Open rehearsal of Instantly Forever
Open rehearsal of Instantly Forever
Thursday, February 1st , 2024 / 7:00PM at CCN - Ballet de Lorraine
Instantly Forever is a creation by Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley for the dancers of the CCN - Ballet de Lorraine
The title Instantly forever, generates questions of time. Where, when and how do we engage with our history, and may it redefine and influence our future? Can we be in our extraordinary present while at the same time projecting ourselves to the future?
The dance is set to two very different pieces of music, one from the past and one new creation. Stravinsky’s first movement from Symphony in three movements from 1945, made from aborted film projects as well as influences from his Rite of spring, is a score that exhibits with force, a “Jazzy” unpredictability, holding us captive and breathless. The other is a new creation by American composer of electronic music Damon Frost, an artist that as well inhabits a sphere of rhythmic complexity, not afraid to dive deep into dynamic atmospheric shifts in bass.
It is a composition, influenced by its musical choices, that yearns to occupy this moment of anticipation, inhabiting an atmosphere of constant unpredictable change.
Out of the blue… suddenly it arrives all at once, the moment, our hope. Did we expect it, can we fully take it in? Like the quiet before a storm or the suspended anticipation of the arrival of a lover. Instantly Forever desires to absorb and reinvestigate all this “nowness”, while reacting, tearing at the extremes of space. Are we influencing, inspiring or reacting to our environment? Yes, exactly all the above, all at once. Stravinsky referred to this composition as a “war symphony”, and maybe this is a fitting description for us… Not in the sense of combat, but as a reflection of the diverse and contrasting cultural views in our contemporary society. There is an urge, a push in the non stoppable evolution of things where choices are in abundance, but where an overwhelming anxiety, and hope for the future exists.
Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley
Open rehearsals allow the audience to take a peek at the work as it is being created, and experience the intimate relationship that develops between dancers and choreographers. They are meant as a time of observation, but also of discussion, as time for questions is always included in the event.
Running time: 1 hour
Free entry
Bookings: balletdelorraine.mapado.com / billetterie@ballet-de-lorraine.eu / T. 03 83 85 69 08
Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley
A creative team
The choreographers and dancers Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley, started collaborating in the nineteen nineties, choreographing works for Martha@Mother, the Joyce Soho in New York and the opera Staden for the Royal Opera House in Stockholm, a commission for the 1998 Cultural capital of Europe. For the Royal Swedish Opera, Ballet and Orchestra they created two immense Happenings, In nooks and crannies 2000 and 2001. The two different performances, occupied non-traditional performance spaces throughout the entire theatre.In 2005 they started their own company creating works entitled Nightlife, Untitled partner, Flux, No mans land - no lands man and The nearest nearness. In 2002 they received a “Goldmask” for the musical Chess with Björn Ulveus and Benny Andersson (ABBA).
As of 2011, Petter is choreographer and the Artistic Director and Thomas choreographer and the Coordinator of Research for the Centre Chorégraphique National - Ballet de Lorraine, Nancy. For the company they have created Untitled Partner #3, Performing Performing, Relâche, Armide, Discofoot, L’Envers, Record of ancient things, Happening Birthday, For Four Walls, Air-Condition and Mesdames et Messieurs.
Their programming for the CCN is organized around questions or themes and each year they invite a wide variety of artists both French and international to play and question within them.Their first programming season 2012, was entitled La saison de La. There they asked why is it Le Ballet but La dance? In response to this question of gender they presented solely female choreographers of diverse backgrounds. The season Tête à tête à têtes was a dialog focused on our modernity and its influences and connections with contemporary artists and spectators. Live! was a celebration of the ephemerality of the performing arts. Together with the continuing seasons, Folk + Danse = (R)évolution, Unknown Pleasures, 50 ans!, Fifty Plus, Useless Beauty, Fiction addiction, Ready! (Made) and tlm (Tout le monde) all have continued to challenge, celebrate and question. To insure a continued lively and non fixed use of the artform they have also worked with the Musée d’Art Moderne in Paris and Centre Pompidou- Metz and Paris, and an original initiative LAB-BLA-BAL, a series of discussions and open house art experiments.
Born in Stockholm, Petter Jacobsson started his studies in dance at the age of three and was further educated at the Royal Swedish Ballet School, the School of American Ballet under Stanley Williams and he later graduated from the Vaganova Academy in St.Petersburg in 1982. As a principal dancer with the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet in London between 1984 to 1993, he toured internationally dancing all of the renowned classical roles as well as appearing as guest artist with numerous international companies. He later moved to New York to begin a freelance career, dancing with Twyla Tharp Dance Company, Merce Cunningham Repertory group, Irene Hultman Dance and later with Deborah Hay. In 1999, Petter was appointed artistic director of the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm.
Thomas Caley started his dance training at Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan, he continued his education earning a BFA from Purchase College in upstate New York in 1992. After graduating from university, a year was spent experimenting, performing in a multitude of independent projects in New York City. From 1993 until 2000 he was a principle dancer with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company touring throughout the world and participating in the creation of twelve new works. In 2000 he moved to Stockholm to continue his collaboration with Petter Jacobsson and to continue working as a freelance dancer in Europe, in France Thomas has worked with Boris Charmatz on the 50 ans de danse & flip book projects.