the cyclists used to meet up in front of a laundromat. For seven years now, Dresden has had its own ‘spin cycle’. The idea is to bring people together: cycling is a social sport because you can occasionally ease off on the pedals and chat to your fellow riders. Here in Dresden, we meet twice a week. Tuesday’s three-hour session is relatively relaxed, but on
Thursday, we go hell for leather. We go exploring all directions: south to Freital, east into Saxon Switzerland, west into the Meissen hills and north where it is much flatter. The Elbland region with its mountains is ideal for cycling, because there is nothing more boring than proceeding in a straight line. When you ride through the scenery we have around here, it’s almost like you’re floating.”
The Elbland region with its mountains is ideal for cycling. When you ride through the scenery we have around here, it’s almost like you’re floating.
Stephan Böhlig, photographer, born 1983 in Dresden
Frauke Thielking
Stephan Böhlig, Fotograf, geboren 1983 in Dresden
Frauke Thielking
Radrennen durch Dresden
Frauke Thielking
Stephan Böhlig und die “Schleudergang”
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Peter Ufer reveals certain aspects of Dresden that will never change. And that won’t be changing any time soon.
The dancer, the freerunner, the cyclist: none of them are comfortable standing still – just like the city in which they live. Exemplifying Dresden in constant motion, they are out and about on the roads and streets and sometimes, for the briefest of moments, up in the air. Three Dresdeners tell us about their individual passion.
The freerunner: parkour as a way of life
“I first discovered parkour on YouTube. To move freely through urban space, to surmount obstacles without assistive equipment – I imitated what I saw without even knowing the name for the sport. The fascination has not diminished. You don’t need anything apart from a pair of trainers. You go out, start running and immediately get this incredible sense of freedom. The odd graze or bruise is to be expected, but serious injuries are rare, though I did once break a metatarsal in my foot. Since I started, I’ve done parkour in London, Rome, Prague – you can find like-minded people everywhere. Dresden is a good city for parkour, especially the newer building sites which tend to have more regular edges and smoother surfaces.”
Leonard Fischer findet Dresden ist eine gute Stadt für Parkours, vor allem die Neubauviertel mit vielen Kanten und glatten Flächen
Leonard Fischer beim Springen über die Betonplatten
Leonard Fischer macht einen Salto in der Luft
Der Dresdner Student Leonard Fischer wurde 2000 in Dresden geboren
The dancer: expressing innermost feelings
“When dancing, I am able to externalise my inner feelings, to express myself without the use of words and thereby utter the unutterable. Whenever I do it well, it is the greatest happiness I know. I have been dancing since I first went to the Palucca School in Dresden at the age of ten. Dresden is a city of dance – the legendary Mary Wigman taught here, and Gret Palucca was her student. Dresden has the ballet ensemble of the Semperoper, of course, but there is also an extensive free dance scene. The Festspielhaus at Hellerau offers a wonderful performance venue for all these creators of dance. Everyone finds their own audience here.
Katja Erfurth vor dem Festspielhaus Hellerau
Katja Erfurth vor dem Festspielhaus Hellerau
Katja Erfurth vor Hellerau
Katja Erfurth, Tänzering und Choreographin, geboren 1971 in Dresden
The cyclist: traveling in all directions
“The Schleudergang (spin cycle) started in Nuremberg. The name was essentially a play on words, because the cyclists used to meet up in front of a laundromat. For seven years now, Dresden has had its own ‘spin cycle’. The idea is to bring people together: cycling is a social sport because you can occasionally ease off on the pedals and chat to your fellow riders. Here in Dresden, we meet twice a week. Tuesday’s three-hour session is relatively relaxed, but on
Thursday, we go hell for leather. We go exploring all directions: south to Freital, east into Saxon Switzerland, west into the Meissen hills and north where it is much flatter. The Elbland region with its mountains is ideal for cycling, because there is nothing more boring than proceeding in a straight line. When you ride through the scenery we have around here, it’s almost like you’re floating.”
Stephan Böhlig, Fotograf, geboren 1983 in Dresden
Radrennen durch Dresden
Stephan Böhlig und die “Schleudergang”
Lesen Sie auch …
Olicía makes elegant art pop - or, as they say, electronic handcrafted loop jazz.
Shrill outfits, ironic lyrics & danceable electro pop. Why do OXO OHO feel like wild orangutans on stage?
Peter Ufer reveals certain aspects of Dresden that will never change. And that won’t be changing any time soon.