Description
Hofesh Shechter has been Artist in Residence of Gauthier Dance for five years. However, until now, he has worked almost exclusively with the main company, not with the JUNIORS. But that is about to be made up for, with a piece that is a perfect match! The youngsters will be performing a production from the repertoire of Shechter’s second company, Shechter II. From England with Love is an extraordinary tribute to the country where the choreographer has lived since the early 2000s: the United Kingdom. A nation of contradictions, caught between an open, hospitable society and pride in the traditions of an eventful, yet often dark, history. From England with Love explores precisely this tension, which Shechter transforms, in his own unique way, into a physical, highly dynamic scenario. England’s intricate system of values becomes the starting point for the inner journey of eight young people as they search for their own identity and self-knowledge. With boundless energy and pushing themselves to their limits, they respond for an hour to Shechter’s original music. This combines excerpts from works by the English composers Edward Elgar, Thomas Tallis, Henry Purcell and William H. Monk with rock-inspired electronic as well as avant-garde sounds. The result is an unrestrained blend of styles and cultures, both musically and in terms of dance. It also serves as a reflection of our own complex present. In any case, the message that Shechter conveys with From England with Love is at least as much a form of self-questioning as it is a choreographic exploration. On one point, however, there is not a moment’s doubt. He sends his greetings … with love.
