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Lovelorn: Meg Stuart is choreographer and a dancer in the contemporary musical Maybe Forever. — File Photo |
HA NOI — International artists will perform the Viet Nam debut of the contemporary dance Maybe Forever in two free shows sponsored by the Goethe Institute. Maybe Forever is a collaboration by choreographers Meg Stuart and Philipp Gehmacher in which their distinct artistic styles flow together.
The piece is an ode to failed love. Immortal characters struggle with eternity and loneliness while humans struggle with each other and with the fact that nothing lasts forever. Maybe Forever has been described as a love song sung after the passion has died.
The lullabies of singer-songwriter Niko Hafkenscheid accompany the dancers as they perform in a promised land. While Hafkenscheid sings of love and longing, the dancers speak of the end of love, pain and memories.
The world premiere of the dance was held in Brussels in 2007 and has since been taken on tour throughout Europe and America.
Meg Stuart first began her career in choreography in New York during the 1980s. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from New York University. She is considered as one of the key figures in the international contemporary dance scene. After training and then beginning her career in New York, she is now based in Europe.
Stuart has received several awards including the Bessie Award in New York, a special prize at the Bitef Festival in Belgrade and the French Critics' Prize.
Philipp Gehmacher was the first dancer to be awarded the Austrian Award from the Ministry of Education Art and Culture in 2009. He has worked with prominent European dance theatres and his work is increasingly influenced by performance and video art.
Guitarist and songwriter Niko Hafkenscheid is a member of the Brussels electro-rock band aMute. As a songwriter, he has composed soundtracks for several documentaries and feature films, such as Taliban nicht beendet and Simple Appareil.
Performances will take place at the Ha Noi Opera House and HCM Opera House at 8pm on June 4-8, respectively. Free tickets are available at the Ha Noi Goethe Institute, 56-58 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, and the HCM Goethe Institute at No 18, 1 Street, Do Thanh, Ward 4, District 3. — VNS