Ballet Preljocaj

EMPTY MOVES (PART I & II)

• Venue: France
• Dates: 28/29 April
• Nationality: France
• Time: 8pm
• Duration: 63 mins
• Tickets: €20/17 (concession)

"Empty Moves plays with empty space but there is
nothing vain or empty about it" Libération

This meditative quartet is set to a tape of John Cage’s recitation in Milan of his 1977 sound-score ‘Empty Words’, based on writings by Henry David Thoreau. Cage’s pace is slow, prolonging and distorting the words so their literal sense is lost. The recording also features the response of the increasingly restive
Milanese audience - yet Cage reads on, undeterred, and the dancers keep dancing.

The beauty of this choreography is that it is free from narrative. The dancers tell no tale, refuse any speeches, any emotion or any theme and continuously unroll an inexorable flow of movement. In this way, they impose an enjoyment of their existence, saluted by an audience that has accepted, if not to listen, at least to look.

Choreography
Angelin Preljocaj

Music
John Cage – Empty Wrods

Special Thanks to
Goran Vejvoda

Associate Artsitic Director
Youri Van Den Bosch

Rehearsal Assistant
Claudia De Smet

Choreologist
Dany Leveque

Dancers
Natacha Grimaud
Céline Marié
Sergio Diaz
Yan Giraldou

Empty Moves (parts I&II) (2007) was comissioned by the Festival Montpellier Danse 07

Empty Moves (part I) (2004) was comissioned by the Joyce Theater’s Stephen and Cathy Weinroth Fund for New Work
Commission and co-production Biennale nationale de danse du Val-de-Marne

The Ballet Preljocaj, National Choreographic Centre is subsidised by the Culture and Communication Ministry – DRAC PACA, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, the Bouches du Rhône County Council, the Pays d’Aix Community, the City of Aix-en-Provence and it is supported by the Groupe Partouche – Casino Municipal d’Aix-Thermal, helping it to develop its projects and CULTURESFRANCE- Ministry for Foreign Affairs, helping to finance its overseas tours.

Photographs credited to:JC Carbonne

See YouTube footage of Ballet Preljocaj’s Near Life Experience

For more information on Baller Preljocaj check out http://www.preljocaj.org/