infini
Boris Charmatz
In 2022, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels is presenting Boris Charmatz's infini in collaboration with Sadler's Wells as part of the first Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival in London.
Staged in Sadler’s Wells main theatre but in an intimate configuration with seating for only 400, including some on stage, this is a unique presentation. Numbers and counting set the pace - and the theme - for this remarkable work. For centuries, dancers have counted to four, six, or eight, and then started over. In modern choreography, they may count in more complex ways, combining thirteens and fives, but what would happen if they counted to infinity?
Boris Charmatz explores the relationship between the infinite nature of the body and concepts of infinity. Navigating mathematical purity and the symbolic value attached to numbers, the performers mesmerize as they dance and count at the same time, in a test of memory and resilience. They count on the spot, backwards, towards the infinitely small and the infinitely large, alone or in unison, keeping the beat or standing in the face of time.
“I’ve always hated counting while dancing… I’ve always preferred letting my mind wander… in this piece, we count, speak and sing, and dance, but it’s only so that we can wander better”
- Boris Charmatz
Photo : © Laurent Philippe
“I’ve always hated counting while dancing… I’ve always preferred letting my mind wander… in this piece, we count, speak and sing, and dance, but it’s only so that we can wander better.”
About the artist
Boris Charmatz
In 2023, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels is supporting the choreographer Boris Charmatz for his creation Liberté Cathédrale and its presentation at Théâtre de la Ville and as part of the Biennale de la danse de Lyon. The initiative has also presented SOMNOLE in collaboration with NYU Skirball in New York.
