I'm sorry

The character played by Stella Höttler is lost and confused in this changing world. Therefore, she apologizes for everything—for how she looks, for how she behaves, for what she says … She tries to find her way in the world of self-censorship while she strongly believes that we should engage in discussion, exchange ideas, and simply talk with each other. Because, when a society shields itself from hearing dissenting opinions, it stops itself from strengthening its own arguments. Isn’t dialogue the base of democracy?

"If offence is against the rules, what hope is there for radical writings?
Part of the (cancel) ideology is a refusal to have a conversation, that it causes you harm to talk or to listen to someone with whom you disagree. So you cancel everyone that you don’t want to listen to, or who has a different perspective.
t’s the antithesis of what real education is."
(Lionel Shriver)

"The beautiful text written by Jan Fabre and Stella Höttler was accompanied by an evocative soundtrack consisting of pieces from the St. Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach and a fascinating lighting design by Wout Janssens. Stella HÓ§ttler rendered her singular character with excellent expressive ability, both with her body and with vocal recitation in perfect Italian. The show, performed as a world premiere at Out Off, certainly deserves to be performed again.” - Carlo Tomeo | Alessandria today

“I'm sorry is the new mantra of Jan Fabre's countercurrent feminist manifesto.” - Floriana Conte | Bee Magazine

"(Stella Höttler) A strong body and spirit that brought I'm sorry to the stage: a provocative, irreverent, ironic, intentionally politically incorrect monologue, co-written with its director and the highlight of the festival at the Out Off Theatre in Milan. I'm sorry is the refrain of a ‘j'accuse' to the ideologies of political correctness in which this beautiful woman apologizes for being blonde, German, Teutonic, heterosexual, carnivorous, free from food intolerances and full of desires for a sexuality free from prejudice." - Alessandra Mammi | Il Giornale dell’arte  

Stella Höttler

Stella Elena Höttler (1991) is a dancer and performer born and raised in Düsseldorf, Germany. She studied classical ballet at the University for Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim, Germany. During her studies, she was cast in several classical ballets at the State Theatre Karlsruhe. Stella was granted a scholarship by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation.

In 2014 Stella joined Troubleyn/Jan Fabre performing in prizewinning productions such as Jan Fabre's 24-hour performance 'Mount Olympus. To glorify the cult of tragedy' (2015) and 'Belgium Rules/Belgian Rules' (2017) which toured internationally for many years. She also performed in Fabre's creation 'The fluid force of love' (2021).

Stella also performs in the specially created solo performance 'Resurrexit Cassandra', which premiered in the autumn of 2019 at the Bolshoi Drama Theatre St. Petersburg, Russia. She performs the piece in German, English, French and Spanish. In addition to her role as a performer and teacher in Troubleyn, she has also modeled for numerous visual artworks and installations by Angelos/Jan Fabre.

Stella is currently performing in the latest Troubleyn/Jan Fabre productions 'Peak Mytikas (On the top of Mount Olympus) - an 8-hour performance (2023) and in the new full-length solo performance 'I'm sorry' (2024), a new work which Fabre especially created for her.

Stella has been a jury member to select new scholarship holders (dance selection) for the German Academic Scholarship Foundation. She is a founding member of the newly formed collective, BOTH Industries, which focuses on interdisciplinary art projects.

Alongside performing Stella is part of the Jan Fabre Teaching Group, training new generations of performers.