Symphony of Expectation combines two iconic, 20^th-century compositions: Sinfonia by Luciano Berio and Erwartung by Arnold Schönberg. One second of the maximal spiritual excitement of a female main character explodes into an intense theatrical experience.

Rain (2001) is one of Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker’s most characteristic performances, set to Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians. Seven women and three men allow themselves to be propelled by an unstoppable joined energy. They are connected by a lively network of breathing and speed, as well as the special comradery that forms when you are beyond fatigue. In 2016, Rain was reprised with a new cast, premièring at the Royal Circus.

Three performers spend three quarters of an hour turning around their own axis – a movement that in Sufi ceremonies is thought to lead to religious euphoria. In Miet Warlop’s version, it becomes an experiment on the fine line between maintaining and losing control. It is a combination of swirling dance, recital and concert. How can you find a balance between self-control and devotion?

We are throwing open the doors of the Kaaicafé for children aged 4 to 12! Artists from Globe Aroma (an arts centre for newcomers in the heart of Brussels) invite you to participate in two creative workshops. You can build your own musical instrument or become a professional costume developer. And after all that work… there will be a steaming stack of fresh Brussels waffles waiting for you!

Dancer and choreographer Tomas Ntamashimikiro will teach you hip hop grooves and social dances. You will learn new insights into hip hop culture and viscerally discover what makes dance so infectious. Put on your best dancing clothes and come and groove with us! Everyone is welcome irrespective of hip hop experience.

This special repertory evening will present three early works by Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, each of which is based on a piece of classical music. The programme features a combative choreography set to the layered rhythms and harmonies of Bartók’s Quartet n°4, a group piece that defies gravity and depicts the ingenious counterpoint in Beethoven’s Die Grosse Fuge, and a shamelessly romantic duet set to Schönberg’s Verklärte Nacht. Ictus and the Brussels Philharmonic will accompany the pieces live especially for the Brussels series.

The legendary opera Einstein on the Beach by Phillip Glass, Robert Wilson and Lucinda Childs premièred at the Festival of Avignon in 1976. For this new concertante version, the Ictus ensemble is joining forces with the Collegium Vocale Ghent and with neo-folk legend Suzanne Vega. The musical composition and the musicality of the libretto are the central focus in a minimalist and hypnotizing soundscape that lasts 200 minutes.