Dance floor tilted at 34° – video teaser for world premiere Skid became instant viral hit

Defy gravity or dare to fall? On 7 November, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani will present the world premiere of Skid, created by critically-acclaimed choreographer Damien Jalet. A humble rehearsal film clip has been shared over 3 600 times and seen by over 700,000 people on Facebook – which suggests that Skid will be something extraordinary.

GöteborgsOperans Danskompani goes from success to success. Back home after sold out houses in Germany, the company is exploring our struggle against gravity and the courage to let go. Throughout our lives we all balance between the aspiration to reach the top and the fear of falling.

The dance floor in choreographer Damien Jalet’s Skid is canted at a staggering 34° incline. When the floor is tilted so much, the dancers, and indeed everything else falls; accelerating in a chain reaction of dangerous, entertaining and moving events.

“Just standing on the sloping stage involves tension. The dancers have great knowledge and feeling. They have a very beautiful relationship with the body and its weight, and to each other. The slope of the floor will be like landing on another planet – everything they do will be different and they will have to re-learn from the start,” says Damien Jalet, the multi-award winning French-Belgian choreographer and dancer.

Jalet was nominated for the prestigious Faust Prize for his latest work, thr (o) ugh. He sees thr (o) ugh and Skid as related works, a coherent diptych. The music in Skid is by the Austrian electro composer Christian Fennesz, who has collaborated with Jim O'Rourke (Sonic Youth) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (Oscar-awarded for the music to the movie The Last Emperor along with David Byrne). The playful, multifunctional costumes (inspired by the motorsport world) have been created by the Belgian fashion designer Jean-Paul Lespagnard.

Jalet has worked closely with the choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (Choreographer of the Year in Tanz) for many years. Appropriately enough Skid will be accompanied by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s acclaimed work, Icon (famous for the 3.5 tons of clay used on stage) and Noetic. With these two works, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani has had great success internationally.

WORLD PREMIERE OF SKID: TUESDAY 7 NOVEMBER 

For information and interview inquiries, please contact press@opera.se, Emil Rinstad +46-31-108068 or Marie Branner, +46-31-108035

The viral rehearsal clip can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/GOdanskompani/videos/vb.258041087631558/1124824954286496/?type=2&theater

More info about the performances:

http://en.opera.se/forestallningar/damien-jalet-icon-2017-2018/
http://en.opera.se/forestallningar/damien-jalet-noetic-2017-2018/

TEAM

Skid

Choreography: Damien Jalet

Composer and sound design: Christian Fennesz

Set design: Jim Hodges

Costume design: Jean-Paul Lespagnard

Lighting design: Joakim Brink

GöteborgsOperans Danskompani

Noetic

Choreography: Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui

Music: Szymon Brzóska Set design: Antony Gormley

Costume design: Les Hommes

Dramaturgy: Adolphe Binder

Lighting design: David Stokholm

Musician (live): Shogo Yoshii

Song soloist (live): Miriam Andersén

GöteborgsOperans Orkester (recorded)

GöteborgsOperans Danskompani