Groundbreaking dance theatre about immortality and technology

Dance, video animation, holograms and design come together in Scapino Ballet's new performance Anima Obscura. With live music by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and harpist Remy van Kesteren. On 29 May, Anima Obscura will premiere at the New Luxor Theatre during festival O. The performance will run from 28 May to 1 June as part of O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre. performed. From September, the performance will go on tour.

In her first major production for Scapino, choreographer and artistic director Nanine Linning explores the desire for immortality. From the occult practices of alchemists to the contemporary experiments of biohackers, she explores the urge to transcend the human body.

Anima Obscura is a monumental work of art for a large ensemble of dancers in which choreography, video performance, animation, holograms, costume design and live music merge into an immersive theatrical experience.

The international creative team of artists led by Nanine Linning and videoscenographer Claudia Rohrmoser, share both fascination and discomfort about developments in biohacking and artificial intelligence. In the 100-minute performance, they respond to the social challenges of these new technological developments.

Live music

The performance will feature Johannes Brahms' majestic Ein Deutsches Requiem, cut up with Yannis Kyriakides' Ein Schemen - a contemporary recomposition for choir, harp and electronics. The music is performed live by the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra with baritone James Atkinson and soprano Aphrodite Patoulidou conducted by Giuseppe Mengoli, the 50 singers of the Laurens Symphonic and harpist Remy van Kesteren, who is fully integrated into the choreography.

Interdisciplinary cooperation

The innovative show features internationally renowned artists, including fashion designer Irina Shaposhnikova. Videoscenographer Claudia Rohrmoser uses 3D animation, holograms and live projections to bring the latest technologies to life in a gigantic video set.