Elisabeth gets her way

Flemish dancer and choreographer Jan Martens, who was invited to the main courtyard at the Festival d’Avignon 2022, designs his work as a refuge, one in which the concept of time becomes tangible again and offers room for observation, emotions and reflection. This solo, which is performed by Jan Martens himself, is in the unusual form of a danced portrait. It is dedicated to the great Polish musician Élisabeth Chojnacka (1939–2017), whose exceptional talent and passion contributed to the revival of the harpsichord during the second half of the 20^th century. A soundtrack alternates between interviews with her loved ones, which evoke the life and work of the Polish artist, and a wide range of recordings, from Nyman to Ligeti and Montague, which she made during her fifty-year career. Jan Martens dances with genius proficiency to the radical, frenetic and percussive work of the harpsichord player, whose rhythmic complexity is highlighted by the movement, making listening a more fluid experience. The dancer employs as many styles of choreography as the musician had registers in her repertoire, as part of a virtuosic, fusional and monumental tribute to her.

https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/771946566