The NOWbodies

Collective for Performing Arts | Berlin
Contemporary. Critical. Surprising. Interdisciplinary.

The NOWbodies is a Berlin-based interdisciplinary collective of female artists working at the intersection of contemporary dance, physical theater, acting, choreography, directing, dramaturgy, and music. Founded in 2023 as a response to the isolation of the Covid years, the group emerged from an urgent need to reconnect, collaborate, and reignite live performance practices in real space and time.

Who We Are

We are nine professional artists from diverse cultural and artistic backgrounds, united by a shared desire to shape the present moment through immersive and critical performance. Our creative process is collaborative at every stage—from concept to stage—and rooted in mutual support, experimentation, and artistic autonomy.

The NOWbodies create site-specific performances, dance theater pieces, and short films that challenge the boundaries between audience and performer. Our work often unfolds within everyday environments—blending into public space, breaking the fourth wall, and inviting direct emotional resonance. Each performance is temporary, unrepeatable, and grounded in the immediacy of the NOW.

We aim to leave a lasting impression, to provoke, and to move—emotionally, physically, and collectively.
Expression over impression. Presence over perfection. Collaboration over competition.

Ensemble Members:

  • Brigitte Breternitz (Artistic Director): Over 30 years of international experience in dance, choreography, and performance art. Known for fusing art forms into immersive works.

  • Giorgia Calliari: Contemporary dancer and choreographer exploring expressive movement practices.

  • Danielle Barkay: Theater and film actress, dramaturg, and storyteller focused on layered narrative work.

  • Melina Kalomenopoulous: Dancer, dance therapist, and yoga teacher with an interest in inner embodiment.

  • Judith Neumann: Actress and dancer drawn to the nuances of human emotion and everyday truth.

Previous Works Include:

  • Urban Exhaustion (Short Film, 2023)

  • soxx (Short Film, 2024)

  • Demonstration for Nothing (Site-Specific Performance, 2024)

  • Wicked Games (UHU Festival, 2024)

  • Fashion Show Performance at Fetzenmarkt (MAHALLA, Berlin)

About Our New Work: RE:START

RE:START is a full-length, interdisciplinary dance theater piece exploring the illusion of beginning again. The work asks whether true reinvention is possible—or whether our attempts to start over are inevitably shaped by what came before.

Each ensemble member contributes an original scene that reflects personal and shared narratives, forming a collective performance rooted in movement, memory, and identity.
The piece examines how trauma, inherited patterns, and social history are embedded in our bodies and creative choices. We reflect on questions like: Who are we without our stories? Can we ever begin from zero? Do we exist without an audience?

Through choreography, spoken word, and physical composition, we create a layered, emotionally honest experience that reflects the cyclical nature of human experience and the collective evolution of identity.