Wim Vandekeybus, Ultima Vez

What the Body Does Not Remember

The amazing debut of Belgian choreographer Wim Vandekeybus and Ultima Vez in 1987 stunned the world of dance at the time. Vandekeybus and composers Thierry de Mey and Peter Vermeersch received the prestigious Bessie Award in New York for this ‘brutal confrontation of dance and music: the dangerous, combative landscape of What the Body Does Not Remember’. 28 years later and with a new cast, the show still stands as one of the most exciting pieces of dance ever made.

Vandekeybus’ first choreography balances on the razor edge of attraction and repulsion. Sometimes this results in a confrontation between two dancers, then between two groups, between dancers and music, and between dancers and a compelling set of lines. But throughout there is an explosion of aggression, fear and danger.