ON THE CUSP

Ian Kaler/Planningtorock

Choreographer Ian Kaler creates for the first time a big stage production for Cullberg. ON THE CUSP will be a mix of live-practicing and synchronized movements, a spectrum of emotions and projections. It will be a combined live and video work, on a series of different topics. The work presents a collection of portraits, of the individuals, as well as of the group. Every dancer has their own story, and the company connects them. Who are the people in the group, and how do they construct this group? Are they characters or do they want to play a certain role? Shifting from different kind of characters, who are they in private and how does that shape the stage character? The music of electronically synthesized brass sound composed by Planningtorock will create bold, dramatic, playful and deeply moving dance pieces.

The new work is a collection of portraits, one of each dancer, and one of the group. What will you create with the company?
“I want to play with a mix of live-practicing and synchronized movements. It will be a combined live and video work, a series of different topics, in different ways. I am very interested in narrative, how little stories can be told through the body. I want to create portraits, of the individuals, as well as a portrait of the group. Every dancer has their own story, and the company connects them. Who are the people in the group, and how do they construct this group? Are they characters or do they want to play a certain role? Shifting from different kind of characters, who are they in private and how does that shape the stage character? Almost like a fake documentary. I will work with screens, and the bodies as screens and stand-ins of representations and imagination. And I will work with creating intensities, let the dancers play inside the system that the group is and generates. Every dancer will have their own mark in terms of character, movement, presence, clothing.. It might turn out to be funny, sad, and a bit ambivalent – I wanna go through a spectrum of emotions and projections. Originally I come from the abstract, going towards how I can tell stories. I want to explore that further in this process.”

 
Concept and choreographic framing: Ian Kaler
Musical score: Planningtorock
Set design: Stephanie Rauch
Lighting design and video: Imogen Heath
Costume design and movement input/choreographic assistance: Stephane Peeps Moun
With 14 dancers in Cullbergbaletten
World Premiere at Tanzquartier, Vienna, 10 January 2019
Co-production: Tanzquartier Vienna, Norrlandsoperan Umeå, PACT Zollverein Essen