Sons of Sissy

In an experimental manner, four performers and musicians make use of traditional alpine live music, various group dances and ritualised practices. Liberating them from conservativism and conventions, they establish an unseen fusion of artistic reinterpretations and temporary social attributions of meaning. Defying categorisation and pigeonholing, the Sons of Sissy do everything they can to live up to their name as they conduct themselves as part weird folk-music quartet, part experimentally playful ritual dance combo, using humour to radically disrupt the hackneyed male role models in old traditions.

Simon Mayer studied at the Vienna State Opera Ballet School and P.A.R.T.S in Brussels, and was member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet. In 2009, he founded the band Rising halfmoon as singer, guitarist and songwriter. As dancer/choreographer and musician he was involved in productions of Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker/ROSAS (The Song), Wim Vandekeybus (Frisking) and Zita Swoon. In 2014 Simon released his latest music album Monkeymind. His choreographic repertoire includes solos, duets and group pieces that have been performed internationally (O feather of lead; Dancing with the Sound Hobbyist (Zita Swoon); Monkeymind; SunBengSitting and Sons of Sissy). Simon was Artist in Residence at Theatre de L’L in Brussels and is the artistic director of the festival SPIEL, which he started together with his brothers and the association spiel. Simon is teaching contemporary dance, community dance, traditional dance and voice techniques (Impulstanz Wien, Steirischer Herbst and other international festivals, and as guest teacher at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität).