En Atendant and Cesena, two works by world-renowned European choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and her company Rosas, are so inextricably linked that it is impossible to fully appreciate one without the other. While En Atendant is a study in layered, nuanced choreography, Cesena acts as a counterpoint, emphasising the complex music at its core.
The exquisitely crafted movement of En Atendant more than justifies De Keersmaeker’s reputation, with simple phrases teased out through variations in tempo, dynamic and spatial patterning to create complex ensemble work. In one section unison walking evolves into embellished walking–based phrases that relate to one another so well it’s impossible to tell how many phrases there actually are. The entire work is an ingenious unfolding of densely layered relationships.
An investigation of music is central to both pieces. Fourteenth-century music appears sporadically throughout En Atendant, echoed by the rhythm of the dancers’ feet. Cesena takes this a step further – the music is so complex and dominant that dance almost becomes an accompaniment.
Both works also share a well-defined minimalist aesthetic. En Atendant demarcates the front of the cavernous space with a meticulously straight line of dark earth, while white powder marks a large circle in the centre for Cesena. The substances are progressively spread further from their origins as dancers trace lines through them or grind them into the floor. Lighting is also simple, coming almost exclusively from a single bank of lights suspended over the front half of the stage.
Cesena begins as En Atendant ends, with a single naked man in extremely low light. The darkness continues for half an hour as a group, larger than the ensemble in En Atendant, gathers at the back of the space to create vocal harmonies. Full light is only reached an hour into the piece. While this does emulate the sunrise for which the piece was originally choreographed and draws our attention to the music, it frustratingly masks the choreographic detail. Thankfully the light is strong enough by the time a dynamic male trio moves in and out of the circle, followed by an enthralling female solo.
Admittedly, both pieces can challenge the attention span, and if you’re not at the front of the theatre you will miss the detail that makes these pieces so rich. Despite this, the subtle complexity, odd flash of humour and technical skill and articulate bodies of the performers make for essential viewing.
- EMILINE FORSTER
Rosas during performance of Cesena at the Palais des Papes in Avignon, France. Photo: Anne Van Aerschot