SCAPINO BALLET ROTTERDAM

• Directed by Marcos Morau
• Choreography Marcos Morau, Lorena Nogal
• Music Arvo Pärt (Recorded by Sinfonia Rotterdam)
• Stage and Costume Design Silvia Delagneau
• Dramaturgical Assistant Carmina S. Beldak
• Lighting Design Mårten Axelsson
• Video Justin Bekker

Lasts approx. 70’ w/o interval

Age Recommendation: 13+

In Cathedral, one of Europe’s most visionary choreographers, Marcos Morau, constructs a cathedral of the body on stage – or perhaps, a final sanctuary for humanity – guided by a striking aesthetic and the spiritual music of Arvo Pärt.

Life is increasingly dominated by digital technologies, individualism has long since overtaken the desire to live together, and the fundamental question of what it means to be human has been lost. Is the inevitable spiritual collapse we face to be halted by a cosmic catastrophe? Could our only chance of salvation be an asteroid colliding with Earth, suddenly altering the familiar course of life?

In this hypnotic dance piece, Morau creates a retro-futurist world, filled with striking scenography and haunting imagery, to tell a story of renewal. Like the meteorite that plunged Earth into darkness 66 million years ago, an imagined collision sparks the painful birth of a new humanity. Each body, reconnecting with life, trembles like a signal in search of kin. Light and movement give fresh meaning to space. Just as Arvo Pärt reshaped how we listen to music and perceive the soul, Morau embarks on a search for a new physical language – one that might lead us to solace, self-awareness, and a sanctuary of our own. As he says, ‘we still have time to change course (...) and go for what really matters.’

One of the most original voices in contemporary dance today, Marcos Morau draws on cinema, photography, theatre, and fashion to create his visually striking choreographies in collaboration with a collective of Spanish artists. As the founder and artistic director of La Veronal, Morau has been widely acclaimed for his prolific output and has been commissioned by leading companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater, Lyon Opera Ballet, Atterballetto, Zürich Ballet, Göteborgoperans, and Staatstheater Berlin. Born in Valencia in 1982, he is the youngest artist ever to be awarded Spain’s National Dance Award

In Cathedral, twelve dancers from the renowned Scapino Ballet Rotterdam – now marking its 80th anniversary – bring Morau’s vision to life with masterful precision. Scapino Ballet was the first company Morau collaborated with outside his own, beginning with Shin A Lam in 2014, and followed by Pablo in 2016, a production inspired by Pablo Picasso.

Scapino Ballet’s Cathedral, coming to Türkiye for the first time for the festival, is a hypnotic ritual offered by Marcos Morau.Join us in this ritual and discover the world of this talented choreographer, who has launched a new movement with his stage language.

‘The movement language is surprisingly earthy and has a beautiful melancholic underlayer, excellently brought out by the Scapino dancers. Cathedral is reminiscent of Stanley Kubrick’s film 2001: A Space Odyssey on several fronts.’
— Trouw

‘Morau transforms the stage into a sacred space; dance speaks louder than words.’
— Dance Europe

General sales begin at 10.30 on Friday, 20 June at passo.com.tr. More information on ticket sales available here.