Performances of Yvonne Rainer at documenta Theater im Fridericianum, Friedrichsplatz 17, behind the museum, Kassel

"RoS Indexical" (2007)
"AG Indexical, with a little help from H.M." (2006)

Dates: Thursday, 16, Friday, 17 and Saturday, 18 August
Time: 9:00 p.m. each
Duration: about 70 minutes
Place: tif - Theater im Fridericianum, Friedrichsplatz 17, behind the museum, Kassel

Yvonne Rainer is represented at documenta by two of her dance performances. She is staging one new and one already existing dance choreography. Her performance piece RoS Indexical (2007), a PERFORMA Commission with documenta 12, will have its world premiere within the context of documenta 12. In this piece Rainer undertakes to "re-envison" Igor Stravinsky's controversial "Le Sacre du printemps", which premiered in 1913 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris, creating a scandal at the time because of its dissonant, forceful music and "primitive" movement vocabulary. Drawing on a wide range of source material for movement and gestures - from the BBC's dramatization "Riot at the Rite", to Sarah Bernhardt, Robin Williams, Groucho Marx, and Yvonne Rainer - the dance invokes the passion and furor that accompanied the premiere of the original. After documenta 12, "RoS Indexical" will make its US Premiere in New York from November 18-19, 2007 as a part of the PERFORMA07 biennial.

For the second piece, "AG Indexical, with a little help from H.M." (2006), Yvonne Rainer draws on a ballet classic from 1957, re-enacting "Agon", interpreting it anew. This modernist piece was co-created by the choreographer George Balanchine and the composer Igor Stravinsky. Rainer's title, "AG Indexical, with a little help from H.M.", parodies and analyses this great original; it intensifies its absurdity. This exemplifies how Rainer combines compositions and images from earlier dance works with new dance material. Film music from The "Pink Panther" replaces the music composed by Igor Stravinsky. On the basis of her own memories and with the assistance of documentary footage, Rainer creates a new version of Balanchine's choreography. Originally conceived for eight male and four female dancers, Rainer rewrites it for three female modern dancers and the former prima ballerina of the New York City Ballet, Emily Coates. Having put aside dance for three decades to turn to film, Rainer now reflects on her own career with these new pieces.

Tickets: 18 Euros / 12 Euros (reduced)
Available directly from the ticket office, Fridericianum - courtyard entrance Mon to Fri from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Or reservations per e-mail to franke@documenta.de; tickets to be collected from the box office, no later than 30 minutes before the start of the performance.

There is a small contingent of press tickets. Please let us know if you like to attend - we will make your reservation depending on availability.
Also please inform us, if you would like to conduct an interview with Yvonne Rainer. We would be happy to arrange it.

On our website www.documenta.de in the press section (Press Photo - Artists) you find image material on Yvonne Rainer in high resolution to download.

For further information please contact

Catrin Seefranz
Head of Communications and Press

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