Danny Willems
Piano Works Debussy
Lisbeth Gruwez & Claire Chevallier
2020
SELECTED FOR HET THEATERFESTIVAL 2021
“Music is the space between the notes”
– Claude Debussy
Piano Works Debussy is a duet between dancer Lisbeth Gruwez and pianist Claire Chevallier. Together they’re in search of the space between the notes in the compositions of Claude Debussy, who fiddled around with the hegemony of rules.
Their movements are suggestions rather than expressions, in line with Debussy’s search for ‘la musique immatérielle’. Rather than evoking a steadfast reality, Gruwez and Chevalier install an imagination behind the gauze of the material.
For the first time in her career Gruwez is getting involved with classical music. After her formation in classical ballet she found freedom in contemporary dance, gradually developing a language of movement that’s referential by now. In this respect, Piano Works Debussy is a unique dialogue between a classical and contemporary framework that somehow uncovers her choreographical trajectory.
Lisbeth Gruwez: “Piano Works Debussy is an aquarelle. Think about the airiness of colours that flow in one another, dry for a while, and become moistened again to establish new connections. Debussy’s music irrigates the dance and continually shakes up the material.”
back“This is at times so beautiful, it moves you to tears. (…) It renders this performance nothing short of an instant classic.”
– Charlotte De Somviele / De Standaard
“Lisbeth Gruwez and Claire Chevallier both merge in their own way with Debussy’s music. The result is an enchanting hour of sound and movement. (…) A pleasure like this, you can hardly get enough of it.”
– Pieter T’Jonck / Tanz
“Piano Works Debussy is akin to bathing in warm water by the soft glow of candlelight. Both ladies serve up a true masterpiece.”
– Els Van Steenberghe / Knack Focus
“They awaken a delicate rapture that grips you right to the end. An end that, by the way, comes far too soon, because you simply cannot get enough of this wonderful interplay between dance and music.”
– Jan Dertaelen / De Morgen
“The performance is a visual and musical journey that breathes simplicity, devoid of any kind of bluff, taking us to a dreamscape.”
– – Guy Duplat / La Libre
“Bold and brash.”
– Francine van der Wiel / NRC
“The precision and refinement of a charismatic top-performer.”
– Sander Hiskemuller / Trouw
CHOREOGRAPHY
Lisbeth Gruwez
MUSIC
Claude Debussy
PERFORMANCE
Lisbeth Gruwez & Claire Chevallier
ARTISTIC ASSISTANCE
Maarten Van Cauwenberghe
DRAMATURGY
Bart Meuleman
LIGHT DESIGN
Stef Alleweireldt & Gilles Roosen
SCENOGRAPHY
Marie Szersnovicz
SOUND
Alban Moraud & Maarten Van Cauwenberghe
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Gilles Roosen
PRODUCTION MANAGER
Anita Boels
COMMUNICATION
Sam Ecker
PRODUCTION
Voetvolk vzw
COPRODUCTION
KVS – Royal Flemish Theatre, Le Fonds de dotation du Quartz, Theater Freiburg, Klarafestival, ADC Genève, Vooruit Ghent, Liepaja concert hall Great Amber, Festival d’Avignon & MA scène nationale – Pays de Montbéliard
RESIDENCIES
KVS – Royal Flemish Theatre, Arts Centre NONA, Ultima Vez, Les Brigittines & Le Quartz
SUPPORTED BY
NONA, the Flemish Community & the Belgian Tax Shelter
DISTRIBUTION IN COLLABORATION WITH
Key Performance
media browser
