Dances for the Future

How will we live in 200 years? How will we dance? How will we make music? To mark the 200th anniversary of Johann Strauss Jr., the world premiere of Strauss 2225: Dances for the Future by Robert Binet explores these questions in depth —through new libretti and compositions, as well as a choreography created specifically for the dancers of the youth company of the"Whoever looks back on two centuries of history also bears the responsibility “Those who look back on two centuries of history also bear the responsibility of shaping two centuries of the future. For me, this raised the question: Who will be the Strauss of the future? Someone who creates music that brings people together and keeps them dancing all night long. I’m not just interested in the dance itself, but also in this: In what kind of world will people be dancing in 200 years?” (Robert Binet)

In four parts, the young ensemble engages with the music, surrenders to it, plunges into it, seeks and finds itself in it as well as in the lyrics, which were written by a wide variety of personalities as an alternative form of a ballet libretto.

In Dances for the Future, the dancers are entirely themselves—or versions of themselves: not characters, but people in four different universes, with all their longings, fears, and hopes, told through the language of dance.

Following a successful run at NEST, the piece is now making a guest appearance with two performances at the Royal Ballet’s Next Generation Festival in London.