Marcos Morau stays grounded in Folkå. The piece which the successful Spanish choreographer developed four years ago with the dancers of NDT 2 seems earthbound: a fictional ritual that could just as easily be located in the Nordic countries as in the Balkans. The women's voices certainly sound Bulgarian, occasionally interrupted by muffled beats, cowbells and body noises. Juan Cristóbal Saavedra's sound design is multi-layered as is the work itself, sometimes making you think of a disturbing, even bigoted ritual, an absurd form of exorcism, but then again and again developing a pull in circles and wedge shapes, thus suggesting one could actually reach for the stars that ultimately illuminate the pitch-black stage.
Nadav Zelner's An untold story can’t compete with the sophisticated art world of Morau — not yet, to be precise. The Israeli artist's second NDT choreography breaks down into crazy, sometimes almost revue-like individual scenes which take a little getting used to in terms of their appearance. But when viewed as a whole, a bizarre movement profile emerges here that is very unique. Not just because, ultimately, a father-son conflict is dealt with in a very personal way.
Again in Ludwigsburg, Forum am Schlosspark, 1, 2 February; Heidelberg, Tanzbiennale, 5 February; Gütersloh, Theater, 7, 8 February; www.ndt.nl
Background photo: An untold story by Nadav Zelner; photo: Rahi Rezvani