Jan Martens, The Dog Days Are Over

“Dismantles theatrical mechanics and the desire for entertainment, to reclaim the stage as a place of encounter between human and human.”—De Standaard (Belgium)

Flemish choreographer Jan Martens is fast earning a reputation in Europe as a talent to watch. His intriguing work thoroughly mines the tight parameters of his chosen movement material while subtly questioning the nature of performance and its complicit relationship with the audience. To offer a wider perspective of Martens’s distinctive work, we’re presenting two of his best-known pieces: the duet Sweat Baby Sweat, with its push-pull dynamic, and the literally breathtaking ensemble work The Dog Days Are Over. See them both here on the only US stop of their upcoming North American tour.

Martens’s inspiration for The Dog Days Are Over is drawn from a quote by photographer Philippe Halsman: “When you ask a person to jump, his attention is mostly directed toward the act of jumping and the mask falls so that the real person appears.” To reveal the person behind each dancer in this work, Martens has constructed a symphony of jumping so complex and difficult that the dancers will eventually fail to maintain its impossible rhythm. It is here where the performer’s mask falls—and also where Martens notably probes the audience’s position as witnesses, ultimately questioning our expectations of art and entertainment.

See both pieces for an in-depth introduction to Martens’s fresh approach, which successfully strikes a balance between storytelling and conceptualism. He’s one of the most fascinating new talents to emerge from the European dance scene—and another international innovator you can discover this fall at the Wex.

Note: There will be no late seating for this performance.