31st Kalamata International Dance Festival-MAGUY MARIN/May B

May B sets in motion a parade of drifting humanity, using an abrupt theatrical language that transforms the absurd, the violent, and the unsettling into striking imagery. Dance's strength lies in its power to express the mystery of our presence in the world.

This work is inspired by Samuel Beckett's writings, whose theatrical rhythm and atmosphere contrast with the traditional expectations of dance. It lays the foundation for a secret exploration of our most intimate, hidden, and often neglected gestures.

The goal was to bring to light the minute or spectacular movements of countless unseen lives—lives in which waiting and a “not quite still” stillness form a vast emptiness, a silent space filled with hesitation. Beckett’s characters long for stillness but are compelled to move, whether slightly or intensely.

In this deeply theatrical work, the focus was not on developing dialogue or speech, but rather on a heightened, exaggerated form of movement. We sought the meeting point between theatrical movement and the language of choreography.

Maguy Marin