The last

Who has the right to be celebrated, where are they celebrated, and who bears witness?

The Last is a quasi dys/utopian Gala Des Étoiles originally staged in a defunct shoe factory. It is a celebration of dancing, dancers, and personal dance histories. Gala’s are usually the fodder of the wealthy and privileged - reserved for the La Scalas, Paris Operas, and American Ballet Theaters of the world and the elite ticket holders who can pay the price. What occurs if we frame an experimental dance performance as a gala and replace the pomp and circumstance with attention to time, the wherewithal to sustain, and perseverance in the face of conservatism? What if instead of touring the world’s stages and grand opera houses it occurs and re-occurs like an ever-present grinding, steaming locomotive always chugging, always insisting in one place with many corners to travel to?

The Last will premiere in August 2023 at Gamla skofabriken (the old show factory) in Knislinge as a 4-hour long performance for 7 dancers. For La Maison de la Danse, Rachel Tess presents an excerpt of this work: her own solo and intimate portrait in a shorter format (1h30).

Choreography, concept and dance: Rachel Tess
Guitar: Johan Salo
Sound: Uli Ruchlinski

Program
18.30: Doors open
19.00: Show
20.30: Discussion with the artist

Fee: Free entrance

Image: Courtesy of Molekyl Gallery

About Rachel Tess

Rachel Tess is an American choreographer and dancer living and working in Sweden. She is the director of Milvus Artistic Research Center (MARC) in Kivik and Knislinge (SE) and associate curator for live-art at Wanås Konst. Read more.