Rosas danst Rosas

In 1983, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker had her international breakthrough with Rosas danst Rosas, a performance that has since become a benchmark in the history of postmodern dance. The piece builds on the minimalism initiated in Fase (1982): abstract movements constitute the basis of a layered choreographic structure in which repetition plays the lead role. The fierceness of these movements is countered by small everyday gestures.

In 1983, Rosas danst Rosas was viewed as explicitly female, a feminist statement. Four female dancers dance ‘themselves’, over and over again. Their perseverance and exhaustion create an emotional charge that contrasts sharply with the rigorous structure of the choreography. The repetitive, ‘maximalist’ music by Thierry De Mey and Peter Vermeersch was created concurrently with
the choreography.

The film version of Rosas danst Rosas, recorded in 1997 by De Mey, quickly became as iconic as the performance itself. Via the online participatory platform Re:Rosas!, anyone can learn the second movement—a simplified version of the chair section. Hundreds of dance lovers from all over the world have shared their own videos this way. Since 1983, the performance has taken place almost 500 times, by 28 different dancers from five generations. This restaging of Rosas danst Rosas will be danced by a completely new cast.