A Wave

From the love triangle between Brussels, Gent and Antwerp, a new, radical generation of dance innovators burst onto the scene in the 80s. Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vandekeybus, Marc Vanrunxt, Alain Platel and many others managed to infiltrate the Belgian theatre scene with their unconventional creations. Soon, they also engulfed the Netherlands, Europe, and the rest of the world. Forty years later, that ‘Flemish Wave’ has extensively influenced our gaze and our dancing. In A Wave, choreographer Zoë Demoustier takes stock of that influence. With the help of fifteen dancers – from Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, supplemented by youngsters, a Platform K dancer, and performers who created those original pieces – she deconstructs monumental scenes from the 80s and 90s while looking to the future. Together, they investigate what needs to be passed on and what could use an update. But most of all: how references can be freeing rather than restrictive, become a source of pleasure in dance, and – who knows – perhaps a new wave.