As the audience settles into their seats, a quiet anticipation fills the venue. The dancers begin their routine onstage, gracefully moving against a shimmering silver backdrop. Slowly, the rows of bars that were previously dividing the stage rise up and disappear, allowing the dancers to blend their movements seamlessly into one fluid space. They move in near silence—all you hear is the rustling of their costumes and their breath after a strenuous move. Each dancer is fully immersed in their own unique movements, yet they stay connected to each other through a shared rhythm. Even as they express themselves individually, a sense of harmony unites them. Some dancers carry musical instruments, using them as extensions of their own flows rather than playing them.

On the right corner of the stage, an open photo umbrella lies unfolded, resembling a satellite dish in the vastness of space. Transparent, inflatable orbs on the back left of the stage catch and reflect the dynamic spotlights, like stars in the sky. The dancers move slowly towards the center as if drawn together by a gravitational force while the spotlight circles them, turning their bodies into matter in space. Against the deeming spotlights, the silver background sparkles like a night sky full of twinkling stars. Two dancers in the background hold violins, and a row of orchestra members provides the musical backbone for the performance. Occasionally, the orchestra becomes part of the act, joining in with expressive gestures as the grand piano descends from the ceiling.

The performance flows with moments of individual bursts of energy and collective harmony. Dancers swing their arms through the air, evoking the motion of planets in orbit. As they continue, their movements balance between stillness and momentum. Dancers collide momentarily, their paths intersecting, yet they navigate these encounters with finesse, maintaining their individual rotations. It becomes a dance of controlled spontaneity, where brief collisions and moments of connection alternate in a harmonious rhythm.

The dancers’ sweeping arm movements seem to defy gravity, creating a feeling of weightlessness, as if they’re floating in space. In this state, each dancer becomes like a celestial body—unique yet vulnerable, reaching out for connection and a sense of grounding. The vast space around them highlights both the wonder and the loneliness of drifting through the universe, reflecting the dancers’ dreams and fears of existing in such an endless, unknown realm.

As the piece progresses, the orchestra members leave the stage, and the dancers, moving in groups, begin to exit one by one. From the left corner, the horn section quietly enters and forms a row at the back corner. As they start Beethoven’s dramatic 5th Symphony in C Minor, the stage abruptly floods with orange light, building anticipation for a more powerful scene. These bursts of energy create a gripping tension, filling the space with an awe-inspiring atmosphere. The lead dancer reenters for a solo, yet this time with a faster, more intense choreography. The solo is accompanied by increasing numbers of dancers on stage as they continue to express their unique movements, filled with abrupt and rapid motions, creating a cycle of exits and entrances. The charged movements evoke a sensation of collision—whether between atoms, conflicts, or emotions.

The relationship between the dancers’ bodies and the space is unmistakable. In human imagination, the sky and space often represent the origin of beauty while also being vast and overwhelming. The dancers convey both the fear of collision and the intensity of uncontrolled energy. While they share this sense of fate, each dancer reacts in their own way, showing how everyone reacts differently to their collective fate.

Dance – Choreography

In creating such an ensemble, a variety of perspectives converge, sparking fascinating, at times, diverse debates on the meanings behind dance and choreography. Interval has sat down with some of the Dance Theatre Heidelberg (DTH) members for an interview to inquire about the stories behind the performance of “Reality and the Cosmos.” Among the company, Thamiris Carvalho and Inés Belda Nácher offer two differing views on their roles as dancers. Thamiris identifies more as a performer, rejecting the conventional label of a ‘dancer,’ which implies anonymity and a lack of space for personal expression. In contrast, Inés embraces the term dancer, influenced by her family’s engagement in the field.

Julián Lazzaro, another member of the DTH, sees dance as a journey of self-exploration, both physically and mentally. While often a solitary process, it also serves as a way to express deep, subconscious experiences and emotions without words — as elements within the performance evoke emotions and memories in both the dancers and the audience. It is this moment of shared experience that helps create a bond between the people performing and those watching. “Reality and the Cosmos is not a work of art that has been created to be; it is not about concrete and permanent materiality, but it is constantly moving and changing through our bodies’ motions,” explains Julián. He emphasises the dynamic nature of their work, likening it to a bowl of ramen: the ingredients remain constant, but the deepening of the broth flavor represents the continuous changes through the dancers’ motions. The blend, the umami taste, emerges from a long boil — through the daily practice, self-reflection, and the cumulative experiences of each performance— it is always rewarding yet ever-changing. 

The choreographer Iván Pérez fosters a collaborative environment, encouraging dancers to co-produce sequences and movements. Dancers have the capacity to express their individuality on stage, with Iván emphasising the importance of listening to individual needs. This approach allows performers to be themselves, even displaying fatigue openly on stage, creating a genuine connection with the audience. “If you’re tired,” Yi-Wei Lo explains, “don’t hide. Just pant or stretch out your body. It is also a way to involve the audience in feeling how we actually feel.” Each dancer introduces variations based on their interpretations, incorporating delays, ascents, and unique arm movements influenced by their understanding of the sequence and emotional state on the show day.

It is the moments like those, where the dancers standing on the edge of the stage are staring into the crowd for a prolonged time, or even when the satellite dish transforms into a glaring star-like entity and shines a light on the viewers — that invite us into the scope of this performance: the viewers are invited actively to be emotionally engaged.

As the show nears the end, the bars that were lifted at the beginning of the show slowly descend. This time, the bars moving resemble a three-dimensional movement of continuous waves.