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about
Dandelion II
SPACE 1880
Matters of Rhythm
once upon a time
The Voice
DST
stretch

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   rita mazza

rita mazza
visual sign choreographer, performance artist and actor

Rita Mazza (they/she) is a Visual Sign Choreographer and performance artist based in Berlin. They work within contemporary dance, sign languages and visual poetry as well as an actor and sign language interpreter/ performer. As a native signer from a Deaf family, sign language has always been at the center of their identity and artistic expression. Born in Turin, Italy, their first language is Italian Sign Language (LIS). They are furthermore fluent in German (DGS) and International Sign Language (IS) and have good knowledge of French (LSF).

“My strength lies in molding sign language movement into choreography. I love to experiment with layering as well as combining signs and hand shapes. I use movement, rhythm and repetition to naturally let something take form that has a melody of its own. I do feel like a composer in this process, albeit a visual one and hence call my practice Visual Sign Choreography.”...

Their path of professionalization began at the University of Music, Performing Arts, Cinema and New Media in Turin and was further shaped by the various works in festivals, performances and collaborations across Europe. In 2015 their leading role in the award-winning play Children of a Lesser God directed by Marco Mattolini, successfully introduced them to professional (hearing) theaters. From 2018 to 2020 they were invited to join the Festival del Silenzio in Milan as artistic director.  

In 2021 Mazza was an artist-in-residence at the Berlin hub Making a Difference and deepened their explorations in sign language and dance, leading to their first solo work Dandelion II (2021). Their following creation Space 1880 (2021) was presented at the Sophiensæle Berlin. In 2024 their work Matters of Rhythm (2023–24) was presented at the Tanzplattform Deutschland, which showcases the most innovative and remarkable works in contemporary dance. Their current project, The Voice (2024–26), premiered at the renowned Tanz im August Festival in Berlin and continues to tour internationally.  

As a performer they draw a strong stage presence from their acting background and have collaborated with various artists such as: Saša Asentić, Perel, Sophia Neises and Jefta van Dinther. Furthermore, they have shared and developed work internationally with Riksteatern Crea and Skånes Dansteater in Sweden.  

Alongside their own artistic works, Mazza is an active consultant and curator for sign language access in the performing arts and served as a guest curator for the international Festival Theaterformen in 2023. They also offer workshops about their practice of Visual Sign Choreography and Aesthetics of Access in which they focus on sign language as an integral artistic part and process of the creation.  



Photo by Yichen Liao


rita mazza
ritamaz@gmail.com
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01.Dandelion II

Dance / Visual Sign Choreography
Trailer
2021–2022




She enters the stage as a playground, exploring the combination of dance and sign movements, creating an entirely new form of visual poetry. She interweaves the rules of sign language - such as handshapes, facial expressions, and everyday gestures - with movement studies from Laban, ballet, and Visual Vernacular - an art form of sign language that is highly popular within the Deaf community. Several moments of the solo performance are also inspired by works of Deaf poets from the 1980s, such as Dandelion by Clayton Valli and the poem On His Deafness by Robert Panara.

Concept + Choreography + Performance: Rita Mazza | Light Design: Raquel Rosildete

A production by Rita Mazza in co-production with Making a Difference: SOPHIENSÆLE, Tanzfabrik Berlin, Uferstudios, tanzfähig, Inter-University Centre for Dance Berlin (HZT), TanzZeit, Diversity.Arts.Culture, and Contemporary Dance Berlin. Funded by TANZPAKT Stadt-Land-Bund with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media as well as by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe, Co-Financing Fund. The 31st Tanztage Berlin is a production of SOPHIENSÆLE. Funded by the Senate Department for Culture and Europe. With kind support from Tanzfabrik Berlin e. V. and Theaterhaus Berlin Mitte. Media partners: Siegessäule, tipBerlin, taz, and Berlin Art Link.

Photography: Mayra Wallraff