Gauthier Dance, the German contemporary dance company acclaimed for its “technical precision, theatrical charisma, and absolute commitment” (Boston Globe), will perform a mixed-repertoire program honoring works by celebrated Israeli choreographers: Hofesh Shechter’s Uprising, Gai Behar and Sharon Eyal’s Killer Pig, and Ohad Naharin’s signature Minus 16. All have been affiliated with and influenced by Batsheva Dance Company, in Tel Aviv, and Gaga, the movement language Naharin has defined as its longtime artistic director.
The Company Gauthier Dance//Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart is a young, dynamic company of 16 highly individual, versatile dancers, directed by the dancer, choreographer and musician Eric Gauthier. The Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart presents contemporary dance by Gauthier and internationally renowned choreographers such as Mauro Bigonzetti, William Forsythe, Ji?í Kylián, Itzik Galili, Paul Lightfoot/Sol León and Hans van Manen. Established in October 2007, Gauthier Dance established itself in the German dance scene with record speed and has become an international brand. During the first years, the company’s acclaim was based on their original, humorous bills that also attracted a big young audience. Today, the program is every bit as accessible but offers a wider choice of styles and moods. In summer 2010, Gauthier Dance saw the successful world premiere of their first full-length piece, Christian Spuck’s Poppea//Poppea, which was included among the 10 top productions of the season 2009-10 by the British specialist magazine Dance Europe and earned Spuck the German Theatre Prize The Faust 2011. Two years later, the German Academy Award once again went to a member of Gauthier Dance when Anna Süheyla Harms won The Faust 2013 as Best Performer Dance. The company has a reputation for breaking new ground. Following a stereoscopic version of Gauthier’s choreography Threesome which was also screened as a supporting film to Wim Wenders’s Pina and seen by more than 50,000 German arthouse cinemagoers, Gauthier Dance tackled an even more ambitious project. Poppea//Poppea became the first full-length dance piece to be turned into a 3D film and was broadcast on the French-German television channel arte in February 2014.
Parallel to its growing fame, Gauthier Dance has intensified collaborations with international star choreographers. Following the rave success of Mauro Bigonzetti’s narrative ballet Alice the next full-length piece saw its world première in June 2016: Marco Goecke’s exploration of the myth Nijinski – a ballet that was equally celebrated by critics and audiences and is widely regarded as another milestone in the company’s development. Awards include a Premio Danza&Danza 2016 for Marco Goecke as Best Choreographer and for Rosario Guerra as Dancer of the Year plus a particularly gratifying distinction. In the Yearbook 2017, the readers of the German specialist magazine tanz voted Nijinski the first winner in the new category Favourite of the Year. In fact, there seems to be no lack of special occasions for Gauthier Dance. In March 2017, the company celebrated its first ten years with the anniversary program Big Fat Ten. The schedule for the season 2017-18 is just as stacked with highlights. On top of three premieres at Theaterhaus Stuttgart, the company will tour to Toronto, New York, Tel Aviv, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Monaco and Berlin, as well as to seven cities in Switzerland for the 30th anniversary edition of the dance festival steps.
