Imperial Ball

Belgian choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui is fascinated by the social significance of Johann Strauss‘ dance compositions. He wants to analyse society's need to control its citizens through aristocratic codes of conduct, which we find at balls and social gatherings of the elite: The idea of a ball can be restrictive, but it can also be a place of connection and liberation; different rules apply in these spaces. Is dancing – when it is socially celebrated – still freedom?