by Jens Roothoofd, Tue, Aug 19, 2025
After seven years, Hofesh Shechter is returning to OBV. This time, he is reworking his most iconic work: Grand Finale.
Grand Finale, Hofesh Shechter's best-known choreography, premiered in 2017. Today, he is working with the dancers of OBV on a larger version that will no doubt touch you deeply.
Hofesh Shechter is a choreographer, filmmaker and composer. In 2008, he formed his own company, Hofesh Shechter Company, with which he created award-winning productions such as Political Mother and Grand Finale. Shechter is considered one of the most exciting artists of our time and has won numerous awards.
‘Is this the end?’ is the central question Hofesh Shechter wants to ask with Grand Finale. The dance performance is a reflection on a world that is increasingly unstable, yet continues to dance, love and live. This intriguing contrast between threat and vitality is at the heart of Grand Finale.
Shechter's trademark is a low centre of gravity, a hunched back and an irresistible groove that emanates from the body. The choreographer was strongly influenced by Israeli folk dances and the work of iconic choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, Wim Vandekeybus and Pina Bausch. ‘In my work, I want dancers to experience something, not just show something’, says Shechter. In Grand Finale, at times, the dance becomes grotesque and surreal, but precisely in those moments we can find emotions that we rarely allow to feel in everyday life.
Our dancers are full of praise for Hofesh Shechter's work. So it's no surprise that they are particularly looking forward to this collaboration. The fact that they will be dancing and reworking his most famous creation, Grand Finale, and that the cast has been expanded from ten to fifteen dancers, has generated a lot of enthusiasm within the company.
Hoofdbeeld: © Maciek Rukasz
Antwerp | Gent
Hofesh Shechter
