23 Nov '15

1,400 respond to Rosas call for dancers

Summary

Surprising even the dance company, Rosas’ call for a new cast of dancers for a revival of the Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker production Rain brought forth 1,400 replies

Revival of Rain

No fewer than 1,400 dancers from around the world have responded to a call for a new cast for the revival of Flemish choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s 2001 production Rain. The piece, set to American minimalist composer Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians, is one of De Keersmaeker’s most successful productions.
 

Rain was performed the world over by dancers with the choreographer’s own company, the Brussels-based Rosas, from 2001 to 2006. It was also danced by the prestigious Ballet de l’Opera de Paris in 2011 and 2014.

A call for new dancers for the revival brought in 1,400 applications, a number that surprised even the company. From those, 250 have been chosen to audition this weekend, after which the final 12 will be chosen. The production will take to the stage in the second half of next year.

Photo: Herman Sorgeloos/Rosas

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Flemish dance

Flemish dance choreographers are considered some of the best in the world and the region is known for the number of top choreographers based here. Modern dance has been flourishing in Flanders since the 1980s, when a handful of choreographers drew international attention with their radically innovative works.
Names - Pioneering Flemish dance choreographers include Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Alain Platel, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Wim Vandekeybus and Jan Fabre.
Funding - Dance companies Rosas, Ultima Vez, Les Ballets C de la B and the Royal Ballet have long received the lion’s share of available government funding.
School - Founded by De Keersmaeker, P.A.R.T.S. became the first professional dance school in Belgium focused on contemporary dance.
1 983

De Keersmaeker’s Rosas founded

1 993

Performing Arts Decree is signed, enabling dance companies to receive structural government funding

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P.A.R.T.S. founded

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