Une introduction (revisitée)

Three years after the 1929 crash, as Germany is ravaged by nationalism, populism and antisemitism, and Europe plunges into the Great Depression, Kurt Jooss creates The Green Table, an anti-war ballet denouncing the rise of Nazism and the harmful consequences of war.

Decades later, Olga de Soto turns her gaze on this legendary ballet. On a bare stage, assisted by a screen showing archive videos and images, she recounts her work on the piece. She explores the before and after of the performance and traces a working process that amounts to a meticulous investigation. This is Une introduction.

Today, the version on offer, revisited in light of the exhibition Reconstruction d'une danse macabre (Museo Reina Sofía, Madrid, 2024) and in the current geopolitical context, is itself a powerful and moving act of resistance to violence and war.

Collaboration

With the Festival Dance First Think Later / Arta Sperto

Good to know

With subtitled film excerpts

Calendar

Next performances

Tue 10.11.2619h30

Small hall

Wed 11.11.2619h30

Small hall

Rates and offers

Single price

CHF 10.-

Post-show talk: a conversation with Olga de Soto will take place after the 10 November performance, led by Olivier Kaeser.

Concept, documentation, text, camera, sound and presentation

Olga de Soto

With testimonies from (in order of appearance)

Micheline Hesse, Brigitte Evellin, Suzanne Batbedat, Françoise Olivaux, Frederic Stern, Françoise Dupuy, Joan Turner Jara and Michelle Nadal

Video direction

Olga de Soto

Video editing

Julien Contreau and Olga de Soto

Lighting

Thomas Walgrave

Generic film software

Pierre Gufflet

Une introduction is a work of analysis whose starting point is Kurt Jooss's The Green Table (1932).

2026 production (reactivation)

Niels Production, with the support of Europalia España

2010 production

Niels Production, in collaboration with Caravan Production (Brussels)

2010 co-production

Centre Chorégraphique National de Franche-Comté (Belfort), Les Halles de Schaerbeek (Brussels), Tanz Im August (Berlin) Research grants: Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (FR), Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Service de la danse (BE), Aide à la recherche et au patrimoine en danse / Centre national de la danse / Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (FR) Research residencies: Centre Chorégraphique de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Charleroi danses (2006-2009), Centre national de la Danse – Pantin (2006)

Support

Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Direction générale de la Culture – Service de la danse and the support of Grand Studio (Brussels)

Creation

Created in 2010 at the Tanz Im August Festival in Berlin, revisited in 2026 at the Kaaitheater in Brussels on the occasion of Europalia España.

Featuring film clips with subtitles