Performance
Vivian Assal Koohnavard
26 October 2026
Performance
Vivian Assal Koohnavard
26 October 2026
Q: Your family comes from Iran, where women are not permitted to dance in public. What does that mean to you, does it make dancing feel like freedom, or like responsibility, or both?
A: There are many other basic activities that are forbidden for women in Iran and dancing is one of them, yes. It gives me another perspective on what I do for sure.
It is hard to believe that I could not do my profession freely there. Everytime I dance I am dancing as an Iranian woman, not only as Vivian, representing any other woman from Iran. It breaks my heart to think that young girls can’t express themselves freely through dance.
They are very much in my heart and their pain and struggles are often channeled through me.
They are very much in my heart and their pain and struggles are often channeled through me.
Image: Admill Kuyler
Q: In Immanent Mechanics, instrument, body, movement and sound form one embodied circuit. How did the idea begin, and what did you most want the audience to feel?
A: My friend and collaborator, musician composer Vincent Bahar invited me to join Immanent Mechanics. In the process everything came quite intuitive from both of us. With her rhythmic Daf drum to my interpretation of Sama (Sufi whirling) we found our voice of hope and love.
We both are Swedish Iranian and with heavy hearts feel for the people of Iran. Creating Immanent Mechanics together has been a healing journey and that is what the performance is about.
"It invites a space for the audience to meditate, grief or heal in these hard times."
Image: Theresa Maria Forthhaus
Q: Competition is built into ballet from a very young age. How did it shape you as a person, not only as a dancer?
A: Well I see competition in both good and bad ways how it has come across my dancing career. It can make you deluded and unfocused on what really matters. It is a challenge and a test to also stay put and believe in yourself more than ever to show who you are as an artist. It can always be a good push as well, as long as it is healthy.
Q: What are you most curious to explore in your own work now?
A: Of a language of my own in my art form.
I am constantly inspired and touched by the world. I want to implement how I see the world in my creations and with that touch people's hearts and minds, especially about Iran. I want to bring more awareness of the beauty of the country and the people together with their struggles to this side of the world.
"A Sort Of..." by Mats Ek. Image: Yan Revazov
Q: Did you ever feel you couldn't afford to rest, be injured, or say no, and what does rest mean to you today?
A: I come from a culture where hard work is the only way. Becoming a dancer is not much of a thing in Iranian culture. With that I had to prove myself even more not to the dance world but also my family. I often did not think I could rest if I didn't have a good enough reason. I often did not want to miss out on any chances either. With age I can not rely on my body as I did before. Now I need to take much more care of both my mind and body to be able to feel at my best.
Image: Theresa Maria Forthhaus
Q: If you could tell your younger self one thing about this path, what would it be? And what would you say to a girl who is just starting ballet today?
A: To my younger self, take the risk and don‘t care about what everybody else thinks, everything will be ok.
To a little girl, do it for you, because you love it, and not for anybody else.
Q: Where do you go in Berlin when you want to switch off, through art, food, movement, or something new?
A: For a moment I had a hard time knowing what could ground me.
Now I join every week a tea ceremony and I am slowly growing an interest in archery that also brings me to peace.
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