nusch

nusch is based on the poems Uninterrupted Poetry (1945) and Nusch (1950) and the volume of poetry Time overflowing (1947) by the French poet Paul Eluard, one of the most important representatives of surrealism.

Nusch (Maria Benz) was Eluard’s life companion and muse. The poems he wrote for her are amongst the most beautiful love poems in French literature. At the end of 1945, Eluard writes Poésie Ininterrompue, (Uninterrupted poetry), a long poem in which the poet tries 'to say everything', a poetic summary, an exploration of a common memory, a sometimes difficult to follow flow of words on human on-goings with love as the sole resting point, personified by Nusch. Not one year later, on 28 November 1946, while Eluard is abroad, Nusch dies suddenly due to a cerebral haemorrhage. Eluard's world collapses from one day to the other. He writes Le Temps Déborde (Time overflowing) in which he cries out his loss.

The performing text was compiled by STAN actor Frank Vercruyssen and Judith Davis. Davis acted in L'avantage du doute (The benefit of the doubt, tg STAN, Paris 2005). The choreography is made by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker. Frank Vercruyssen acts. nusch is alternatively danced by Sue-Yeon Youn (30/08), Tale Dolven (31/08), Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker (1/09) or Elizaveta Penkova (2/09).