CARMINA BURANA - CONTEMPORARY DANCE IN DANSEHALLERNE

– An intense modern dance performance

Danish Dance Theatre’s performance Carmina Burana is danced to Carl Orff’s timeless and musical masterpiece of the same name. The choreography has been created by two of the company’s award-winning young choreographers: Brazilian Alessandro Sousa Pereira and Italian Fabio Liberti. Danish Dance Theatre’s ‘Carmina Burana’ is a dance performance in two parts, where the choreographers have been inspired by the fables and stories of the Middle Ages, with black magic, the pomp and splendour of the royal courts as well as crazy men and beasts.

Catchy and Grandiose Music

In addition to being well-known, Carmina Burana is also a modern classic of symphonic music. In 1936, the German composer Carl Orff created a score for choir and orchestra, consisting mainly of love songs and drinking songs together with satirical texts about morality and society from the Middle Ages. By exposing the harsh texts to massive rhythms and sharp vocals, he created one of the 20^th century’s most popular pieces of music – a work that is still full of life to this day.

The Court and the Madhouse
In Fabio Liberti’s choreography we meet chanting nuns, shuffling servants and the court. With their white painted cheeks, ruffled collars and red lips they live their lives for good and bad.  All danced with a refreshing streak of humour and irony. Alessandro Sousa Pereira has also been inspired by medieval times with a comic twist, but his choreography takes place in the courtyard where wandering beings with curled toes and apprehensive expressions restlessly wander about.

All in all, Carmina Burana consists of a number of musical and existential qualities that seem perfect for the development of a modern and playful dance performance which celebrates music and dance, the clergy and the crazy, love and earthly pleasures.

Choreography: Alessandro Sousa Pereira & Fabio Liberti 
Music: Carl Orff

Lighting Design: Jacob Bjerregaard 
Dancers: Danish Dance Theatre’s international dancers