FREEDOM SONATA

A stunning performance, rich in technique and set to a soundtrack that’s undeniably cult! [...] The movement language is contemporary, the bodies powerful and deeply expressive. It’s an experience not to be missed—a whirlwind. [...] A brilliant work, glowing with bright whites and marked by an intense generosity. A true masterpiece.

Emanuel Gat’s choreographic writing remains [...] as vibrant and sharp as ever, skillfully blending various techniques to create a signature style all his own. It’s a source of immense richness for the eleven formidable and virtuosic performers, who give back to the choreographer everything he brings to them.

The piece is fascinating in its construction, genuinely reflecting something about who we are and our era, where freedom and constraint sometimes sit strangely side by side, converging in unexpected ways—politically, as well as in terms of representation.

With Emanuel Gat, one must surrender to the sheer pleasure of dance—the continuous regeneration of movement, its bursts and implosions, its ability to surprise and stir us even as we remain seated. […] The company triumphs, as does its choreographer, marking the opening of the Turin festival.

"Freedom Sonata is the latest chapter in a constant and ongoing study of how groups and the individuals within them behave, function, and strive to find a state of balance and fulfillment." [...] As always, there is virtuosity in these dancers—a technical mastery that does not overshadow emotion—and a plasticity that interacts with lighting, at times plunging the stage into shadow.

At first glance, the company offers movement sequences that appear highly individual rather than collective, accompanied by stunning lighting effects and countless captivating tableaux that, on closer inspection, reveal a fascinating shared precision. This kind of freedom seems perfectly organized down to the tenth of a second.

From Beethoven to Kanye West, the new creation by the Israeli choreographer, premiered at the Festival de Marseille, is a generous and transcendent surge of highly technical and virtuosic movement. A marvel!

Human history and personal growth in fast-forward, condensed on a theater stage. [...] With Freedom Sonata, Emanuel Gat achieves a complex, multi-layered, finely observed work with solid psychological and sociological foundations. Timeless, relevant, and moving.

Freedom Sonata is a choreography so well-executed and, at times, so intense that it hardly requires praise or detailed descriptions. This is partly because it is not narrative—it does not tell a story. What unfolds on stage concerns human relationships in a broader sense, their interactions, rather than the specifics of how they dance, the styles they use, or the quality of movement.

Eleven personalities of explosive beauty assert themselves in dance before finding their place within the group. [...] We recognize old companions of Emanuel Gat, like Michael Loehr, a stage beast with incredible flexibility and charisma. [...] A euphoric visual composition. Freedom Sonata is a sonata of joy.

Emanuel Gat electrifies Marseille’s Vieux Port [...] In this generous and sunlit piece, Emanuel Gat entrusts the stage to 11 dancers [...] blending their talents in a kind of grand remix. The Emanuel Gat Dance company boasts extraordinary performers who intuitively listen to, evaluate, understand, and compare one another, allowing movement to flow effortlessly between them.

Freedom Sonata unfolds as a pursuit of liberation—both personal and collective. [...] Emanuel Gat delivers a piece as demanding for its performers as it is for its audience. But one thing is certain—it is a joy to dream of being free together.

Gat is beloved by the Turin audience—every one of his visits to the region is a triumph. [...] This work, which blends Beethoven's Sonata No. 32 [...] with Kanye West's Rap [...] was met with resounding applause. On stage, the eleven performers of the company deliver a dance full of energy and pure joy of movement.

French choreographer Emanuel Gat dazzles with Freedom Sonata. [...] At the Festspielhaus St. Pölten, it became evident how Gat outlines a transformation from collective lightheartedness to dramatically conflict-laden dynamics. [...] The dance, in its fictional social communication, presents a multilayered discourse on freedom.

It is a great pleasure to watch these release-trained dancers in action. They glide smoothly across the floor, drawing momentum from it for their vertical movements, which gravity soon reclaims. Amid the many individual actions, the moments gain significance when the dancers come together as a group and act in unison. It is in these ensemble scenes that Gat's choreographic talent truly shines.