A choreographer’s work on film
Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker cannot be forgotten that easily, say individuals who have encountered her. This point intensifies for those who experience the choreographer’s work. An extremely thin figure with long hair – some see a resemblance with Pina Bausch in her – the renowned Belgian choreographer continues to have an impact on the postmodern dance circuit. The artist’s poetic and melancholy mood, her close bond with music, and her distinctive style of dance have all distinguished de Keersmaeker since her emergence in the 1980s. Tomorrow night, the Athens Concert Hall will offer admirers of de Keersmaeker’s work the next best thing to seeing her perform in person; a film screening of her latest project, «Counter Phrases,» accompanied by a live performance of its score. The event is part of the Athens venue’s «Bridges» series, established to connect various artistic media. The film, a 10-segment series of short films, was directed by the composer Thierry De Mey. Ten composers have each contributed a score apiece for each of the film’s parts, De Mey among them. The soundtrack’s other nine composers are Giorgos Apergis, Robin de Raaf, Luca Franscesconi, Jonathan Harvey, Toshio Hosokawa, Magnus Lindberg, Steve Reich, Fausto Romitelli and Stefan Van Eycken. Their music is being performed by the Ictus ensemble, conducted by Georges-Elie Octors, for the project’s audiovisual presentation. De Mey, a regular collaborator with de Keersmaeker since her early days, shot all the film’s footage on location at picturesque parks in Belgium. The film’s dancers are all members of de Keersmaeker’s dance troupe, Rosas. The world premier of «Counter Phrases» took place earlier this month at the Palais des Beaux Arts in Brussels and was then taken to Stockholm and London, at the Barbican Center. Following Thursday’s presentation in Athens, de Keersmaeker’s new project will tour various European cities right through to early summer. Birmingham will follow on April 3, Vienna on May 24, Amsterdam on May 27, and Cologne on May 29, before a final night in Paris on June 14. Athens Concert Hall, 1 Kokkali & Vas. Sofias, tel 210.728.2000.
