The performance, inspired by personal experiences and house culture, uses dance, music and club culture to explore the above issues. In times of political schism, war, injustice and discrimination, MO-ZA-IK challenges and tries to reimagine communal practices. Key elements of the performance include free-style dance and DJing, as the physical and acoustic dimensions of house dance are used to reflect intimate interactions in society and between humans.

MO-ZA-IK is a collective with a passionate dedication to house dance culture. The artists Jamali Abale, Viviane Le Tanzmeister, Rosa Perl and Mátyás Kántor explore the communal, transcendental and cultural dimensions of house dance with their roots in queer, Black underground communities. Their focus is on freestyle and active participation in community.

Rosa Perl (she/they) aka Sora is a dancer and DJ based in Vienna, focusing on the dance style house dance, on community building and on club culture. They have a profound interest in understanding cultural phenomena and their origins, which was fostered by studies in cultural sciences. Rosa Perl is active as a performer, dance educator and organiser. As a DJ, she is part of the duo Voices From Beyond and of the collective A Party Called Jack.

Viviane Le Tanzmeister (they/them) aka Vivos lives in Vienna, where they create performances, organise projects and build communities. Viviane Le Tanzmeister finished their master’s studies in music and dance education at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, with a focus on dance and inclusion. They place their own work in the field of decolonial, queer-feminist research focusing on emotional and communal wellbeing.

Jamali Abale (he/him) is a passionate and enthusiastic dancer, who mainly practices dances with roots in his own indigenous background, accentuated by urban styles such as African styles, house dance, hip hop and breaking.

Mátyás Kántor (he/him) is a multi-disciplinary artist, teacher/mentor, performer and organiser of community events. Originally from Hungary, he now lives in Vienna. Whiles his roots are in breaking, he has recently specialised in hip hop and house dance. Based on more than a decade of experience as a DJ and member of the collective A Party Called Jack, Mátyás Kántor keeps expanding his knowledge about house culture.

About Bears in the Park and the ‘HUGGY BEARS mentoring program’:

Since 2016, Huggy Bears has been a pillar of innovative performance art, supporting emerging artists in Vienna. Each year, the mentoring programme provides three or four individuals or collectives with comprehensive support in areas from production to administration, equipment and dramaturgy. In a series of different presentation formats as well as regular feedback sessions within the group, the young artists’ projects develop into very special pieces. At the end of the nine-month programme, the mentees get to present their performance projects for the first time on a big stage in Vienna. This year, the Huggy Bears Days will be held as a co-operation between brut Wien and WUK performing arts. The programme is operated by the initiative Bears in the Park run by Philippe Riéra and Charlotte Bastam. The initiative is dedicated to supporting the Vienna performance scene and helping it grow. To foster this goal, the HUGGY BEARS are offered not only reliable advisors but also rehearsal spaces. Each autumn, Bears in the Park releases an open call for artists to submit their project proposals for the following year.