Dialogues II: Pas de deux by Mats Ek, Samantha Lynch, Akram Khan, and Sharon Eyal

Take a leap into the wonderful world of contemporary dance with the second edition of Dialogues, part of the TranscenDanses series, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées! A sensational evening of pas de deux by four world-leading contemporary choreographers awaits.

Opening the program is Mats Ek‘s A Sort of… — a "collage that builds a story," according to the choreographer. Inviting the spectator to journey and dream, the pas de deux is a play on contrasts that challenges the conventions of classical ballet. Akram Khan’s Mud of Sorrow, a reimagining of his duet from Sacred Monsters, follows as a poetic journey interweaving two great classical dance forms: ballet and Indian kathak. Samantha Lynch’s Couch sets a playful tone, matched by Bizet’s L’Arlésienne, spotlighting the Norwegian Ballet’s Anaïs Touret et Douwe Dekkers alongside the titular sofa. Sharon Eyal presents a new version of Into the Hairy, where the stage transforms into an electronic club dance floor with Koreless's emotive music, connecting classical dance with underground club culture. To conclude the program, we return to Mats Ek with an extract from his most recent work, A Cup of Coffee, composed for the Royal Swedish Ballet and featuring the esteemed Ana Laguna and Yvan Auzely!

Photo © Paolo Laudicina