“That’s just my prerogative”, that’s just a charming excuse for bold acts, remarks or numerous other acts of trespassing. If an atomic reactor fails, radiation will leak; if a plane does not gain enough height, it will plunge to the depths. “Freedom“ is the topic of “Fantom Freedom“ by dancer and choreographer Karel Vanek. Acting on Aristotle’s hypothesis that nature abhors a vacuum, he goes on and assumes that this sentiment is also common among and can be applied to human beings, turning it into a justification for the fear of freedom without structure and goal. So the desire for freedom might only be a phantom, a ghost haunting humans in mind and body.

Karel Vanek, born in the Czech Republic, first studied mathematics in Prague before receiving an education in dance. As a soloist in Pavel Mikulástik’s Choreographical Theatre, he also made the move from Fribourg to Bonn. In 1991, Eva Cerna and Karel Vanek combined their efforts under the label Cerna & Vanek Dance, successfully going on to produce their own plays. Since 2007, Karel Vanek has been the programme director for dance at the Theater in der Brotfabrik Bonn.