About the collective

ABOUT

Movement, performance, visual art and film, made in Berlin and available worldwide.

Who we are

THE
COLLECTIVE

Awake Crew explores movement as a language for examining human experience: identity, connection, transformation, and the relationship between the individual and the world around them.

The Awake Crew ensemble

A Berlin based contemporary dance and performance collective, founded in 2024 by Ukrainian choreographer and artist Roman Varava. The collective brings together professional dancers with diverse backgrounds and movement practices, creating a platform for contemporary choreography, visual performance and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Our work moves between stage performance, visual art, film and commercial collaboration. The choreography lives inside traditional theatrical spaces and in unconventional environments alike. Based in Berlin and working internationally, we are building an independent practice with the ambition to contribute to the contemporary dance scene in Germany and to connect with artists, theatres, festivals, galleries and cultural institutions worldwide.

How we work

ARTISTIC PRACTICE

Our practice is rooted in contemporary dance and physical performance, while staying open to influences from visual art, film, music, fashion and other interdisciplinary forms. We are interested in work that is visually distinctive, physically demanding and emotionally engaging, able to exist as both a live experience and a visual composition.

We develop

  • Contemporary dance performances
  • Dance films and visual works
  • Performances for festivals and cultural programmes
  • Collaborations with artists and institutions
  • Workshops and educational formats
  • Commercial and creative collaborations

Available for

  • Guest performances
  • Festivals
  • Artistic collaborations
  • Residencies
  • Co-productions
  • Commissions
  • International touring
Roman Varava, founder and artistic director

Artistic director & choreographer

ROMAN
VARAVA

Roman Varava is a Ukrainian choreographer and artist based in Berlin, and the founder and artistic director of Awake Crew. His practice is rooted in contemporary dance and physical performance, with a particular interest in the relationship between movement, visual composition and human experience.

Through Awake Crew he develops choreographic works for the stage, the screen and unconventional spaces, bringing together professional dancers from diverse movement backgrounds. The work moves between performance, visual storytelling and interdisciplinary collaboration, with a focus on pieces that are physically expressive, visually strong and legible across cultural contexts.

Meet the dancers