This is a full circle moment. William Forsythe is regarded as one of the most important choreographers of the late 20th century. His innovative approach to the tradition of ballet has opened up directions for dance that would otherwise be difficult to imagine. From 1984 to 2004, Forsythe directed the Ballett Frankfurt and from 2005 to 2015 The Forsythe Company, which was later renamed Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company.

Forsythe is now returning to the place of this legacy of many years and is developing a new work with the company for the first time. Starting from a toolbox of improvisational construction, he creates a structural order which, instead of signifying something else, offers an aesthetic pleasure in itself. Like in a kaleidoscope, patterns emerge that are always unpredictable and surprising yet within a clear framework. The dancers explore the movement system that they themselves form to its limits. The audience is invited to follow this exploration and experience the work as a living, breathing system.

William Forsythe

William Forsythe has been active in the field of choreography for over 50 years. His work is acknowledged for reorienting the practice of ballet from its identification with classical repertoire to a dynamic 21st century art form. Forsythe danced with the Joffrey Ballet and later the Stuttgart Ballet, where he was appointed Resident Choreographer in 1976. In 1984, he began a 20-year tenure as director of the Ballet Frankfurt after which he founded and directed The Forsythe Company until 2015. Forsythe's deep interest in the fundamental principles of organisation of choreography has led him to produce a wide range of projects including installations, films, and web-based knowledge creation.

While his work for the stage resides in the repertoire of ensembles worldwide, his installations are presented internationally in exhibitions and museums. Forsythe has been the recipient of numerous awards, which include the Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, Der FAUST German Theatre Award and the Kyoto Price, all for lifetime achievement.

Sergei Rachmaninoff's Third Piano Concerto is considered a particular challenge for pianists. Beyond the technical virtuosity, which certainly contributes to its appeal, the music is characterised by an extraordinary emotional complexity. In his creation for the DFDC, Thomas Hauert brings the concerto to the stage in the 1982 recording with Martha Argerich. The ensemble immerses itself in the music and enters into a playful dialogue with it. The dancers interpret the music from their subjective perception with their bodies and engage with the rhythm, dynamics and emotional contrasts. At the same time, they interact with each other in a complex interplay.

Hauert brings with him principles and rules for improvisation that have been developed working with his own company ZOO, over more than 25 years, which rely less on control and more on the collective intelligence of everyone involved. This approach is juxtaposed with Rachmaninoff in an interesting way. While the latter is an exemplary figure of creation that sort of is above it all, and authoritatively dictates to the musicians, including the soloist, Hauert's practice is distinguished from such a superelevated concept of genius in favour of a radically collaborative creative process. The dance does not perceive the music as a command, but uses it as a stimulus, as a playground, as a counterpart in a constantly renewing and surprising dialogue.

Thomas Hauert

Thomas Hauert founded his company ZOO in Brussels in 1998. ‘Cows in Space’ was his first piece, which was immediately honoured at the Rencontres de Seine-Saint-Denis/Bagnolet. Since then, the company has developed more than 21 pieces. In addition to his work for ZOO, Hauert has been a guest choreographer for the Zurich Ballet, Toronto Dance Theatre, Candoco Dance Company, Ballet Junior de Genève and the Ballet de Lorraine, among others.

Inspired by his choreographic work, Hauert developed an internationally recognised teaching method based on his movement research with ZOO. Since 2013, he has been the artistic director of the Bachelor's programme in contemporary dance at La Manufacture, the Lausanne School of Performing Arts.