The Köln Concert

Trajal Harrell responds to the physical distance rules that also apply to the stage with a plan he has been pursuing for years: a choreography to Keith Jarrett’s Köln Concert, the most successful piano solo recording of all time. Harrell’s newly founded dance company at the Schauspielhaus in Zürich makes its debut to this music. But before the Köln Concert, you hear four songs by another artist: the Canadian musician Joni Mitchell.

The Köln Concert seeks a language that allows for closeness despite the times of physical distancing. The joint experience of tender, vulnerable, dancing people, is a reminder of the need to remain close to each other despite everything. It is a matter of learning anew: how to make theatre. Dance. In front of an audience. With distance and caution. But not with any less devotion.

• Trajal Harrell is an American dancer and choreographer, whose performances grace theatres all over the world. In 2018, he was named Dancer of the Year by Tanz Magazine. He often creates a dialogue between post-modern dance and New York’s 1980s voguing scene. At Kaaitheater, he has already presented (M)imosa, Antigone Sr and CAEN AMOUR.