Rain

After the infectious Mozart / Concert Arias, the dancers of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen once again breathe new life into an iconic ensemble performance by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. With Rain (2001), the celebrated choreographer returned to two great loves: pure dance and the minimalist music of the American composer Steve Reich. To the mesmerising, pulsating tones of Reich’s cult composition Music for 18 Musicians (1976), ten dancers occupy the stage, demarcated by a curtain of fine cords. They perform a dizzying sequence of virtuoso dance phrases. De Keersmaeker’s penchant for mathematical figures, the geometric use of space and her art of constant variation are brought to an absolute apotheosis in this overpowering choreography. The company of dancers appears as a close-knit group of outspoken individuals who, one by one, play an indispensable role in the whole. Rain is irresistible dance energy set to a masterpiece of minimal music.