Imagination That Moves

Dancers of Compagnie Maguy Marin and CNN de Rillieux-la-Pape in Umwelt, coming to ImPulsTanz - Photo: Christian Ganet

To the eerie sound of electronic screeching, clinking and crockery being thrown, a figure, lit by a luminous green glow presses herself slowly and carefully against the floor, as if she were listening for the tread of a wild beast, her arms reaching, her fingers feeling the dark surface. She spreads her arms out, slowly begins to roll over, draws her knees up and kicks her legs out when they touch the stage. She twists her torso, and gradually draws herself up with her arms.

This piece, called Porcelain, is by the Chennai based Indian dancer and choreographer Preethi Athreya. Athreya describes getting to know one’s own body through movement as a “meditative act.” Her work is an example of the poetic power dance can achieve.

Preethi Athreya’s troupe, comprising her composer Tobias Stürmer and sculptor Walter Stürmer, is one of thirty-eight companies from around the world that will take part in the ImPulsTanz modern dance festival in theaters around Vienna between Jul.16 – Aug.16. The largest modern dance festival in the world, ImPulsTanz takes over the Volkstheater, Museumsquartier, Akademietheater, Schauspielhaus and Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz, bringing a month of extraordinary physical and creative energy unparalleled in Europe.

Despite acute financial limitations, the festival comes to life as though by magic, conjuring up event after event of fresh work, defying the risks of repetition and oblivious of the ongoing struggle for financial viability. Off stage, at the workshops and countless parties the festival brings together enthusiastic young talent from all over the planet with major stars of the dance world. Here performers, crew and audience mingle without apology; it is not difficult to see why the festival stirs so much excitement.

This year the festival offers, performances by Maguy Marin’s CCN de Rillieux-la-Pape, Jirí Kylián and Jan Fabre, to name but a few, and workshops in contemporary dance, improvisation, ballet, butoh, jazz, funk and hiphop. These possess both an educational and a musical dimension: a school project entitled Bollyhop, that will involve numerous schools in Vienna and Lower Austria, and Xavier Le Roy conducting Stravinsky’s legendary Le Sacre du Printemps.

Among the perennials are some highly honored guests: Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, who recently told the choreographer William Forsythe that dance comes down to “walking, turning and hopping,” and Wim Vandekeybus who, with a background of photography and film, regards his work not as dance at all but as “performance.”

The spotlight this year will be both literally and figuratively on Stephanie Cummings and the other dancers of Chris Haring’s Liquid Loft, as many are eager for a repeat of last year’s spectacular international success. Few who saw it will forget their “Posing Project B – The Art of Seduction,” a work concerning the fascination with stereotypes and archetypes that won a well-deserved Golden Lion at the Biennale in Venice. Especially intriguing will be the new piece together with the Jin Xing Dance Theatre in the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center in Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz on of Aug. 13 and 15.

In another highlight, the [8:tension]-Young Choreographer’s Series will present pieces by Andrea Bozic, Colette Sadler, Andrea Maurer, Cecilia Bengolea, Delgado Fuchs, Pieter Ampe and David Wampach.

Not to be forgotten are the very cool parties in Kasino am Schwarzenbergplatz with DJs kniXX & comixXx, DJ DSL and UKO presenting The Sista Sadie Life Show on Jul. 25 and Aug. 14.