Liza Baliasnaja: Shield is a Weapon

In the organizer's words:

In a world that is portrayed as dangerous, processes of protective shielding are inextricably linked to our everyday lives. When simplistic narratives replace nuanced discourse, contradictory perspectives are quickly misinterpreted as an attack. Shields, walls, gates and borders are erected to separate and protect the inside from the potentially threatening outside.

In the solo Shield is a Weapon, the demarcation between inside and outside, between the self and the other, is explored choreographically through movement, vocal soundscapes and text. The mouth becomes both a shield and a gate that, once opened, speaks in many tongues and expresses the polyphony of the individual subject.

What other is at work in me? Which invasive voices speak to me? Who is guarding my throat?

In this piece, choreographer and performer Liza Baliasnaja continues her ongoing exploration of how emotions such as fear and disgust shape our political imagination. This time, the focus is on the symbol of the shield, which offers protection and at the same time hints at the impending conflict. The work examines the ambivalent interplay of vulnerability and aggression, of concealment and confrontation. By changing perspectives, sometimes behind, sometimes in front of the shield, the work reflects on themes such as (self-)censorship and the politics of defense.

LIZA BALIASNAJA

Liza Baliasnaja has been active as a choreographer and performer for the past ten years, working in Lithuania, Belgium, France and Germany. She studied dance at P.A.R.T.S. and philosophy at the KU Leuven. In her artistic practice, Liza deals with themes such as power, violence and subjectivity. Her current focus is on emotions such as fear and disgust. She is particularly interested in choreographing with different materials, often integrating voice and text into her body-based research.

Her practice is characterized by collaborations with artists such as Eszter Salamon, Christine De Smedt, Lenio Kaklea, Lina Lapelytė, Ula Sickle, DD Dorvillier and Mårten Spångber. Her work has been shown at numerous festivals, including New Baltic Dance, FAVORITEN, Bâtard, Radiant Nights, Almost Summer/Feminist Futures. In 2025 her performance Chiaroscuro was nominated for Lithuania's highest theater award.

TEAM

Choreography and performance Liza Baliasnaja

Sound and composition Pablo Garreton

Dramaturgical advice Rūta Junevičiūtė

Scenography and objects: Liza Baliasnaja together with Jara Vlaeminckx / Cachet

Lighting and technical direction Julio Ernesto Escobar Mellado

Costume Laura Stellacci

Vocal coaching Britta Tekotte

Outside Eye Amanda Barrio Charmelo

Production management Alexandra Schmid

Photographer studio pramudyia/Nathan Ishar

Produced by Liza Baliasnaja, in co-production with tanzhaus nrw and TanzFaktur.

Supported by Kunststiftung NRW, Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of NRW, NRW Landesbüro Freie Darstellende Künste.