VOM TANZ DER AUCH DAS PUBLIKUM BEGEISTERT
Selten ist die Zeit bis zur Pause so kurz gewesen, wie an diesem Abend im ausverkauften Leverkusener Forum. Bereits zum fünften Mal ist Gauthier Dance, die Dance Company am Theaterhaus Stuttgart, zu Gast. Und das Publikum besteht gefühlt zu vier Fünfteln aus Gästen, die schon die ersten vier Aufführungen gesehen haben. Eric Gauthier gründete Gauthier Dance vor sieben Jahren mit dem Anspruch, neue Publika durch Zuschauernähe und Senkung der Schwellenangst vor Kunstgenuss zu erreichen. Das ist dem Tänzer, Choreografen und Musiker über alle Maßen gelungen. Heute stellt er in Leverkusen das abendfüllende Programm Future 6 vor.
... Das Publikum dieses Abends ist überraschenderweise im Durchschnitt doch eher dem fortgeschrittenen Alter zuzurechnen. Für Leverkusen ist das ungewöhnlich. Das hindert aber niemanden, am Ende des Programms aufzuspringen und seine Begeisterung mit Johlen zu verkünden. Wie traurig, dass die zehn Tänzerinnen und Tänzer um Eric Gauthier ihren Fans so schnell zum Abschied zuwinken. Mit Future 6 hat die Compagnie ein Programm vorgestellt, das eindeutig zum Besten gehört, was man im ersten Quartal dieses Jahres sehen konnte. Da hat Leverkusen – mal wieder – ein feines Näschen für die wirklich guten Dinge gezeigt.
Michael S. Zerban, Opernnetz 26.3.2014

SMALL, HUMOROUS POWER STRUGGLES
And the fact that four of the choreographers have created new works especially for the ensemble is indicative of the good reputation that Gauthier Dance has come to enjoy in the dance world. Whether Marco Goecke, Itzik Galili, Cayetano Soto or Jirí Bubenícek: they all praise – rightly – the artistic flexibility, creativity and personality of the dancers.
Hence, already purely in dance terms, Gauthier Dance has once again produced a diverse, expressive and technically advanced programme.
Stylistically and thematically varied and exciting are also the six choreographies. The evening begins in muted tones, but also with energy and laconic humour in Jirí Bubenícek’s “Burning Bridges”. To music by Arvo Pärt and Bach among others, the star dancer (formerly Hamburg now Dresden Ballet), who is also a gifted choreographer, lets the dance duo Anna Süheyla Harms and Sebastian Kloborg ponder the success and failure of a love affaire – with a verbal commentary provided by David Stiven Valencia Martinez and Tars Vandebeek from raised chairs. The facets and snares of love are shown very beautifully in movements that are sometimes awkward, sometimes mechanical or abrupt, then as if fighting to restore balance, and finally harmonious and flowing.
In “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” Anneleen Dedroog, as a woman who knows what she wants, and Sebastian Kloborg, as a shy intellectual, engage – to the music of a mambo song – in a small, humorous power struggle to discover who in this peppy, charming duet by Itzik Galili will get the upper hand.
Cuban rhythms continue in Cayetano Soto’s contribution, “Malasangre”, which in English means bad blood. Soto, who has also worked for the Stuttgart Ballet, was inspired for this work for three female and four male dancers by the music and the life of the singer La Lupe, who was notorious for her eccentric and tyrannical character. That is reflected in the angular movements that in a polycentric way isolate individual parts of the body, as well as in the tentacle-like fingers. The choreography then shifts from the exploration of extreme movements to fast passages that respond to the energy and the eroticism of the music. As one of the strongest works in the programme, “Malasangre” leaves a lasting impression.
Gauthier’s new creation “Takuto” (Japanese for rhythm) for ten male and female dancers from his ensemble is striking due mainly to the drums struck by the – extraordinarily accomplished – dancers live on the stage.
Marco Goecke, who knows Gauthier from the years they spent together at the Stuttgart Ballet, but with whom he is now working for the first time, has developed for his former colleague a solo work. “I Found a Fox” to a song by Kate Bush features Goecke’s characteristic dance language, oscillating between ballet poses and contemporary twists and bends. Unlike his often dark creations, however, this work has a light almost cheerful style full of shimmering energy – which fits wonderfully to Gauthier’s personality.
Stephan Thoss’ against-the-grain “Bolero” interpretation, the only non-premiere in the programme, provided a humorous end to an overall successful evening – and one that was tailor-made for Gauthier Dance. In Thoss’ contribution, six elderly ladies in an old-people’s home demonstrate with comic theatrics how infectious rhythms can breathe new life into tired old bones.
Stuttgarter Zeitung, Claudia Gass 14.1.2013

ONE’S OWN WAY IS THE GOAL
In its sixth year Eric Gauthier has achieved for his company what he set out to achieve from the beginning. The fact that the dawn of the new, which “Future 6” with its five premieres now sets out to achieve, required a little time was mainly a money issue. Besides the choreographers, a sufficient number of dancers also had to be financed so that half a dozen new works could be developed simultaneously.
What convinces about “Future 6” is that the participating choreographers have had the greatness to know that for them only their own way can be the goal. Despite the considerable diversity, the six works fit excellently to the character of Gauthier Dance. Narratively rich, quirky, spectacular, emotional: they all play to the strengths of the company’s dancers. At their best they show – as is the case with Cayetano Soto’s La Lupe homage and Marco Goecke’s solo for Eric Gauthier – that anyone who wishes to press into the future first needs to cross an abyss.

What is most astounding after two and half hours is the effort, commitment and technical standard of the dancers, some of whom have only recently joined the company, and many of whom are new on the stage of Gauthier Dance. The Dane Sebastian Kloborg most of all. He dances in each of the first four works, and with a presence that he owes to a repertoire experience gathered as a soloist at the Royal Danish Ballet. To see him alone would be worth the trip.
Remarkable too is the confrontation between Goecke and Gauthier. The result is entitled “I Found a Fox”. During their time at the Stuttgart Ballet they never managed to work together; Marco Goecke describes Eric Gauthier’s personality as a dancer at the time as being too dominant. Having now achieved mastery in his art, Goecke has acquired the strength to be inspired by the strengths of others – and even allows Gauthier to dip into the virtuosity box, one that Gauthier generally ignores. Gentler, less brittle, this solo shows not only the clashing struggle with an unruly body decomposed into twitching parts – which we are familiar with from Goecke’s ballets – but also a victor. Goecke knows that in Gauthier Dance ballet and pop come together. And thus to a song by Kate Bush he creates a wonderful lightness that banishes any sense of gloom.
What Eric Gauthier achieves as a dancer, he unfortunately lacks as a choreographer. With his large-scale drum piece “Takuto” less would in every respect be more.
In his “Bolero” Stephan Thoss gathers together six elderly ladies. While Max Raabe sings of times past, each dancer calmly brings into play a few lethargic moves and other tics – until someone puts on Ravel. The way a desire for a life – a life that they have perhaps never lived – suddenly gets beneath the checked gingham costumes of these old fossils makes one choke on one’s laughter.
With “Sofa” Gauthier Dance already have one comic dance hit by Itzik Galili in their repertoire. Eric Gauthier has now ordered a new gala work by the Holland-based Israeli – and “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” certainly delivers. To great effect in a bare setting Galili stages a couple’s evening rendezvous: the man direct from the office, glasses on his nose, traces of a work attitude still in his posture; the woman already in a party mood. Sebastian Kloborg and Anneleen Dedroog get fired up by Latin American sounds. With virtuosic timing, danced misunderstandings lead to an almost acrobatic body art. A work that, like Galili’s duet “Monolisa” made for the Stuttgart Ballet, produces climax after climax, and which despite its complicated title we are sure to see many times again.
Like Marco Goecke, Jirí Bubenícek and Cayetano Soto also acknowledge their background in the ballet. And they too, instead of continuing to cultivate classical lines, prefer to challenge the canon of the beautiful. But it is not for this reason that Jirí Bubenícek’s quartet is called “Burning Bridges”. The choreographer is concerned with the breaking point in a relationship: break up or repair? A high table, on which the beautiful Anna Süheyla Harms writhes, becomes with its broken leg an easy symbol – otherwise nothing is simple in this ballet, a work that warps bodies with expansive gestures, in which two cupids proffer oracles from raised chairs, a work that both dramaturgically and musically has an overly complex conception. Nevertheless, Bubenícek’s dance motifs are so strong that they are never undermined by these excessive demands.
An extravagant piece is Cayetano Soto’s study of the Cuban soul diva La Lupe, who exploded onto the scene in the 1960s, but then failed to live up to the expectations of her public. Roses do not shower down, but lie like a black sea of petals on the stage, repeatedly stirred up by the seven dancers in “Malasangre”. Stirred up is also the voice of the singer, are the movements that Soto with animalistic force transforms into the grotesque. The dancers move eccentrically, often close to the floor. Everyone can be a diva; but every encounter seems to move her to the edge of loneliness. They do this so affectingly that “Malasangre” goes straight to the heart.
With Christian Spuck’s much acclaimed and popular full-length work “Poppea/ /Poppea” and with “Lucky Seven” Eric Gauthier’s company has become – also internationally – an act to watch. With “Future 6” it can now strike out and make the future its own.
Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Andrea Kachelriess 14.1.2013

MODERN DANCE IN AN ATTRACTIVE SIX-PACK
With “Burning Bridges” by Jirí Bubenícek the evening began in a somewhat restrained manner. Humour, attitude, energy and spectacle are the trademarks of Gauthier Dance, and in the following pieces the audience certainly got their money’s worth. With “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” the Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili contributes a quirky, acrobatic duo: Anneleen Dedroog and Sebastian Kloborg in artistic contortions to the Mambo music of Pérez Prado, and with well timed gags in the style of a Woody Allen film. The grand finale before the interval was provided by Cayetano Soto’s work for seven dancers, “Malasangre” – a homage to the Cuban singer La Lupe, whose show-style parades are repeatedly broken by the Spanish choreographer with distinctive movements.
Eric Gauthier’s own choreographic contribution was more of a spectacular event; of an entirely different calibre was his subsequent solo “I Found a Fox” created by Marco Goecke. Here, Gauthier swirls over the stage like a highly explosive, self-propelled marionette. Typical Goecke are the repeatedly dimming stage lights. Also the recurring distorted limb-movements have the absurdity of a monologue by Beckett.
Stephan Thoss’ “Bolero” gathers six elderly ladies for afternoon coffee. After a sample of old-time hits, which only manage to draw out a few lethargic movements, Ravel’s rhythmic drive throws off the fetters and gets the lovingly costumed aunties up and in full swing.
Ludwigsburger Zeitung, Dietholf Zerweck 14.1.2013

MODERN DANCE IN AN ATTRACTIVE SIX-PACK
With “Burning Bridges” by Jirí Bubenícek the evening began in a somewhat restrained manner. Humour, attitude, energy and spectacle are the trademarks of Gauthier Dance, and in the following pieces the audience certainly got their money’s worth. With “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White” the Israeli choreographer Itzik Galili contributes a quirky, acrobatic duo: Anneleen Dedroog and Sebastian Kloborg in artistic contortions to the Mambo music of Pérez Prado, and with well timed gags in the style of a Woody Allen film. The grand finale before the interval was provided by Cayetano Soto’s work for seven dancers, “Malasangre” – a homage to the Cuban singer La Lupe, whose show-style parades are repeatedly broken by the Spanish choreographer with distinctive movements.
Eric Gauthier’s own choreographic contribution was more of a spectacular event; of an entirely different calibre was his subsequent solo “I Found a Fox” created by Marco Goecke. Here, Gauthier swirls over the stage like a highly explosive, self-propelled marionette. Typical Goecke are the repeatedly dimming stage lights. Also the recurring distorted limb-movements have the absurdity of a monologue by Beckett.
Stephan Thoss’ “Bolero” gathers six elderly ladies for afternoon coffee. After a sample of old-time hits, which only manage to draw out a few lethargic movements, Ravel’s rhythmic drive throws off the fetters and gets the lovingly costumed aunties up and in full swing.
Ludwigsburger Zeitung, Dietholf Zerweck 14.1.2013

BACK TO THE FUTURE
It always seems to be the short and fast-paced bravura pieces that characterize Gauthier Dance’s hip productions. Galili’s supple contortionist duo, with the famous Sebastian Kloborg and Anneleen Dedroog, could even one day outdo his previous “Sofa” hit. Also the virtuosic, jittering solo “I found a Fox”, tailor-made for Eric Gauthier by Marco Goecke, stands as a virtual trademark for the troupe: humorous, ironic show pieces, which amalgamate or absorb everything from youth culture to fitness training. The company is at its strongest, however, when the choreographers offer invention rather than just inventory. Jiri Bubenicek’s “Burning Bridges” for instance remains – between surreal chairs and broken table – insipid and strangely uninspired. Also Gauthier’s contribution, “Takuto”, whose under-challenging choreography conjures a Japanoid drum culture, does not necessarily seem like the right pointer to the future.
Stronger is Cayetano Soto’s Cuba-fuelled “Malasangre”. And the most convincing, the only non-premiere of the evening: the 14-year-old “Bolero” by Stephan Thoss: the look back to the future at an enchanting afternoon gathering of senior citizens, which in the best dance-theatre tradition degenerates into a furious Ravel bacchanal. Six golden girls, bewitched by the bolero rhythm, which ultimately draws everyone in: a closing firecracker. At which point for the audience too there is no more holding back.
Wilhelm Triebold, Südwest Presse 14.1.2013

AMBITIONIERTER MAMBO
Es beginnt rätselhaft: Jirí Bubenícek, lange ein wunderbarer Neumeier-Tänzer in Hamburg und nun beim Dresdner Semperoper-Ballett, verfällt mit „Burning Bridges“ ins tanztheatralische. Unter einem kaputten Tisch sortiert ein Paar seine Beziehungen, zwei Herren auf überhohen Stühlen kommentieren in Englisch.
Itzik Galilis „The Sofa“ ist wahrscheinlich das beliebteste Stück, das die Kompanie im Repertoire hat, und genau so einen Brüller wollte Eric Gauthier vom israelischen Choreografen noch einmal haben. Fast hat es geklappt mit „Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White“, einem akrobatischen Duo zur jazzigen Nummer des „King of Mambo“ Pérez Prado. Der offensive Gutelaune-Hit mit der Trompetenfanfare animiert zwei Büroangestellte zum wilden Liebessparring. Der herrlich unbeholfene Sebastian Kloborg und die wenig verführerische Anneleen Dedroog tuckern, tänzeln, watscheln und greifen sich gegenseitig in den Schritt, sie springt auf seinen Rücken und tanzt dort Mambo.
Sehr musikalisch taucht der Spanier Cayetano Soto in die lateinamerikanischen Rhythmen ein, sein „Malasangre“ spielt raffiniert mit den Synkopen von „Fever“ oder „Guantana- mera“, interpretiert von der kubanischen Sängerin La Lupe. Der Boden ist mit dunklen Fetzen bedeckt, die Herren sehen in ihren Faltenröcken über schwarzen Strümpfen so grotesk wie verführerisch aus.
Mit neun Trommlern und einem geheimnisvollen Mönch wirkt „Takuto“ wie eine Mischung aus „Stomp“ und dem „Da Vinci Code“. Eric Gauthiers eigener Beitrag zum Abend ist eine tolle Show, effektvoll inszeniert und auf hängenden, stehenden, großen und kleinen Trom- meln majestätisch hingeholzt.
Zur exzentrischen Mädchenstimme von Kate Bush wird dann wieder mit den Beinen getanzt: „I Found a Fox“ ist genau wie „Mopey“ eines der verspielten Solos, in denen Marco Goeckes Choreografie virtuos auf der Musik dahintanzt, mit seinen typisch flatternden Händen und abrupten Bewegungen. Fast trunken lässt der Hauschoreograf des Stuttgarter Balletts seinen gewandten, eleganten Interpreten Eric Gauthier im Walzer- takt des Songs versinken, für Sekunden gefriert der Tänzer in traumschönen Posen.
Stephan Thoss lässt in seinem Bolero sechs schrullige Damen, die sich zum Kaffeekränzchen treffen, über dem enigmatischen Triolen-Rhythmus regelrecht ausflippen. Den Omis fährt die Ekstase in die Glieder, sie schwofen vor sich hin, kicken die Beine und wälzen sich auf dem Boden.
Esslinger Zeitung, Angela Reinhardt 14.1.2013

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