WITH YOUR EYES

TANZCOMPAGNIE OLDENBURG & TANZTHEATER BREMEN (2008)

ChoreographyRami Be'er
StagingRan Ben Dror, Martin Corri, Dani Eshel, Eran Gisin, Ya'arit Haikin, Mika Webber
MusicClint Mansell, Lisa Gerrard/Pieter Bourke, Nine Inch Nails, Laibach, Einstürzende Neubauten, The Young Gods, Mr. Bungle, John Zorn, The Tiger Lillies
Sound DesignAlex Claud, Rami Be'er
PerformersFelix Berner, Audrey Borthayre, Thomas Bünger, Alessandra Corti, Héloise Fournier, Constantin Georgescu, Vivienne Hötger, Mimi Jeong, Angela Kecinski, Sunju Kim, Michael Loehr, Jae Won Oh, Robert Przybyl, Dario Rodriguez, Magali Sander Fett, Frauke Scharf, Aliksey Schoettle, Cristian Sétien, Angelika Thiele, Maria Walser, Miroslaw Zydowicz
ProductionOldenburgisches Staatstheater and Theater Bremen
World Premiere13 January 2008 – Staatstheater, Oldenburg, Germany
Performance HistoryTheater am Goetheplatz, Bremen, Germany – Staatstheater, Oldenburg, Germany
PhotographyAndreas J. Etter
With your Eyes by Rami Be'er
With your Eyes by Rami Be'er
In a fast-paced revue with remixed and new works, the Israeli choreographer celebrates the dynamics and visual power of dance, as well as the seductive influence of music. [...] The theme is dance itself. It is not dealt with in self-reflective exercises, but as an unleashed encounter between body and music. [...] A production that has the potential to become a cult piece.
"With Your Eyes" is a breathtaking spectacle of dance, dynamism, and acrobatics, infused with music, color, and light. [...] After the initial waves of applause, the premiere featured a surprise encore, with the entire double company returning to the stage. The ensuing ovation—finally, this can be said with a clear conscience—was endless.
In his piece "With Your Eyes," Israeli choreographer Rami Be'er creates a spectacular display of movement, images, light, and music, with up to 20 dancers swirling across the stage. [...] The choreographer and ensemble were met with stormy, minutes-long applause, particularly after the encores, during which both companies performed together in full formation.
"With Your Eyes" presents nearly 20 dance images, some of which were already seen in other Be'er productions. . [...] Be'er shows dance as a physical act of violence. [... He] is interested in how the individual faces the collective. He uses the size of the northwest German double company primarily to form a uniform phalanx, against which the individual dances: seeking closeness, proud, or also trapped within themselves.
The Bremen premiere of "With Your Eyes" [...] had the audience on their feet by the end. [...] Some of the technical feats were truly impressive, never seen before. [...] "With Your Eyes" is, in many ways, a "Best of Rami Be'er," who has been achieving global success with his Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company. And now, it's a hit in Bremen as well.
In "With Your Eyes," Rami Be'er once again proves his skill in creating disturbing, memorable images. He expertly designs the stage, costumes, lighting, and sound himself, and also develops dance scenes that impress with the powerful use of the body. [...] "With Your Eyes" is a captivating evening of dance, decorative, pleasing, and entertaining.