One of the most important forms of contemporary dance internationally, acclaimed creator Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker returns to the Herodeion with the acclaimed team Rosas to present EXIT ABOVE after a storm as part of the Athens Epidaurus Festival.
The exclusive sponsor of the show is Piraeus, which started an important collaboration with the Athens Epidaurus Festival this year and has become a valuable partner and supporter of the country’s largest cultural institution. The performance will be accompanied by a special event/roundtable organized by the Festival and Piraeus on July 3rd at 20:00 at Piraeus 260, area E.
For Piraeus, this collaboration is a high-value initiative that further expands the Bank’s Corporate Social Responsibility activities in the field of Arts and Culture. The aim of the Bank is to maintain a lively creative relationship with the activities and people whose inspiration and work constitute the country’s modern cultural identity and contribute to Greece being at the forefront of international cultural development.
A few words about the show
COME UP – storm after storm of action, explosive choreography that fuses marches with blues with 13 performers on stage and live music. De Keersmacher, with his unique talent for choreography, connects the dance in the performance with the history of Western pop music.
The work highlights how the blues “creates” community, a sense of “togetherness” with a multi-collective, diverse, inclusive approach. Although the performers are selected as individuals, they are always in “contact” × they are, after all, the creators of the work. Thus, the act of a daily walk turns into a demanding choreography that gradually overwhelms the stage with its explosive energy.
In his new project, De Keersmacher enlists sound wizard Jean-Marie Aerts and Brazilian blues dancer and guitarist Carlos Garbin, with the crystalline voice and mesmerizing performance of Ethiopian-born Flemish composer Meskerem Mays. Premiering in May 2023, EXIT ABOVE triumphed at all major European festivals (Avignon, Vienna, Rome) and was admired by critics.
Who is Anne Theresa De Kearsmaker?
Since her debut in the 1980s, Anne-Teresa De Keersmaeker has established herself as a leading figure of the “new Flemish dance” and has become an iconic figure on the world dance scene with her band Rosas. His interest in the relationship between dance and music begins with his first work Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich (1982) and is expressed through a dynamic dialogue that goes beyond the simple reflection of music in a dance setting. As this relationship develops over time, the choreographer often integrates dancers and musicians into the overall choreographic setting. Behold, it features unique choreography by Mozart and Steve Reich and others.
In 1995, De Keersmacher founded PARTS, one of the most important educational institutions in contemporary dance, whose curriculum is in constant dialogue with contemporary artistic research and creativity. In 2014, he was awarded the Golden Lion award at the Venice Biennale for his entire work.