Achterland

Femininity and masculinity blur in this Rosas classic

Achterland is a seminal choreography in Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s oeuvre. In this 1990 performance, for the first time, the choreographer gave the musicians a central position on stage and let them play an active role in the overall dynamic—an approach she would repeat in many subsequent projects. The unusual combination of György Ligeti’s and Eugène Ysaÿe’s music inspired De Keersmaeker and her dancers to create an original dance score with a delicate balance between energetic virtuosity and deceleration. This also was the choreographer’s first time writing dancing material specifically for men; she added three male dancers to what until that point had been a predominantly female company. In Achterland, the prevalent femininity and minimalism of several of Rosas’s earlier works gave way to an ambiguous no-man’s-land characterized by a blurring of boundaries and symbols.

credits

György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Études for piano

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)
Sonata 1, 3 en 4 from Six sonatas for solo violin, opus 27

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György Ligeti (1923-2006)
Études for piano

Eugène Ysaÿe (1858-1931)
Sonata 1, 3 en 4 from Six sonatas for sol

executives

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker: choreography
Laura Bachman, Lav Crnčević, Léa Dubois, José Paulo dos Santos, Anika Edström Kawaji, Bilal El Had, Frank Gizycki, Robin Haghi, Yuika Hashimoto, Laura Maria Poletti, Soa Ratsifandrihana, Luka Švajda: dance
Juan María Braceras / Naaman Sluchin: violin
Wilhem Latchoumia / Joonas Ahonen: piano
Herman Sorgeloos: set
Jean-Luc Ducourt: lighting design
Ann Weckx: costumes

production: Rosas
coproduction (1990): Stichting Van Gogh 1990, De Munt / La Monnaie (Brussel/Bruxelles), Rotterdamse Schouwburg, Théâtre de la Ville (Paris)

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Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker: choreography
Laura Bachman, Lav Crnčević, Léa Dubois, José Paulo dos Santos, Anika