Sasha Waltz & Guests

How do you sing what you dance, and how do you reflect on contemporary themes without taking yourself too seriously? Over ten years ago, Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola, a dancer at Sasha Waltz, was overcome with the desire to combine song with dance. He discussed this with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Damien Jalet and Luc Dunberry. Due to a shared enthusiasm for medieval polyphonic songs, they decided to work together and in 2002 created 'D'Avant'. The four singing dancers (or four dancing singers) examined the way that voice usage and body language flow organically into one another. They explored Italian vocal music, whose extraordinary richness fired their imagination. From a modern perspective, 'D'Avant' brings the past to life, whilst leaving room for association by avoiding the straightjacket of a linear storyline. Thus medieval songs, which lie somewhere between the popular and intellectual traditions, are effortlessly combined with an a capella version of the pop song 'Total eclipse of the heart'. The performers play with grand themes with a frivolous seriousness, using surprising choreographical combinations, yet their approach is uncomplicated. And as they trip along they conjure up a world full of fanaticism, physical violence and moral indifference.