Bliss Press Release: Gibney Company 22-2023 Season Tour Announcement
Bliss
For this large-scale ensemble piece, Swedish choreographer Johan Inger uses the legendary “Köln Concert” by jazz pianist Keith Jarrett; music that many consider to be the epitome of virtuoso improvisation. Rather than translating the music one-to-one into movement, it is more the feeling of Jarrett’s iconic music—free, soaring and ecstatic—that Inger translates into beautifully crafted dance, sending not only listeners, but audience members into a state of bliss.
Choreography: Johan Inger
Staging: Yvan Dubreuil
Scenery Design: Johan Inger
Costume Design: Johan Inger and Francesca Messori
Lighting Design: Peter Lundin
Music: Keith Jarett – The Köln Concert, Part 1 Cavelight Music (BMI) Used by arrangement with ECM Records
Company Premiere: New York City Center, 2022
Press Release
Bios
JOHAN INGER
The Swede Johan Inger (Stockholm, 1967) joined Nederlands Dans Theater 1 in 1990 and was a high-profile dancer of the company until 2002.
His debut as choreographer (1995), also for Nederlands Dans Theater, quickly became promising with immediate recognition: for his ballets Dream Play and Walking Mad he received the Lucas Hoving Production Award in October 2001. Walking Mad was later also awarded the Danza & Danza Award 2005.
Johan left Nederlands Dans Theater to take on the artistic leadership of Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm in 2003 where he created numerous works.
Since 2008, Johan works as freelance choreographer and creates for many companies around the globe such as GoteborgsOperan, Ballet Basel, Swedish National Ballet, Compania Nacional de Danza, Aterballetto, Lyon Opera Ballet, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Ballet BC and of course Nederlands Dans Theater, holding the position as Associate Choreographer from 2009 to 2016.
Between 2016 and 2023, among other creations, Johan also choreographed his own versions of the narrative pieces Petrushka (Ballets de Monte Carlo) and Sleeping Beauty (Aurora’s Nap) for the Stuttgart Ballet, and full evenings such as Carmen (CND), Peer Gynt (Ballet Basel), Don Juan (Aterballetto) and A Swan Lake for SemperOper Ballett Dresden
He was honoured in 2016 with the Benois de la Danse Prize for his Carmen (CND- Madrid), the piece One on One (NDT2), and with the Danza & Danza award for his piece Bliss, as well in 2020 for his Don Juan as best Italian production.
In 2022, Johan Inger also became artistic director of Take Off Dance, a training program for pre-professional dancers between the ages of 18 and 24 based in Sevilla.
Tech Rider
To receive Gibney Company’s Technical Rider for Bliss, please reach out to Karen Kitchen, Executive Producer, at karen@gibneydance.org.
