Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker Rewrites 'A Love Supreme' with New Cast

Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, a leading European choreographer since the 1980s, has completely rewritten her 2005 choreography 'A Love Supreme', set to John Coltrane's legendary 1964 album. The piece, created with Salva Sanchis for Compagnie Rosas, now features a new cast of young dancers: José Paulo dos Santos, Bilal El Had, Jason Respilieux, and Thomas Vantuycom. The performance begins in absolute silence, with four dancers in black moving across the stage, lifting and carrying one central performer. When the music erupts, their sharp, flowing gestures visually embody Coltrane's four-movement suite: Revelation, Commitment, Faithfulness, and Thanksgiving. De Keersmaeker's abstract, minimalist vocabulary uses repetition and spatial exploration, inspired by composers like Steve Reich, Bartók, Berg, Schönberg, Gérard Grisey, Miles Davis, and Coltrane. The choreography, though appearing improvisational, follows a rigorous internal logic, with unison movements flowing from solos and duets. Lighting design creates giant shadows on walls, multiplying the dancers and amplifying expressive power. The work was presented at Fabbrica Europa in Florence.