Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (BE) Imperial Ball
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (BE) Imperial Ball © Wikimedia, Illustration Gruppe am Park
The famous Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, otherwise known for his brilliant and always (cosmo-)political dance pieces, in which his Moroccan background also plays a role, is fascinated by the social significance of Johann Strauss' dance compositions. Their original historical setting was initially the (Viennese) ballroom; however, these waltzes, mazurkas and polkas, which seem timeless today, quickly became a crucial reference for ballroom dancing and the sign of an entire era. In his very special contribution to Johann Strauss 2025 Wien, Cherkaoui explores the urge of a society to control citizens through the quasi-aristocratic codes of behavior that we find at balls and social gatherings of the elite: How do we get each other to behave in a way that we deem acceptable – or not? The idea of a ball as a place of connection, as a place where different rules apply, can be simultaneously restrictive and liberating. So, is dancing – when it is celebrated socially – still freedom?
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s choreography features the ensemble of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, accompanied live by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Constantin Trinks.
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (BE)
Imperial Ball
Johann Strauss 2025 Wien
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui "Imperial Ball" © Wikimedia, Illustration Gruppe am Park
The famous Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, otherwise known for his brilliant and always (cosmo-)political dance pieces, in which his Moroccan background also plays a role, is fascinated by the social significance of Johann Strauss' dance compositions. Their original historical setting was initially the (Viennese) ballroom; however, these waltzes, mazurkas and polkas, which seem timeless today, quickly became a crucial reference for ballroom dancing and the sign of an entire era. In his very special contribution to Johann Strauss 2025 Wien, Cherkaoui explores the urge of a society to control citizens through the quasi-aristocratic codes of behavior that we find at balls and social gatherings of the elite: How do we get each other to behave in a way that we deem acceptable – or not? The idea of a ball as a place of connection, as a place where different rules apply, can be simultaneously restrictive and liberating. So, is dancing – when it is celebrated socially – still freedom?
Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s choreography features the ensemble of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, accompanied live by the Vienna Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Constantin Trinks.
Austrian Premiere
Price: 10 / 14 / 21 / 31 / 42 / 54 / 68 Euro
Reduced: 7 / 9 / 14 / 21 / 29 / 37 / 47 Euro