TOBACCO Theater ‘Stel Je Voor’ – THE UPGRADED WOMAN

THE UPGRADED WOMAN

The Upgraded Woman is a double-bill contemporary dance performance exploring desire, collapse, and transformation.

Part I – ‘a brand new upgraded woman, longing to feel as much as possible and even more, at all times, whatever it takes’ is an expression of urgently longing for more: the spark, a necessity that fuels dreams and survival. Through a visceral duet driven by breath, instinct, and the energy of the womb, the performers push themselves to the edge. Sensuality, softness, and raw animal force collide in a hypnotic flow — until urgency turns into overload, something breaks, and the self becomes unrecognizable.

Part II – Redefining The Upgraded Woman (PREMIERE) begins in the aftermath of the fracture. Merging contemporary dance, physical theatre, and club music, four women enter a space shaped by exhaustion — where toxic ambition and the pressure to constantly adapt have burnt out. Lingering in the feelings of brokenness, they explore the many faces of femininity and the possibility of transformation. Guided by the pulse of the womb and trance-like rhythms, the work leaves the audience with a question: Who is The Upgraded Woman and what are her limits?

An immersive evening of dance that moves from urgency to stillness, from fracture to redefinition.

Performed by:

PART I: Tatiana Śpiewak and Sarah Zechut

PART II: Tatiana Śpiewak, Sarah Zechut, Lola Dupriez, Sofia Montenegro

ABOUT THE MAKERS

Tatiana Śpiewak and Sarah Zechut are Amsterdam-based freelance dance makers working together as a duo. They met at the Urban Contemporary department of the Amsterdam University of the Arts and reunited in 2025, having worked with companies such as Club Guy & Roni and Conny Janssen Danst.

Alongside their choreographic work, they have developed a movement practice that they share with both dancers and non-dancers. At its core lies de baarmoeder (the womb), originating movements that connect breath, presence, and the body’s natural flow. The practice explores core strength, fluidity, human and animal references, creating space for embodiment, self-expression, and healthy escapism.

Through both performing and teaching, they aim to make dance accessible, immersive, and transformative. Their vision for a better world definitely involves more dance.

This performance is supported by Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst, het Cultuurfonds, Ventilator Cinema, Amsterdam Alternative, Expanded Contemporary Dance, and many individual donors – you truly made our dream alive.