In 2021 Sasha Waltz & Guests is beginning an innovative artistic process based on the muscial foundation of Terry Riley’s »In C«, which was performed in a first version on a livestream from the radialsystem in Berlin on March 6th. A recording of the livestream is available online on ARTE Concert amongst others only until 5th April 2021.
The score of »In C« consists of fifty-three musical phrases and reads like stage directions for musicians. The thought of translating these detailed instructions into dance through a choreographic exploration of the music appealed to me. The result is an experimental system of fifty-three movement phrases for a structured improvisation with clear rules and laws. The length of the piece remains variable, as does the number of musicians and dancers.
Sasha Waltz
In 2021, the dance company Sasha Waltz & Guests is beginning an innovative artistic process that will result in the continuous production of both digital and live formats. Terry Riley’s »In C« (1964) forms the musical foundation of this, an open composition that was revolutionary at the time and is generally considered the first piece of minimalist music. Based on this milestone of music history, Sasha Waltz and her dancers develop choreographic material that follows a similarly variable structure and is deliberately designed not to be a finished stage piece.
In 2001, »Bang on a Can« released a recording of their interpretation of the minimalist classic »In C« with a singular combination of amplified instruments from around the globe, propelling Riley’s transcendental masterpiece into the future. This recording on Cantaloupe Music was on The New York Times’ Top 10 Classical CDs of 2001 and Top 10 Pop CDs of 2001.
On March 6th 2021 »In C« by Sasha Waltz & Guests was performed in a first version on a livestream from the radialsystem in Berlin to the sounds of the recording by »Bang on a Can«. A recording of the livestream is still available online until 5th April 2021, you can find all the links below.
»In C« is an experimental, constantly evolving process that once again reconceives and refines Sasha Waltz & Guests’ long-standing approach as well as the dialogue between dance, music and space, both digitally and in real life. At the same time, it explores the potential of flexible artistic production in times of pandemic and of artistic exchange, even across national borders. The individual movement phrases f.e. have also been recorded as video tutorials, which will allow dancers to learn the choreographic material digitally and remotely in the future.
»In C« is a dynamic, modular system that remains adaptable in times of pandemic. It is an exciting challenge to be able to develop so many different variations and formats from it in the future, both for professional dancers and, in the long term, for children and amateurs.
Sasha Waltz
In C
Sasha Waltz & Guests
Terry Riley
Livestream from radialsystem Berlin
6 March 2021, 8pm CET
The livestream will be accessible online until 5th April.
Concept / Choreography
Sasha Waltz
Costume Design
Jasmin Lepore
Light Design
Olaf Danilsen
Concept / Dramaturgy
Jochen Sandig
Dance / Choreography
Davide Di Pretoro
Edivaldo Ernesto
Melissa Figueiredo
Hwanhee Hwang
Annapaola Leso
Michal Mualem
Zaratiana Randrianantenaina
Aladino Rivera Blanca
Orlando Rodriguez
Joel Suárez Gómez
A Production by Sasha Waltz & Guests. Made in radialsystem.
Livestream in cooperation with 
Media Partner 