Infinity
A production of Gauthier Dance / Theaterhaus Stuttgart
With choreographies by Nanine Linning, Hans van Manen, Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger Alejandro Cerrudo, Po-Cheng Tsai, Charles Moulton & Janice Garrett, Cayetano Soto
Artistic Director / Choreographer: Eric Gauthier
Dancers: Sandra Bourdais, Anneleen Dedroog, Maurus Gauthier, Miriam Gronwald, Rosario Guerra, Anna Süheyla Harms, Lisa Kasman, Florian Lochner, Alessio Marchini, Juliano Nunes, Garazi Perez Oloriz, Maria Prat Balasch, Luke Prunty, David Rodríguez
Celebrating the eight: In the eighth season of the Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Eric Gauthier presents his first mixed bill featuring as many as eight pieces, including four world premières. The title also alludes to the eight – inspired by the horizontal eight, the symbol of infinity. Infinity stands for the countless variations of dance itself taking the audience to the depths of the dance universe. Similar to Future 6, the line-up once again boasts some famous names from all generations of choreographers. As a result, the works vary strongly, in terms of style as well as in terms of their casts.
Nanine Linning from the Netherlands has achieved as much as some towards the end of their careers: The Dance Director of Heidelberg and choreographic shooting star of the German dance scene and beyond is to contribute a powerful world première to Infinity, with strong images and mythological references. Set to the metaphysical music of Arvo Pärt's 4th Symphony, she draws her inspiration from Hesiod's Theogony and the arguably darkest picture of Goya's legendary Black Paintings series: Saturn Devouring his Son.
Concept, Choreography, Costumes and Stage design: Nanine Linning
Choreographic assistent: Erik Spruijt
Light design: Loes Schakenbos.
Music: Symphony #4, Los Angeles
THE BLACK PAINTING ist inspiriert von einem Bild des spanischen Malers Francisco Goya (1746–1828) nach einer Geschichte aus der griechischen Mythologie. Es ist die Geschichte des Titanen Kronos (römisch: Saturn), der seinen Vater Uranos entmachtet und selbst die Weltherrschaft übernimmt. Doch seine Mutter prophezeit Kronos dasselbe Schicksal wie seinem Vater. Aus Angst, von einem seiner Nachkommen gestürzt zu werden, verschlingt Kronos alle seine Kinder ... Diesem kinderfressenden Kronos hat Goya ein ebenso berühmtes wie beängstigendes Bild seines späten Freskenzyklus’ PINTURAS NEGRAS (Schwarze Bilder) gewidmet: SATURN, EINEN SEINER SÖHNE VERSCHLINGEND.
Nanine Linnings THE BLACK PAINTING handelt nicht konkret von Kronos. Das Stück erzählt vielmehr von einer abstrakten Bedrohung: vom Zugriff einer dunklen Macht auf eine unschuldige, nackte, verletzliche Welt. Wie sie bedrängt und vereinnahmt wird – bis sie ganz und gar verschwindet.
Johan Inger from Sweden ranks among today's top choreographers, with acclaimed works for the Nederlands Dans Theater and the Cullberg Ballet. At the beginning of his career, you could still sense the influence of Jiří Kylián in his quiet, intense choreographies. By now he has definitely found his own voice. His haunting new pas de deux Now and now created for the Gauthier Dance First Artists Anna Süheyla Harms and Florian Lochner relentlessly explores the various stages of love.
With his raw, physical approach, Cayetano Soto never fails to grip his audiences and to draw them into his very own universe. Following his celebrated La Lupe tribute Malasangre for the programme Future 6, the Spanish choreographer is currently creating his second tailor-made piece for the Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart: CONRAZONCORAZON.
Alejandro Cerrudo's laid-back choreography Lickety-Split from the mixed bill Lucky Seven took the Gauthier Dance audience by storm. Now the Resident Choreographer of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is back, with a piece which is easily just as hip. PACOPEPEPLUTO consists of three solos set to songs by the "King of Cool" Dean Martin, and is a perfect fit for the company's fabulous male dancers. Cerrudo gets right to the heart of the choreographic matter: sexy, ironic and with a seemingly nude cast...
The 2014 edition of the International Competition for Choreographers organised by the Ballet Society Hannover saw the première of the new Gauthier Dance Production Prize. Together with the audience award, it went to Po-Cheng Tsai from Taiwan who is now going to show his winning piece in Stuttgart. Floating Flowers is sheer Asian poetry. Exquisite, sensitive, with flowing movements - and as full of surprises as the journey of life itself.
Ball Passing creator Charles Moulton will spend a lot of time in Stuttgart this year. Prior to devising a special COLOURS version of his iconic piece for amateurs, he is rehearsing with Gauthier Dance. In collaboration with the choreographer Janice Garrett, he is going to adapt a piece from his latest programme The Luminous Edge especially for the Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart. Infinite Sixes will bear all the trademarks of Moulton's distinctive touch: light-footed, seemingly relaxed, American style – and a hell of a coordination challenge for the 15 dancers.
Alexander Ekman often causes a stir. When he flooded the stage of the Norwegian National Ballet for his Swan Lake production, he had finally conquered the international dance scene. Working with the major players all over the world, the Swede has come pretty close to his self-declared goal: to provoke, grip – and amaze his audience. The charming pas de deux Two Become Three is a prime example. The surprise is guaranteed at the conclusion of this humorous, true-to-life story of a young couple.
Hans van Manen is the great innovator of truly contemporary ballet. Following The Old Man and Me which featured a superb Eric Gauthier as the torn lover, Black Cake is the second van Manen classic to make its way to Theaterhaus Stuttgart: a formal high-society party that is getting hilariously out of control in proportion to the guests' mounting consumption of champagne...