Rosas danst Rosas

As a manifesto-piece, taking further the principles established in Fase, Rosas danst Rosas is a headlong fugue, a poignant counterpoint. On the borderline between the everyday and abstraction, four female performers cut up gestures that waver between formal structures and intimacy, ardour or delicacy. In 1983, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker established herself on the international scene with Rosas danst Rosas, a show that has since become a genuine reference in the history of postmodern dance. Rosas danst Rosas is set in the same minimalist vein that was opened with Fase (1982): abstract movements make up the basis of a rich choreographic counterpoint dominated by repetition. The expressive vehemence of these movements is then contradicted by the triviality of little, everyday gestures. Rosas danst Rosas is an essentially female show: four women “dance themselves” without a single moment of respite. Their obstinacy – going as far as exhaustion – enters into a violent contrast with the impeccable formal structure of the choreography. Thierry De Mey’s and Peter Vermeersch’s rhythmic loops – a repetitive music which they describe as being maximalist – were composed during the choreographic process. For this revival, Rosas danst Rosas is being performed by an entirely new cast.