Ich kann’s nicht lassen

Who owns the stage? Janne Gregor’s dance piece Ich kann’s nicht lassen (I can’t stop) asks precisely this question. Participation is the name of the game here: the audience decides how the piece unfolds. Children aged 6 and above and adults join four dancers on stage and discover the dance style known as krump together. Gregor developed the choreographic game together with professional Krump dancers and Berlin school classes. Krump originated on the streets of L.A. as an expression of protest against social inequality and discrimination. For many, it is still a place of refuge, family and community. It’s about showing, supporting and sticking together. Gregor exploits precisely this tension: Ich kann’s nicht lassen breaks with the usual roles between audience and performers. The choreography becomes an open, democratic process and dance becomes a means of communication. The result is a unique experience for the audience with each performance, one that makes it possible to understand why you simply can’t stop dancing.

• 3rd place at KUSS Festival 2025, 28th Hessische Kinder- und Jugendtheaterwoche Marburg
• Ensemble nomination for the German Theatre Prize DER FAUST 2024
• Nomination for the Ikarus Theatre Prize 2024
• Nomination for the Westwind Festival 2024
• Children’s Theatre of the Month March 2026 Kultursekretariat NRW Gütersloh and NRW KULTURsekretariat

“The children were blown away by the experience. The feedback was unanimously positve. The piece brought people together. It made them want to dance together.“

Seeing Dance 26.11.2023, Veronica Posth

Artistic direction, Choreographer: Janne Gregor
By and with: Queen Buckhype, Iman Gele, Junior Wave, Kofie DaVibe
Stage and costumes: Johanna Schraut
Music: Moritz Thorbecke, BravoDomo
Lighting design: Luigi Kovacs
Dramaturgical support: Thomas Schaupp
Assistance Choreography and Production: Lena Klink
Dance education: Amelie Mallmann, Lucia Matzke
Outside Eye: Livia Patrizi
Audio editing: Mathias Millhof
Production management: Sina Kießling, Thomas Dörschel
Photos: René Löfer
Video recording: Franziska Cazanave

A production by Junges Tanzhaus Berlin in collaboration with tanzhaus nrw, funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth as part of the funding programme ‘The Future Package for Exercise, Culture and Health’ and take-of: Junger Tanz. The Future Package for Exercise, Culture and Health is a programme of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ). It is implemented by the Society for Social Management Consulting (gsub) and the SPI Foundation. The programme section ‘Children and Youth Participation in the Future Package’ is the responsibility of the German Children and Youth Foundation (DKJS).