Perhaps you have noticed how pigeons love to rest here on this bronze sculpture? This is the Tanzpaar Sculpture. It is located in the middle of Hermannplatz, Neukölln in Berlin. The Tanzpaar Sculpture, also known as Dancing Couple, was created by sculptor Joachim Schmettau.
The sculpture rests on a round base. The base consists of yellowish bricks. Another segment rests on it. It is in the shape of a block covered with yellow bricks. A cube with reliefs and inscriptions stands on this block. The inscriptions name Berlin-Neukölln partner cities. The east side has no inscription. It has a door cut into it. This door leads to the installation technology like electricity and water for the market operations on the square. The bronze “Dancing Couple” with gold-colored patina stands on the cube. It is placed above a moving element.
The Tanzpaar Sculpture was originally rotatable. It used to rotate twice an hour. The sculpture “Dancing Couple” is also called “Rixdorfer Tanzpärchen” by locals. The Tanzpaar Sculpture was created in 1985 as part of a competition. The reason for the Hermannplatz “embellishment” was the Bundesgartenschau “Britzer Garten”. It took place in (Neukölln-)Britz in 1985. The rotation function of the dancing couple was inactive in 2012.
The Tanzpaar Sculpture is made of bronze. The base is made of concrete and clinker. The group is cast and assembled. It is also gold plated. The base is bricked. An inscription is on the base. It says “HAMMERSMITH & FULHAM / GREAT BRITAIN” and other information. The rotation function is currently out of order.
There is a dancer in Berlin’s Pergamon Museum. It is a Parian marble sculpture. It is a Roman copy from the second century CE. The original is from the late second century BCE. Michael Spiess purchased the statue in Rome in 1874. He bought it for the Berlin museums.
The sculpture is 120 cm high. It shows a dancing woman. It was discovered in fragments. The head and arms are missing. Her soft body makes a curve. It rises from her left hip to her right shoulder. Her missing arms were probably held out to her left. Her right leg is slightly bent at the knee. Only her toes touch the ground. She wears a thong sandal.
The figure wears a chiton. It is a tunic of light cloth worn in ancient Greece. It is ankle-length and richly folded. It is tied with a belt below her breasts. The garment has slipped. It reveals her right shoulder and breast. A tree trunk supports the weight of the statue behind her left leg.
The interpretation is still controversial. It could be a maenad or a flute player. The lack of limbs makes identification difficult. Several replicas have been found. The best-preserved figure is from Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. It also lacks the head and forearms.