One of contemporary dance’s most electrifying luminaries returns to our shores with his grandest work yet.
Let’s begin at the end. As the world teeters on the brink of collapse, Hofesh Shechter is here to preside over our imminent extinction. With Grand Finale the legendary choreographer conjures a frighteningly familiar spectre of a planet threatened by ecological and social disaster, while the people must dance their way through the storm. Arresting in its imagery and riddled with moving honesty, this is dance that gazes into the abyss without blinking.
Melbourne's infatuation with Israeli-born, UK-based choreographer Hofesh Shechter goes back a decade, when the 2009 Festival entries Uprising and In your rooms left audiences gasping for more. 2013 saw the provocative and mesmerising world premiere of Sun, but the years since have only whetted appetites for what comes next.
Grand Finale is replete with the intricate, ecstatic style that is Shechter’s signature while maintaining a coy optimism in the face of chaos. Equal parts dance, theatre and live music gig, this is a wild tour of the apocalypse that may await us.
2019 Helpmann Awards
Nominated
Best Dance Production
Best Choreography
Post-show Q&A
Fri 11 October
Stay after the show for a Q&A with the creatives.
Warnings: Contains smoke effects, loud music and flashing lights.
PHOTO | Rahi Rezvani
★★★★ Heart-stopping.
★★★★ A wild waltz for the end of time … [Grand Finale] ranks among Shechter’s most sophisticated creations.
- Creative Team
- Choreography & Music
- Hofesh Shechter
- Set & Costume
- Tom Scutt
- Lighting Design
- Tom Visser
- Music Collaborators
- Nell Catchpole and Yaron Engler
- Associate Artistic Director
- Bruno Guillore
- Design Assistant (Set & Costume)
- Rosie Elnile
- Music
- Original Score
- Hofesh Shechter
- Percussion on Soundtrack
- Hofesh Shechter with Yaron Engler
- Score transcribed by
- Christopher Allan
- Musicians
- James Adams, Christopher Allan, Rebekah Allan, Desmond Neysmith and Alex Paton
- Dancers
- Robinson Cassarino, Chien-Ming Chang, Spencer Dickhaus, Emma Farnell-Watson, Natalia Gabrielczyk, Adam Khazhmuradov, Yeji Kim (Rehearsal Assistant 2), Diogo Sousa, Juliette Valerio and Zunnur Zhafirah
Partners
Presenting Partner
Produced by Hofesh Shechter Company and commissioned by Georgia Rosengarten. Hofesh Shechter Company's Commissioning Partners are Sadler's Wells, Théâtre de la Ville-Paris / La Villette-Paris and Brighton Dome and Festival. Co-commissioned by Colours International Dance Festival Stuttgart, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Romaeuropa Festival, Theatre Royal Plymouth and Marche Teatro / Inteatro Festival together with Danse Danse Montréal, HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts Dresden in cooperation with Dresdner Musikfestspiele, Dansens Hus Oslo, Athens and Epidaurus Festival, HOME Manchester and Scène Nationale d’Albi. Grand Finale is generously supported by the International Music and Art Foundation.
Additional Music: ‘Merry Widow Waltz’ by Franz Lehár, as performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra and by arrangement with Glocken Verlag Limited, Andante Cantabile String Quartet No.1 and Suite No. 4 in G Major by Pyotr Tchaikovsky and ‘Russian Tune’ by Vladimir Zaldwich.
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