On 15 and 16 April, the Conde Duque Cultural Centre will host a new version of the great dance piece by the Belgian choreographer, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker: Rosas danst Rosas.
Building on the radical minimalism initiated in Fase, the choreography develops around a rigorous layered structure in which repetition is the driving force of movement. Four female dancers occupy the space with a controlled fierceness, alternating abstract gestures with everyday actions, which intensify the emotional charge rather than softening it. The visible and progressive physical exhaustion is turned into an essential part of the tale portrayed on stage.
Since its première, the piece has been considered to be an explicitly feminist declaration. The performers dance as themselves, without any characters or props, confronting time, the body’s resistance and the insistence of a relentless structure. This tension between discipline and feeling is one of the features that have made the production a generational reference.
The music, created by Thierry De Mey and Peter Vermeersch at the same time as the choreography, converses organically with the movement. Repetitive sounds mark the rhythm of the bodies and reinforce the feeling of a continuous cycle, constantly advancing and returning. The production has been performed almost 500 times with the participation of 28 dancers across five generations. Furthermore, the film version, directed by De Mey in 1997, became a visual icon.
Born in Malinas (Belgium) in 1960, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker is a dancer and choreographer who has emerged as one of the leading figures in international contemporary dance. In 1983, she set up her company, Rosas, having made more than thirty productions to date. The most outstanding pieces include: Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich, Rosas danst Rosas, Drumming or Achterland.
Between 1992 and 2007, she was the Choreography Director at La Monnaie Theatre in Brussels (Belgium) and in 1995, she founded the contemporary dance school, PARTS (Performing Arts Research and Training Studios) in Brussels, which is considered to be one of the best academies in the world.
Artistic File:
- Choreography - Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
- Created by (1983) - Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Adriana Borriello, Michèle Anne De Mey and Fumiyo Ikeda
- Music - Thierry De Mey y Peter Vermeersch
- Musicians (recording) - Thierry De Mey (percussion and piano), Walter Hus (piano), Eric Sleichim (saxophone) and Peter Vermeersch (clarinet)
- Lighting Design - Remon Fromont
- Costumes - Rosas
- Production (1983) - Rosas & Kaaitheater
- Co-production - De Munt/La Monnaie (Brussels), Sadler’s Wells (London) and Les Théâtres de la Ville in Luxembourg
- Support - Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, Flemish Community and the Flemish Community Commission (VGC)
Approximate Duration: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Recommended Age: All ages
