© Grégoire Romefort
Olga de Soto.
An Introduction
- Kaaistudios, Brussels
Spanish choreographer, researcher and multidisciplinary artist Olga de Soto has based her documentary performance An Introduction on The Green Table (1932) a work by choreographer Kurt Jooss, denouncing the rise of fascism and the horrors of war, created just a few months before Hitler’s coming to power. Olga de Soto talks about her research into this canonical work and delves into the origins of the piece and its lasting resonance at the intersection of documentary choreography and theatre.
In collaboration with 50 años de España en Libertad
Credits
Concept, documentation, text, camera, sound and performance: Olga de Soto
With testimonies by (in order of appearance): Micheline Hesse, Brigitte Evellin, Suzanne Batbedat, Françoise Olivaux, Frederic Stern, Françoise Dupuy and Michelle Nadal
Video direction: Olga de Soto
Video editing: Julien Contreau and Olga de Soto
Voice-over: Kurt Jooss (excerpt from the interview Berghson-Jooss, California, 1974, courtesy of Tanzarchiv Köln)
Software: Pierre Gufflet
Lightning: Thomas Walgrave
Light technician: Geni Diez
Sound and video technician: Eric Desjeux
Research assistant at tanzarchiv köln: Katja Herlemann
Photography: Kurt Hege, Fritz Henle, and various pictures by unknown photographs
Photographic restoration and prints: Atelier KZG, Brussels
Archives: Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln / SK Stiftung Kultur, Dartington Archive - Dartington Trust and The Elmgrant Trust, Centro de Documentación de las Artes Escénicas - Municipal de Santiago (in progress)
Production (2010): Niels Production, in collaboration with Caravan Production (Brussels)
Production (2026): Niels Production (Brussels)
Coproduction (2010): Centre Chorégraphique National de Franche-Comté (Belfort), Les Halles de Schaerbeek (Brussels), Tanz Im August (Berlin)
Supported by: Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Direction Générale de la Culture – Service de la danse, Jooss Archives (Köln/Amsterdam) des Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln (German Dance Archives)
Research grants: Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (FR), Ministère de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Service de la danse (BE), Aide à la recherche et au patrimoine en danse / Centre national de la danse / Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication (FR)
Research residencies: Centre Chorégraphique de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Charleroi danses (2006-2009), Centre national de la Danse – Pantin (2006).
Niels Production/Olga de Soto is supported by Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles – Direction générale de la Culture — Service de la danse and is accompanied by Grand Studio (Brussels).
Programme book texts used with thanks to the following companies and archives: Aalto Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Ballet Arizona, Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, Ballet du Rhin, Ballet Van Vlaanderen, Ballettmainz, Ballo dell’Arena di Verona, Bayerisches Staatballett, Birmingham Royal Ballet, CAPAB Kruik Ballet, former Cleveland Ballet now Ballet San José, Companhia Nacional de Bailado, Cullberg Ballett, Deutsches Oper Berlin, Deutschen Tanzarchiv Köln (for Ballets Jooss, Folkwang Ballett, Folkwang Tanztheater, Ballet Nacional de Chile, Introdans, Jeanette Vondersaar (for American Ballet Theater, Ballet Van Vlandereen, Ballet West, Ballett am Rhein, Saarländisches Staatstheater, Theater Mönchengladbach Krefeld), Malmo Stadsteater, Star Dancers Ballet Tokyo, Taipei University of the Arts, Tanzforum Köln, Tanztheater Wuppertal), Finnish National Ballet, Grands Ballets Canadiens, Het National Ballet, Israel Dance Library – Tel Aviv (for Batsheva Dance Company), Joffrey Ballet, José Limón Dance Company, Landestheater Dessau, Louisville Ballet, Oakland Ballet, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Richmond Ballet, SNT Opera and Ballet Ljubljlana, Staatstheater Dresden, Staattheater Bern, Teatro Regio, Winnipeg Royal Ballet and Zurich Ballet
Duration: 1h15