Part of Sadler's Sampled

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker and her company Rosas return to Sadler’s Wells with two of their most recent works, En Atendant and Cesena. Cesena is a celebration of dawn, while En Atendant captures the merging of twilight into night.

Performed by eight dancers, three musicians and one singer, En Atendant represents De Keersmaeker’s continuing exploration of how music and dance work together, using Ars Subtilior as a starting point. A complex form of 14th century polyphony based on dissonance and contrast, Ars Subtilior was developed in the aftermath of plague and religious conflict in Europe and is cleverly used here to reflect the chaos of our own time.

For Cesena the company worked closely with Björn Schmelzer and his graindelavoix music ensemble. The stage is shared by 19 dancers and singers who explore the limits of their ability; dancers sing and singers dance. The work unfolds within Ann Veronica Janssen’s set, which provides a sculpture of passing time and hints at the constant transformation of the world around us.

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