The speech is accompanied by a series of hand motions, some of which clearly relate to the spoken words, while others seem nonsensical. Are the gestures really nonsense, or is it just a language that we do not happen to speak?

Babel's premise is a question: what if the construction of the biblical Tower of Babel had succeeded? "I don't believe in a God that stands outside of us," Cherkaoui tells me. "If Babel collapsed, it's because people wanted it to."

Instead of the traditional story, focus- ing on the power of language to separate, Babel focuses instead on the commonalities between peoples and cultures that bind us together. "We've tried to speak about the things that matter to us," Cherkaoui continues, "how can we be equal to each other and treat each other with respect."

Babel, which premiered last spring in Brussels and is now embarking on a tour across Flanders, presents a structured chaos of bodies and words, with images and forms emerging and blending into one another. The performance is a series of scenes; hints of storylines develop, fade away and reappear later.

The production is one of the first by Cherkaoui's new dance company, Eastman, founded last January. ("Eastman" is the English translations of the Arabic name "Cherkaoui").

Antony Gormley's set is exquisite. The frames of five enormous metal boxes become the dancers' playground of transforming symbolism. Invisible walls of the boxes become barriers, enveloping some dancers while excluding others. A duet of intense and constant physical contact is abruptly severed by the intervention of a frame.

In one particularly magical scene, danc- ers work together to set the five frames inside one another, forming the inevitable tower. The frames feature diverse proportions - one very thin and wide, another tall and square, another a perfect cube - yet the volume of each is identical.

Both in form and function, these frames represent a duality: that which brings together, and that which divides. Cherkaoui adds that these frames likewise are a manifestation of the five continents, fanning out across the stage in the show's final moments as the separate spaces where different peoples have been isolated.

Thirteen dancers, in line with the performance, come from 12 different countries. American Darryl E Woods is the narrator, delivering a series of monologues in English, culminating in a lengthy diatribe on the superiority of his native language - which is seemingly the final straw for the other dancers who take the opportunity to defend their own languages. Each speaks in his or her native tongue, yet the arguments remain clear, undermining the basis of the biblical tale.

A memorable character is the android, portrayed by the Swedish Ulrika Kinn Svensson. Her automated movements and speech are often humorous, and her physical dexterity a pleasure to watch. "She was trying to find an innocent character, like a machine," Cherkaoui explains. "Totally void - but at certain point, the character would surprise us with insights."

To that end, Svensson utters one of Cherkaoui's favourite quotes from the show: "I'm not afraid of tomorrow because I know yesterday, and I love today."

"She represents the future that Damien and I thought we should not be afraid of," Cherkaoui explains. "We know people who are afraid of the future, of technology. But these are part of our journeys....we should not be scared of what's coming."

In contrast to the android, other dancers portray intensely human relationships, exploring the full range of emotions from affection to violence. Out of the midst of abstract movements, sudden shapes come to the fore: a frieze of intertwined wrestling bodies; a giant flapping demon bird; an inter-connected group of dancers incapable of making individ- ual movements without sending ripples down the line.

This last image is an important one for Cherkaoui. "You see how slow someone must move when someone is attached to him. But it's also beautiful when people have to be patient and help each other. People have lost patience with other people."

One tangential section takes a witty shot at the development of Belgian contemporary dance, embodying the shift in one dancer who transforms himself forward and backward from ape to 21st-century human.

An eclectic set of international musicians are also on stage, integrating their local traditions into Babel's soundtrack. Even more than other elements, the music serves as a unifying force, showcasing the fluidity between musical and cultural styles. "Rhythm is something we all understand in one way or another," says Cherkaoui. "We all have a heartbeat, and that helps us understand the heart- beat of another."

Babel
4-5 October
Capitole Gent
Graaf Van Vlaanderenplein 5
See website for more dates
www.east-man.be