Jonathan Burrows is one of the most original and intelligent choreographers working in the field of dance today. A former soloist with the Royal Ballet he has moved a long way from his classical roots to create dances that are boldly minimalist, unflinchingly honest and startlingly compelling. In ‘Both Sitting Duet’ Burrows teams up with long-term collaborator, composer Matteo Fargion, to investigate the essence of the relationship between movement and music.
Seated on two chairs drawn up close to the audience, and with what appears to be detailed musical scores at their feet, both men embark on a precisely timed and intricate physical conversation using only their hands. What results is a meticulously composed and executed musical choreography in which every look, smile, sound assumes a mesmerising significance.
Through its very simplicity and restraint, ‘Both Sitting Duet’, gives rise to infinite questions and possibilities. Together, Burrows and Fargion, one quite obviously a dancer, the other a musician, create a bold yet fragile ‘ballet of the ordinary and the banal’ that secures its audience’s most careful and complete attention from start to finish
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‘I emerged from the French premiere of Jonathan Burrow’s ‘Both Sitting Duet’ in a veritable glow, my world expanded, its walls tumbling down’ DanceInsider.com
Post-performance discussion: Fri 21 May