Sons of Sissy

Stripped of conservatism and rules

Last season, you could see Simon Mayer at work in his solo SunBengSitting. As a young dancer – originally from Austria and a graduate of PARTS – he incorporated traditions from his home region, such as folk dances, folk music and yodelling. Age-old rituals and contemporary interpretations were woven together to create a mysterious, humorous whole.

In Sons of Sissy, Mayer continues his search for tradition, this time with three other dancers who emerge as musicians on stage. They adroitly strip traditional Alpine music, group dances and rituals of their conservatism and rules. Interpretations merge and new, temporary meanings come into being.

The ‘Sons of Sissy’ do everything they can to live up to their name: they become a strange kind of folk music quartet and an experimental, ritual dance combination. In a humorous way, they break with the stereotypical male role models that stubbornly live on in traditions.

• Simon Mayer studied at the Vienna State Opera’s dance department, danced there for a year in the corps de ballet, and continued his studies at PARTS in Brussels. He was involved in performances by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Wim Vandekeybus and Zita Swoon as a dancer, choreographer and musician.