Último helecho: Nina Laisné and François Chaignaud on Reconciliation and Colonialism Through Dance
Dance, music, and colonial legacy collide in a striking collaboration at Haus der Berliner Festspiele. Último helecho (The Last Fern), created by director and visual artist Nina Laisné together with choreographer-dancer François Chaignaud and renowned South American singer Nadia Larcher, is an ambitious work that blends Baroque music with South American folklore.
The performance weaves music, song, and dance into a structure that both contrasts and unites aesthetic practices between Europe and South America, narrating a shared historical past. That history also carries the shadow of marginalisation, exploitation, and imperialism. Through the power of the poems and miracles on which the songs and dances rest, the show explores the possibilities of consolation and reconciliation.
A Lost World and High Energy
Último helecho is divided into two main parts:
- Part One evokes a sunken, bygone world and stages the awakening of two hybrid creatures.
- Part Two is characterised by great vitality and high-energy dance sequences.
Although a professional dancer, François Chaignaud sings on stage. Nadia Larcher joins him, performing traditional folk dances from her native Argentina — chacareras, zambas, and huaynos. They are accompanied by six musicians whose repertoire draws partly from Baroque traditions and partly from folklore.
This piece continues the thread of Laisné and Chaignaud’s previous collaboration, Romances inciertos, un autre Orlando, which blended drag, dance, and queer heroism. With Último helecho, they deepen their exploration of bringing together past, history, and present through body, music, and dance.
A workshop titled “Dancing musicalities” led by François Chaignaud will also be offered for professional dancers.
Performance Information Summary
Direction / Concept: Nina Laisné
Choreography / Performance: François Chaignaud, Nadia Larcher
Venue: Haus der Berliner Festspiele – Main Stage
Date & Time: Saturday, 24 January 2026, 20:00 – 21:10
