Esplanade da:ns festival returns October 19 – 28



The Esplanade’s da:ns festival returns October 19 – 28 with a mixed line-up that includes Japanese Butoh dance, Spanish flamenco, contemporary as well as classical ballet.

The Sankai Juku company will present “Tobari – As if in an inexhaustible flux” (19-20 Oct), a contemporary Butoh creation that combines theatrical experience with strong visuals. The poetic piece explores the flow of time and space through birth, death, and rebirth in seven tableaus.

“TeZukA” (27-28 Oct) is Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s tribute to manga artist Osamu Tezuka, the father of Astro Boy. Working with an international cast of 10 performers, three musicians and a calligrapher, Cherkaoui explores Tezuka’s world with his original illustrations brought to life on stage in dynamic dance movement and multimedia projections.

“Aspects of Love” (23 Oct) is a typical ballet gala night showcasing classical and neo-classical excerpts performed by principal dancers of the San Francisco Ballet, theEnglish National Ballet, and the Hamburg Ballet.

“Flamenco Sin Fronteras” (27-28 October) by Paco Peña will explore the many dance styles that emerged through the migration of Spanish performers to Latin America in the early 1900s, and their significant impact on flamenco today.