“Silent movies, slapstick, horror movies, MTV, reality TV, and the classics of modern dance-theater [are] formed by the choreographer into an independent oeuvre . . . the enthusiasm of the spectator is transformed directly onto the stage.” —Der Spiegel, Germany

A European sensation and a vivid marker of lightning-fast cultural change, Back to the Present combines riotous video, live rock, and ever-evolving scenic elements. Irreverently mixing high and low, humor and tragedy, choreographer Constanza Macras creates outsized works that are more “performance happening” than dance. This Argentina-born Berlin-based artist has been dramatically influenced by the creative and cultural intensity of post-unification Germany. Set against a backdrop of stuff that never dissolves—passionate love letters, old phone numbers, and abandoned theater props—this piece asks us to decide what is memory and what is just storage. . . .

“Silent movies, slapstick, horror movies, MTV, reality TV, and the classics of modern dance-theater [are] formed by the choreographer into an independent oeuvre . . . the enthusiasm of the spectator is transformed directly onto the stage.” —Der Spiegel, Germany

A European sensation and a vivid marker of lightning-fast cultural change, Back to the Present combines riotous video, live rock, and ever-evolving scenic elements. Irreverently mixing high and low, humor and tragedy, choreographer Constanza Macras creates outsized works that are more “performance happening” than dance. This Argentina-born Berlin-based artist has been dramatically influenced by the creative and cultural intensity of post-unification Germany. Set against a backdrop of stuff that never dissolves—passionate love letters, old phone numbers, and abandoned theater props—this piece asks us to decide what is memory and what is just storage. Note: performance contains nudity.


Sponsored by Merrill Lynch.

The U.S. tour is supported through a generous gift by the Goethe Institut, Munich. Additional support is provided by Sage and John Cowles.