V/ertigo

In the double evening V/ertigo, the Hessisches Staatsballett presents extreme situations of an uncertain life.

Between the desire to ascend and the fear of falling, Skid exposes the dancers to the law of gravity and sets them in motion as a poetry of resistance; on a platform angled at 34 degrees that plunges directly into the orchestra pit. With only two entrances into the tilted structure, from above and below, the dancers draw physical trajectories between appearance and disappearance. The human body becomes the nexus of will, resistance, collapse and resilience – in a world where the physical relationship with others is often the only solace against the abyss of emptiness. Skid is the second collaboration of Hessisches Staatsballett with the exceptional Belgian choreographer Damien Jalet, following the choreography Thr(o)ugh, which was nominated for the theatre prize DER FAUST 2017.

The Dutch siblings Imre & Marne van Opstal are shooting stars of the European dance scene. Their new creation I`m afraid to forget your smile for the Hessisches Staatsballett involving six dancers and a choir explores the moment of letting go as a transitional state in the surrender to loss. A flash so tangible and elusive that time seems to stand still. After dance engagements at the renowned Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) 1 & 2 and Batsheva Dance Company, the young duo van Opstal started a promising choreographic career with NDT back in 2016. They now create regularly for the renowned Dutch theatre and throughout Europe.