William Forsythe . Koninklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen

Following the success of 'Impressing the Czar', the Royal Ballet of Flanders is now presenting another amazing work by William Forsythe. 'Artifact' is a four-part ballet from 1984 and the start of a radical renewal of coded dance and the benchmark for a new type of ballet. A sort of dance that you can interpret as you like, as fantasy, critical questioning or purely as an interplay of forms. 'Artifact' comprises an array of material such as classical movement on ballet shoes in true Balanchine style, in highly structured formations. As well as free, flowing movements from American postmodern dance mixed with techniques used in contact improvisation. Group scenes, solos and pas de deux are danced in combination with spoken text. To the sound of Bach's 'Chaconne in D minor' a woman dressed in an historic costume invites the audience to 'Step inside'. A world full of golden magnificence unfolds, populated by a white ghost, a man with a megaphone and a corps de ballet. The imagination rules!