Gauthier Dance, Grandes Dames, Theaterhaus Stuttgart

[Duck]

This is a new quadruple programme at the Theaterhaus in Stuttgart with two works by female artists – Virginie Brunelle and Helena Waldmann - and two works in honour of female artists – Pina Bausch and Louise Lecavalier. I saw the performance last night.

Brunelle’s work Beating is inspired by a study that the heart beats of those in love are synchronised. Dancers perform solos and movements in unison with another person or a group of dancers so as to illustrate the process of harmonisation, break up and renewed accord. The choreography sees e.g., the dancers twisting their upper bodies backwards and forwards, and in varying intensity, as if their torsos were massive hearts that beat more or less wildly (I just loved those movements). Couples develop towards the end, the PDD of one of these moves through jumps and lifts to end with a hug – synchronisation has been achieved again.

Waldmann’s We love horses is about freedom and domestication. It comes with dancers wearing horse’s behinds and a dancer on digilegs with a whip to control the horses e.g., the latter change position every time the whip is used. The horses also control each other in varying combinations and through various means. All with a serious undertone as the choreographer refers to legislation as well as conventions and expectations that define and restrict people's activities (e.g., one of the horses is asked to jump higher and higher), combined with the willingness of the latter to adhere to these (... and the horse does jump higher every time). Not an easy viewing but definitely food for thought.

Infant spirit by Marco Goecke is inspired by memories of his youth in Wuppertal and pays homage to Pina Bausch. A very personal and emotional solo for the wonderful Rosario Guerra.

The final piece Electric Life has been co-choreographed by Eric Gauthier and Andonis Foniadakis and pays homage to Louise Lecavalier. Long light tubes are used to form an arena where dancers perform, they are held by dancers as if they were guitars, they emit continuous as well as strobe light. The tone of the choreography is full of energy, pulsating – electric.

Performances run until the end of this week. Extracts of all four works in the news clip here https://www.ardmediathek.de/tv/SWR-Aktuell-Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg/75-Minuten-geballte-Frauenpower/SWR-Baden-W%C3%BCrttemberg/Video?bcastId=254078&documentId=54152262

 

 

Edited July 16, 2018 by Duck
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