Unfolding

There's a relaxed atmosphere in the rotunda of the Fridericianum art museum in Kassel. The lights are dimmed, soft beats fill the room, people sit on stools at concrete tables, drinking wine, beer, mate lemonade, some chatting, others watching. They're watching: eight performers from Tanz_Kassel, the local state theater’s dance company. The performers move among the tables, but it's not entirely clear whether what's happening here is already part of the premiere of Blossom & Decay—muscles are being stretched, there is some chatting here, a joke being told over there, individual visitors are greeted with brief hugs, and choreographer Robozee, whose real name is Christian Zacharas, bustles among the dancers, patting them on the back in recognition.

Little here recalls the lofty atmosphere ...