ABOUT
TonTanz blends classical stories in a new way and delivers them on stage by combining chamber music
(clarinet, accordion, flute) and dance.
TonTanz originates from an initial collaboration between Rhea Paschen and Sabine van Schie, where they combined dance, theater and clarinet to create a new interpretation of the composition Der kleine Harlekin, by Karlheinz Stockhausen Link. Thrilled by the combination of chamber music and dance, they decided to build on this concept together with Anna-Barbara Rösch (flute) and Yvonne Glur-Troxler (accordion). The TonTanz ensemble was born.
The first TonTanz production is based on the story of the romantic ballet Giselle, with music from Eric Satie, Camille Saint-Saëns and Friedgund Göttsche-Niessner. After a successful première at the Mystische Aarberger Nacht in November 2018, we travelled abroad to perform Giselle in the Netherlands early 2020 (see pictures)!
In the second production, called "The seven lives of Carmen", the famous opera character Carmen attempts to escape her faith to be trapped in the same story until eternity, and goes on an unexpected journey as she takes matters into her own hands. With music from Michael Webster’s Carmen Rhapsody, and works from Stravinsky and Vivaldi, Carmen's new story unfolds, and she discovers a fundamental truth about herself.
Currently, the TonTanz ensemble is working together with the well-known figure and shadow player Hansueli Trüb from Aarau on our third production for Summer 2021: Peter Pan. This time dance, drama and music will blend together with shadow play into a new work of art, freely based on the classic story of J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan.
Peter Pan is targeted to a young audience, but exciting for young and old!
Stay tuned for more information, and visit the upcoming performances page and the gallery for an impression of our
past and current work.
Rhea Paschen
Anna-Barbara Rösch
Yvonne Glur-Troxler
Sabine van Schie
"The Spring"
Rhea Paschen is the spring of the TonTanz Ensemble. With her imagination and continuous flow of ideas, she creates and transform stories. Like a stream of water, she nurtures the projects and keeps them alive. The warm sounds of her clarinet have shown her the way through life, and are now taking her stories on a journey Tontanz.
If you want to learn more about Rhea, click below:
"The Gifted One"
Anna-Barbara Rösch is the gifted observer of our actions. Nothing escapes her attention and with great love for detail, she moves the TonTanz Ensemble musically and organizationally forward. Her drive to play the flute, which is ingrained in her like the desire to breathe, also lends our stories their breath. Join her, and fly far away accompanied by her silvery and virtuose sound, and experience a story.
Visit her website at:
"The Archer"
Yvonne Glur is the strong tree in our ensemble. Through her experience and ingenuity, she keeps an eye on the essentials and she brings together the multitude of our ideas for the stage and the audience.
Her accordion, from which she is almost inseparable, enriches TonTanz with its diverse harmonies, and combines our melodies to ultimately give them the ground to dance.
For more information about Yvonne visit:
"The Water Nymph"
Sabine van Schie, is the dancer amid the musicians.
She embraces the magical notes that are played, gracefully, powerful and expressive. Like a Nymph, she is initimately connected to the movement of her body of water, and her very existence seems to depend on it. In front of her eyes, the melodies enliven, inspire the dance and make the ensemble to what it is:
a Ton Tanz