Colossus

Stephanie Lake Company

Cooperation with the Institute for Contemporary Dance, Folkwang University of the Arts

German premiere

They walk and breathe in time, raise their arms, turn their heads - always in unison. It is impossible to tell where one body ends and the next begins. In "Colossus," Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake explores the joys and tensions of collective experience. The stage is filled with a living mass, a colossus of nearly 50 dancers, moving as one. Many movement patterns are borrowed from nature, they seem wild and animalistic, others geometrical and restrictive. If an individual breaks out of the mass to perform a solo, the moment appears all the more powerful. "Colossus" explores humanity and the challenges of living in close proximity. Are our societies and social networks more than just collections of individuals? Through its overwhelming mass of dancers, it also examines experiences of community. Lake creates a multi-layered mix of intricate unison and fierce individuality, of explosive moments as well as tender, intimate ones.
And something else is special: Lake is not working with dancers from her ensemble on this large-scale project. Rather, in the spirit of sustainability, she is rehearsing "Colossus" with local dance students. For the German premiere, Ruhrfestspiele have connected her with the Institute for Contemporary Dance at Folkwang University of the Arts. The Folkwang students will now bring this breathtaking dance performance to life on the Ruhrfestspiele stage.