Puz/zle: award-winning dance puts human order – and disorder – under the microscope
- Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s evocative and cerebral show examines puzzle of how people fit together – and sometimes fail to connect
- Dancer’s arts company, Eastman, will perform production, focused on identity, relationships and boundaries, in Hong Kong on December 13 and 14
Belgian dancer and choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui has been a creative force in the world of dance for almost two decades.
Known for an egalitarian artistic approach to dance moves and body language, he has curated a wide variety of performances, ranging from contemporary dance to ballet and opera.
His talent has been recognised with internationally acclaimed awards, including winning Britain’s Laurence Olivier Award for best new dance production in 2011 and 2014.
Cherkaoui, who is artistic director of his own company, Eastman, as well as the Royal Ballet Flanders, has collaborated with artists including singer Beyoncé, sculptor Antony Gormley, performance artist Marina Abramovic – even 20 Shaolin monks in his globally performed show, Sutra.
He is now bringing to Hong Kong one of those Olivier Award-winning productions, Puz/zle, which explores how certain connections succeed – and others fail to fit together – to create a distinct identity. The evocative and cerebral contemporary dance will be performed on December 13 and 14 at Kwai Tsing Theatre.
We spoke to him about the thinking behind the creation of his acclaimed production.
Why did you explore complex ideas, such as evolution, society, human relations and the origin of culture in Puz/zle?