C in Klein – Dance Theater

Motif
„Cursed be forever the fruitless dreamer who in his idiocy
possessed by an idle and soluble problem first wanted
to unite the aspects of love and those of virtuousness.“
Charles Baudelaire.

Four characters search for recognition, acknowledgement and happiness
Baudelaire lived in a period of the perfidy of romanticism. Romance was an invented dreamworld, obscenity was hidden by layers of lace and silk. Venereal diseases went round, like AIDS in our time and age. Man always strives to be virtuous, both to himself and to others.
This action is contrary to being an artist. People act according to the morals and standards of society. The performance C. in Klein uncovers the dream world of four characters who are in search for recognition, acknowledgement and happiness. Their body language is the tragic and risible result of their impotence to communicate. Language, the use of voices, illustrates their desire.
The characters are caught in their own web of memories and lost successes. They wander through their no man’s land. They are in a health resort of past glory; maybe they are ill. They are in the same boat, but refuse to accept their fates. The close and sultry atmosphere adds to the silence and the falsehood of their existence. They try to keep up their illusions, but towards the end of the performance, their fades are eroded: a bald and unpolished image is left.

Trying to keep up illusions
Towards the end of the performance, their fades are eroded: a bald and unpolished image is left.
That bald and unpolished image appears in advertisements for Calvin Klein as well. Moos d’Herripon was struck by both its rudeness and directness. Inspired by the image, she created some basic ideas for her performance, in which she now wants to show people in search, as all people do, for love and happiness, but on their way, meeting with anger, fear and illusion, while hiding their real intentions.
As in the advertisements, the situations of these people are shown, not interpreted. There is no comment, there is no criticism. The lives of these people are left as open questions. Interpretation is possible, but resides exclusively with the audience. That makes the story extremely tense and thrilling.