Brel

How do you dance Brel?

That question was the starting point for the new Rosas creation, a collaboration between Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and Solal Mariotte. The two dancers cum choreographers take dissimilar artistic approaches to the piece. Being two generations apart, each relates differently to the singer, who was born in Brussels in 1929 and rose to international fame in the 1950s and 60s. Dense, poetic, and often political, Brel’s powerful lyrics conjure up a range of moods and emotions.

Although Brel’s chansons address ‘timeless’ themes, they resonate very differently with our world today, bringing to the surface shifts and gaps in time. So what are we left with when it comes to articulating those songs in movement in a way that is relevant today? The challenge lies not only in coming up with strategies to ‘embody’ Brel’s music – while maintaining a critical distance – but also in finding ways to truly share the stage with Jacques Brel.

After EXIT ABOVE, Rosas’ most recent song-based production, now for the first time, De Keersmaeker and Mariotte share the spotlight to continue this choreographic journey, drawing inspiration from the complexity and tensions inherent in the life and oeuvre of Belgium’s greatest chansonnier.

Start ticket sale 26.6.2025
Tickets: € 35