PROGRAMME
A masquerade ball escalates. Nine people run out of control, working themselves into a dance frenzy similar to the “raves” that broke out in various places across Europe, especially during the Middle Ages: groups of people danced themselves into ecstasies for days and nights on end until they fainted or even died. While Mette Ingvartsen’s delirious performers don’t plan on plunging into unconsciousness and depart this life, they are going to demonstrate how freeing the overwhelming feelings can be that arise from unrestrained dance. Under the title The Dancing Public, the renowned Danish choreographer explored the history of choreomania several years ago. This time around, the focus is on the states of excesses themselves, and on the question of how such outbreaks of movement frenzy may be understood as social and political events. Looking back on the restrictions during the Covid pandemic and driven by drummer Will Guthrie’s beats, the imaginatively disguised group dances its own transgressions.
Concept and choreography: Mette Ingvartsen
Performance: Dolores Hulan, Júlia Rúbies Subirós, Fouad Nafili, Jayson Batut, Mariana Miranda, Olivier Muller, Zoé Lakhnati, Thomas Bîrzan and Elisha Mercelina
Live music and composition: Will Guthrie
Text and lyrics: Mette Ingvartsen, GRLwood, Sari and Romy Lightman
Dramaturgy: Bojana Cvejić
Lighting design: Minna Tiikkainen
Costume design: Jennifer Defays
Vocal training: Fabienne Séveillac
Technical direction: Hans Meijer
Sound engineering: Milan Van Doren
Lighting technician: Sil Verdickt and Bennert Vancottem
Technicians (tour): Jan-Simon De Lille, Filip Vilhemsson and Julien Rabin
Production management: Oihana Azpillaga Camio
Administration: Joey Ng
Communication: Jeroen Goffings
Management: Ruth Collier
Production: Great Investment vzw
Co-production: Kaaitheater (BE), Kunstenfestivaldesarts Brussels (BE), Festival d’Avignon (FR), Kunstencentrum VIERNULVIER (BE), Charleroi danse centre chorégraphique de Wallonie – Bruxelles (BE), Le Lieu Unique (FR), Le Cndc – Angers (FR), PACT Zollverein (DE), Theater Rotterdam (NL), La Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand (FR), Théâtre National de Bretagne (FR), Le Quartz – Scène nationale de Brest (FR), Festival Madrid en Danza (ES) and Perpodium (BE).
Residencies: Charleroi danse centre chorégraphique de Wallonie – Bruxelles (BE), Rosas (BE), Le Lieu Unique (BE) and P.A.R.T.S. (BE)
Supported by Fondation d’entreprise Hermès (FR).
Great Investment is supported by The Flemish Authorities (BE), The Flemish Community Commission (VGC) (BE), Tax Shelter of the Belgian Federal Government (BE) and The Danish Arts Council (DK).