In C Introduction by Sasha Waltz

In 2021, Sasha Waltz & Guests is beginning an innovative artistic process that will result in the continuous production of both digital and live formats. Terry Riley’s »In C« (1964) forms the musical foundation of this, an open composition that was revolutionary at the time and is generally considered the first piece of minimalist music. Based on this milestone of music history, Sasha Waltz and her dancers developed choreographic material that follows a similarly variable structure and is deliberately designed not to be a finished stage piece. In March 2021 »In C« was performed in a first version on a livestream from the radialsystem in Berlin to the sound of a recording by »Bang on a Can«. The individual movement phrases have also been recorded as video tutorials, which will allow dancers to learn the choreographic material digitally and remotely in the future.

»The score of »In C« consists of fifty-three musical phrases and reads like stage directions for musicians. The thought of translating these detailed instructions into dance through a choreographic exploration of the music appealed to me. The result is an experimental system of fifty-three movement phrases for a structured improvisation with clear rules and laws. The length of the piece remains variable, as does the number of musicians and dancers.« (Sasha Waltz)

»In C« is an experimental, constantly evolving process that once again reconceives and refines Sasha Waltz & Guests’ long-standing approach as well as the dialogue between dance, music and space, both digitally and in real life. At the same time, it explores the potential of flexible artistic production in times of pandemic and of artistic exchange, even across national borders.

Choreographer, Dancer & Director: Sasha Waltz

SDG Global Festival of Action
http://globalfestivalofaction.org