EXIT ABOVE after the tempest
Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Meskerem Mees, Jean-Marie Aerts, Carlos Garbin / Rosas
My walking is my dancing – is one of the guiding principles of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker.
For “EXIT ABOVE”, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker retraces her steps: to the roots of dance, the roots of Western pop music. In “EXIT ABOVE”, walking as primal motion and the blues as musical source meet. The starting point for the performance is the song “Walking Blues” by legendary blues artist Robert Johnson from here the musical arc stretches to Schubert’s “Der Wanderer”. On this basis, the musical trio of the performance – consisting of the singer Meskerem Mees, the rock musician Jean-Marie Aerts and the dancer and guitarist Carlos Garbin – create an irresistible sequence of melodies that get your feet taping.
Together with her ensemble of world-class dancers, De Keersmaeker explores the tension between romantic, solitary wandering and walking together in a group, between the individual and the collective, the line and the circle. As is often the case in her choreographies, De Keersmaeker starts from the simplest, geometric movements, which expand into spatial and physical complexity in the moving rhythm of the “Wanderlieder”.
Duration: ca. 1 h 30 min
Language: English, little use of language
Following the performance there will be a audience discussion on Fr. 08.03.
Audio Description
On Saturday 09.03. EXIT ABOVE will be shown with audio description. There is the opportunity to take part in a guided tour one hour before the start of the screening.
Please register for the audio description and guided tour. By e-mail: fuchs@hellerau.org or by telephone: 0351 264 62 37.
Stroboscopic light effects will be used during the event. This can lead to physical discomfort in sensitive persons.
Rosas is the company of Belgian choreographer and dancer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Founded in 1983, Rosas is now one of the best-known dance companies in Europe and tours worldwide. In her works, De Keersmaeker focuses on the rigorous exploration of movement, from its simplest to its most complex forms. She develops dance as an act of writing movement in space and time, always linked to other arts: music, geometry, visual arts and language. Meskerem Mees is a young folk singer from Ghent. Her debut album “Julius” was released in 2022. Jean-Marie Aerts is considered a veteran of Belgian rock music and was a member of important bands, including TC Matic. Brazilian Carlos Garbin began his career as a dancer and choreographer, but now also appears as a country blues guitarist.
Choreography: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker
Danced by: Abigail Aleksander, Pierre Bastin, Jean Pierre Buré, Lav Crnčević, José Paulo dos Santos, Rafa Galdino, Carlos Garbin, Nina Godderis, Solal Mariotte, Meskerem Mees, Mariana Miranda, Ariadna Navarrete Valverde, Jacob Storer
Created with: Abigail Aleksander, Jean Pierre Buré, Lav Crnčević, José Paulo dos Santos, Rafa Galdino, Carlos Garbin, Nina Godderis, Solal Mariotte, Meskerem Mees, Mariana Miranda, Ariadna Navarrete Valverde, Cintia Sebők, Jacob Storer
Music: Meskerem Mees, Jean-Marie Aerts, Carlos Garbin
Music performed by: Meskerem Mees, Carlos Garbin
Scenography: Michel François
Lighting design: Max Adams
Costume design: Aouatif Boulaich
Text and lyrics: Meskerem Mees, Wannes Gyselinck
Dramaturgy: Wannes Gyselinck
Rehearsal Directors: Cynthia Loemij, Clinton Stringer
Artistic Coordination and Planning: Anne Van Aerschot
Assistant to the Artistic Director: Martine Lange
Tour Manager: Marthe Delnaet
Technical Director: Thomas Verachtert
Technicians: Calvin Ferdinando Carrier, Thibault Rottiers
Sound: Antoine Delagoutte
Costume Coordinator: Alexandra Verschueren
Costume Coordination Assistant: Els Van Buggenhout
Wardrobe: Chiara Mazzarolo
Sewing: Chiara Mazzarolo, Martha Verleyen
Production: Rosas
Opening Text: Walter Benjamin, “Über den Begriff der Geschichte”, These IX
Text: Meskerem Mees, Wannes Gyselinck
Co-production: Concertgebouw Brugge (Bruges), De Munt / La Monnaie (Brussel / Bruxelles / Brussels), Internationaal Theater Amsterdam, Le théâtre Garonne (Toulouse), GIE FONDOC OCCITANIE (Le Parvis Tarbes, Scène nationale ALBI Tarn, Le Cratère Alès, Scène nationale Grand Narbonne, Théâtre Garonne)
Acknowledgements: Baptiste Alexandre, Naomie Bentein, Bert De Swert, Michel Dierickx, Steven Fillet, Nicolas Fiszman, Ann-Sofie Merlier, Miet Ongena, Tom Pauwels, Jean-Luc Plouvier, Olivier Thys, Emma Zune
World Premiere: May 31, 2023, Théâtre National Wallonie-Brussels, presented by Théâtre National Wallonie- Bruxelles, De Munt/ La Monnaie, Kaaitheater and Kunstenfestivaldesarts
With the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
This production was realized with the support of the Tax Shelter of the Belgian State, in collaboration with Casa Kafka Pictures – Belfius. Rosas is supported by the Flemish Community, the Flemish Community Commission (VGC).
