Rosas Danst Rosas

A timeless classic revived with a new take on space, time and womanhood

Rosas danst Rosas, an iconic piece in the history of postmodern dance, is a fierce interplay of synchronisation and de-synchronisation. Four female dancers perform everyday movements-lying down, sitting, running, turningand evoking familiar moments like sleeping, working or simply existing. These vehement yet intimate gestures have now mesmerised audiences around the world for more than four decades.

Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, hailed as "the queen of visionary rigour", made her international breakthrough with this seminal work in 1983. On the debut of her signature piece, she won immediate acclaim for its physicality and pure dance minimalism. Despite its long history, the piece remains strikingly contemporary-minimalist, physical and emotionally charged. Staged at the Paris Opera, the Lincoln Center, Sadler's Wells and every major dance venue, it continues to be performed worldwide, even inspiring a Beyonce video.

De Keersmaeker's choreography offers a unique way to view how the body moves through space and time, as she draws inspiration from geometry, numerical patterns and the natural world. Thierry de Mey's and Peter Vermeersch's score was created simultaneously with the choreography, empowering the dancers with incredible energy. Repetitive and mechanical at times, the tension builds and holds you in its grip.

"In a composition like Rosas danst Rosas, the distinction between what is the same and what is different is crucial," De Keersmaeker says. To truly appreciate these nuances, this piece simply must be experienced live.