DDF News — 5 Apr 2019
#FestivalFlashback - Opening Performance No.11: Meg Stuart / Damaged Goods (2015)
The opening performance that took audiences on a journey through the history of music and dance continues to inspire on international stages.
Meg Stuart, a key figure in contemporary dance and her company, Damaged Goods made their Irish debut to open the 2015 Dublin Dance Festival with Built to Last. With a soundtrack that acts as a time machine, five performers react to works by Beethoven, Rachnmaninoff, Schönberg and other seminal composers as they journeyed through the history of dance.
Built to Last © Eva Würdinger
There is not always thought to be a natural link between contemporary dance and classical music, typically reserved for more traditional forms of movement such as ballet. The music selected in particular for this work, also has a checkered past - Beethoven's Erioca having been appropriated by the Nazi regime.
But in her unwavering style, Stuart refused to shy away from these contrasts and challenges, and instead produced a work that, while dealing with weighty subject matter, remained light-hearted and even humorous.
The true testament to this exceptional work is its continued presentation on stages across the world - most recently at La Biennale di Venezia and the Kaaitheater in Brussels.
Built to Last © Eva Würdinger
There is no doubt that each year, opening night of the Festival brings with it a sense of magic. And with just 4 weeks to go until our 2019 Opening Night, the magic is just around the corner.