Dance
Non-verbal
Trigger warning: Nudity, 18+

In Viktor Szeri’s Reigen, five naked men enter into continually changing relationships with one another. They draw closer, come into contact, drift apart, and cling to one another; the slow, almost frozen scenes gradually accelerate, turning into circle dances and games, while the men repeatedly arrange themselves into collective formations. The title refers to Arthur Schnitzler’s play Reigen, which examined the moral and social order of its time through intimate relationships. The choreography also evokes the erotically charged world of bathhouses and Matisse’s painting Dance.
The proximity of the naked bodies is at times sensual, at times gentle and playful, and at other times entirely quotidian. Here, touch and intimacy are a natural part of being together. It is precisely this naturalness that allows Reigen to challenge the prejudices surrounding relationships between men – particularly in the contemporary Hungarian context in which the show was conceived. (Léna-Szirmay-Kalos, curator)

Encounters, fleeting visions, and mysterious bodies appear and disappear in the smoke. Influenced by the genre of circle dance as well as the controversial 1897 sexual drama Reigen by Arthur Schnitzler, Viktor Szeri’s new piece is an ode to male nudity and intimacy.
The circle is the symbol of belonging, community and continuity, but it also mirrors the round architectural elements and spatial layout of traditional bathhouses, which have historically served as sites of homoerotic fantasy and interaction. The performance evokes the androgyn bodies and the dynamics of Henri Matisse’s painting La danse (Dance): hidden connections and the liberating power of movement are unfolding in the choreography. With a sensual yet immersive approach, Szeri delves into the hidden realms of pleasure, sexuality, and nudity, challenging the social conventions and taboos surrounding the intimacy between men.

Credits

Concept and choreography: Viktor SZERI
Creators and performers: Ruben FARKAS, Márton GLÁSER, Acca HORVÁTH, Csaba VARGA, Imre VASS
Music: András MOLNÁR
Lighting: Kata DÉZSI, Viktor SZERI
Costume: Viktor SZERI
Special thanks to Andi SOÓS, Wang SONGTAO, Hollow

Production partner: Katlan Csoport
Co-production partner: Trafó

Supported by: General Assembly of Budapest, SÍN, Workshop Foundation, MDT Moderna Dansteatern, KIM, FEA, PCU, Katlan Group
Thanks to MDT Moderna Dansteatern for the residency opportunity, where we began developing the musical and movement material for the performance.Thanks to Workshop Foundation for Creative Europe Project Life Long Burning - Futures Lost and Found for their support as Creative Crossroads artist 2025-2026Our performances were made possible with the financial support of the Pro Cultura Urbis Public Foundation and the Independent Performing Arts Fund.
#budapest #fesz #pcu

Reviews

– Sisso (Magyar Narancs, 2026.06.03.)

Bio

Viktor SZERI is an independent performer and choreographer based between Budapest and Vienna. His solo Fatigue has toured widely across Europe. His multidisciplinary works explore the interplay of performing arts and visual strategies, often blurring the line between stage and audience to create intimate, immersive environments. He works across theaters, galleries, public sites and abandoned spaces. Szeri's pieces have been shown at major institutions and he has held numerous residencies across Europe.
Fatigue received the Rudolf Lábán Prize in 2023 and was selected for Aerowaves Twenty24. He is supported by the Life Long Burning – Creative Crossroads program (2024–2026). During 2026 he will have residencies by the support of STUK – Belgium in Leuven and MDT in Stockholm. He is one of the founders of the Hollow collective and co-organizes the Under500 Festival. His creative practice focuses on embodied presence, collaboration, and the continuous reenvisioning of how audiences engage with a performance.

Contact

Viktor SZERI
viktorszeri@gmail.com
viktorszeri.com