Press Release: UK premiere of Partita 2 (Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Boris Charmatz and Amandine Beyer), Sadler's Wells 22 & 22 May

[Jan McNulty]

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Boris Charmatz and Amandine Beyer
Partita 2
UK Premiere
Friday 22 & Saturday 23 May 
Performances at 7.30pm
Sadler’s Wells, EC1R 
Tickets: £12 - £27
Ticket office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com

Rosas presents the UK premiere of Partita 2, choreographed by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker in collaboration with radical French dance artist Boris Charmatz, at Sadler’s Wells on Friday 22 & Saturday 23 May. In a repertoire of over 40 works, De Keersmaeker, an icon of contemporary dance, has never before composed a duet in which she herself would dance.

The show is part of Musée de la danse in London, a major new focus on the work of Boris Charmatz, presented by Sadler’s Wells and Tate Modern. The performance of Partita 2 at Sadler’s Wells follows the London premiere of Aatt enen tionon (Sunday 17 May) and the UK premiere of manger (Tuesday 19 &Wednesday 20 May), as well as performances at Tate Modern. 

Created in 2013, Partita 2 is a new collaboration between two of the most exciting names working in dance today, exploring the question of what happens when choreographers famed for directing many bodies rejoice in their love for their own dancing. The work also examines the relationship between music and dance, and presents the ever-evolving marriage between a refined compositional architecture and a strong, sensual theatricality. 

Although De Keersmaeker created the choreographic framework – the geometrical and architectural structure for the two bodies in space – for this dancing duet, she nonetheless considers Partita 2 to be a collaboration of equals between her and Charmatz. The work sees De Keersmaeker depart from her usual meticulous construction of dance, embracing the improvisatory instincts and whimsical flair of her collaborator. 

The piece is named for its score by J. S. Bach, whose structure and form is reflected in the choreography. De Keersmaeker commented: “What interests me is that the dance provides the opportunity to bring to the surface the structure of the score, what you might call its foundations. And that we can play on all the levels of the music at the same time, responding directly to what the music induces in our body: rapture, a high, the physical pleasure, the most direct reaction to the sound.” 

Joining De Keersmaeker and Charmatz on stage is violinist Amandine Beyer, performing Bach’s composition. Beyer’s physical presence on stage lends the dance a sense of humility and intimacy and also enhances the experience of the bare and beautiful set design by visual artist Michel François.

Having studied at the MUDRA dance school and the Tisch School of the Arts in New York, Belgian dancer and choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker set up the Rosas dance company in 1983. The relationships of dance with music and with words are running themes through her work. While Rosas was resident at La Monnaie in Brussels from 1992 to 2007, De Keersmaeker also directed a number of operas, and in 1995 she established the P.A.R.T.S. dance school in association with La Monnaie. 

Boris Charmatz has been director of the ground-breaking National Choreographic Centre in Rennes since 2009, which he provocatively renamed Musée de la danse, reframing the traditional dance organisation as a new kind of museum. This dancing museum opens up the boundaries of what is considered choreography and dance, and looks to create new physical spaces and situations to redefine them.

Musée de la danse in London is presented by Sadler’s Wells and Tate Modern


NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Sadler’s Wells
Sadler's Wells is a world leader in contemporary dance, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its international award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour the world. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 appointed world class Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, its Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

Located in Islington in north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells.

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 9% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

About Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
After studying dance at Maurice Béjarts Mudra school in Brussels and at the dance department of new york university’s School of the Arts, choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker started her career with Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich (1982). She founded the Rosas company in 1983 on the occasion
of the creation of the piece Rosas danst Rosas. Both works provided a quick international breakthrough and have been restaged in various contexts, most recently in the project Early works (2010). From 1992 until 2007 De Keersmaeker was resident choreographer at La Monnaie, the Brussels opera house, creating a wide range of works that have been presented all over the world. In 1995 Rosas and La Monnaie jointly set up the international educational project PARTS, the Performing Arts Research and Training Studios.

From the beginning De Keersmaeker’s choreographic works have focused on the relation between music and dance. She has worked with compositions ranging from the late Middle Ages to the twentieth century, premiering creations of George Benjamin, Toshio Hosokawa, and Thierry De Mey and collaborating with various ensembles and musicians. She has also investigated different genres such as jazz, traditional Indian music, and pop music. She has a great affinity with Steve Reich’s compositions and
has worked with his music in pieces such as Fase (1982), Drumming (1998), and Rain (2001). Her choreographies present an ever-evolving marriage between a refined sense of compositional architecture and a strong sensuality or theatricality. This unique signature has been recognized with many awards.