barbarians
A trilogy by Hofesh Shechter
Performed by Hofesh Shechter Company
Choreography and Music by Hofesh Shechter
The infinitely unpredictable Hofesh presents a sparse world for three wildly different takes on intimacy, passion and the banality of love.
Revealing his choreography at its most elegant and intimate, the highly acclaimed and perturbing the barbarians in love opens the evening. Trembling with emotion residing within order, six white-clad figures move as one to the strains of an ecclesiastic baroque score. What follows, as two very different works unfold, is a volatile explosion of dubstep grooves in tHE bAD – at once joyous and trance-like – and a poignant duet which together complete an evening showcasing the singular and wry voice of their creator and the versatility and talent of his individual dancers.
Age guidance: 14+ contains nudity and explicit lyrics
the barbarians in love, a work for six dancers, premiered on 1 November 2014 at Festspielhaus, St Polten, Austria.
tHE bAD, a work for five dancers, premiered on 30 April 2015 at HOME, Manchester, UK.
Two completely different angles of the same fucking thing, a duet, premiered 3 July 2015 at Berliner Festspiele, Germany.
Reviews
"superb stuff: juicy, nervy ensembles and a wittily unsettling commentary." - The Guardian on the barbarians in love
"Using powerful movement, set to Shechter’s soundtrack of narrative and music, this intriguing look at human relationships made a memorable impact." - Manchester Evening News on tHE bAD
"a fascinating, volatile evening, as cerebral as it is crazy" - The Telegraph on barbarians
"This production is dance for people who don’t go clubbing anymore and want to feel reckless and wired again." - Evening Standard on barbarians
Music
Track 1
Track 2
Track 3
Commissioners
barbarians was co-commissioned by Sadler’s Wells London, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Théâtre de la Ville Paris, Berliner Festspiele Foreign Affairs, Maison de la Danse Lyon, Festival d’Avignon, HOME Manchester, Festspielhaus, St Pölten (including a working residency) and Hessisches Staatsballett, Staaststheater Darmstadt / Wiesbaden (including a working residency).