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Wednesday, October 24, 2018

In Context: Kreatur

©Sebastian Bolesch

Kreatur is famed choreographer Sasha Waltz’s newest exploration of the human body and how it grapples with domination, technology, and the darkness within. With costume design from Iris van Herpen and an original score by Soundwalk Collective, Kreatur investigates how we relate to each other and to structures of power. Context is everything, so we’ve provided a curated selection of articles and videos for you to engage with before seeing the piece. After you’ve attended the show, let us know what you thought by posting in the comments below and on social media using #BAMNextWave.


Program Notes

Kreature (PDF)

Read

Featured Collection
Sasha Waltz (Leon Levy BAM Digital Archive)
Browse richly detailed entries on all of Sasha Waltz’s BAM productions, plus a selection of photos, artifacts, and ephemera from the BAM Hamm Archives.

Article
Iris van Herpen’s Hi-Tech Couture (New York Magazine)
Dutch designer Iris van Herpen, known for her 3-D printed, futurist garments, constructed the intricate costumes for Kreatur.

Article
Artist Tips: Soundwalk Collective (XLR8R)
Music publication XLR8R dissects the methods behind Soundwalk Collective’s studio practice, their experience working with famed artist Patti Smith, and their recent tribute to the late German singer and actress Nico.


Watch & Listen

Video
Arts.21 Meet the Artist: Choreographer Sasha Waltz (Arts.21)
In preparation for her upcoming role as the co-director of Berlin’s Staatsballet, Sasha Waltz discusses her vision for how contemporary and experimental dance can inform classical ballet.

Video
Sasha Waltz: An Artist’s Questions  (BAM Video)
“Who are we and what are the possibilities of our bodies?” Sasha Waltz is no stranger to the BAM stage. Thus far, her company has performed in the halls of BAM four times, with each performance investigating the limits and expansiveness of the human form through dance. Look back on Waltz’s #BAMNextWave history and forward to her fifth performance, Kreatur.

Video
Sasha Waltz on Kreatur for Roma Europa (YouTube)
“In the process I was afraid that the piece is too negative [...] but I think it’s important to verbalize this to be able to find a way out of it.” Watch choreographer Sasha Waltz, in her own words, discuss Kreatur’s exploration of humanity’s darker side.

Now your turn...

How did you enjoy the show? Likes? Dislikes? Surprises? Tell us what’s on your mind in the comments below and on social media using #BAMNextWave.

© 2018 Brooklyn Academy of Music, Inc. All rights reserved.

7 comments:

  1. This is an interesting and unusual piece, mixing dance with theater. Some of the costumes: the "bubble suits" are exceptionally innovative. The music is mechanical, haunting, and mysterious: quite appropriate to the general atmosphere. The choreography was good, though at times a little too slow, too long, and somewhat repetitive. The one hour and a half should have been shortened into only one hour. In general, it is a good creative piece.

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  2. Several remarkable performances. Technique and charisma.

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  3. Very talented dancers. Definitely not a show for younger or more prudish audience members. Music was a good pairing - and the concept of exploring humanity was interesting. I had some issues with the choreography. The first third made the show (my date for the night noted "That's some of the most BAM moments I've seen!) the middle third got a bit slow but still showed off the physicality of the dancers and still felt like part of the story from the first third. The final third had some nuggets of interesting ideas that weren't developed and felt disjointed from the rest of the show.

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  4. I wish I could say I enjoyed this. The dancers did a commendable job and the choreography was trying so very hard... But in the end it seemed like a very early working rehearsal where someone was working through random ideas. "Oh look a piece of mylar." "Let's try that 4x4." "Lets try some screaming in French..." In the end, it appeared to be a collection of fragments, some gorgeous, some less so, that never really came together for me.

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  5. I loved this work. The entire piece coalesced for me, the disjointedness of ideas reflected a deep understanding of the human condition.

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  6. I found Sasha Waltz’ Kreator to be a distinctive and creative work. Major choreographic styles seem to influence her work, yet they meld into something novel and original. There were the theatrics of Pina Bausch, the set improvisations of Trisha Brown, the abstract symbolism of Martha Graham, and the superb ensemble work, sometimes reminiscent, of all people, Bob Fosse. Add the absolute precision of movement, lighting, and sound that built into beautiful architectural forms. I was transported somewhere between an extraterrestrial landscape and the surreal world in a Salvatore Dali painting. Yes, perhaps the piece could be a little shorter, but brava!

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