For the first time in North America, Germany's very own b-boy crew Flying Steps delivered a one-of-a-kind performance to the music of Johann Sebastien Bach at the St. James United Church in Montreal (463 Sainte-Catherine St. West). Red Bull Flying Bach was presented for the first time in April 2010 in Berlin (GER) and traveled to North America for three shows in Montreal, with the opening show that was held tonight, where the dancers showed a new way of interpreting classical music with the combination of powerful performances and creative ideas. Red Bull Flying Bach delivered a unique performance and let the spectators live an experience filled of a full range of emotions.
Seven male dancers, one female dancer, and two pianists performed to “The Well-Tempered Clavier”, a central piece in Bach’s creative output, which included preludes, fugues, dimension, struggle, sorrow, and joy. Breakdance met contemporary. Man met woman. Desire met denial. Arrogance met curiosity. “We have been wanting to produce a crossover project for a rather long time already. But not until Christoph Hagel came along did we find an artist who helped us come to a deeper understanding of this music. Through him we learned for the first time not only how to interpret the notes, but also to read,” said Vartan Bassil, choreographer and dancer.
Flying Steps was founded in 1993 by Kadir “Amigo” Memis and Vartan Bassil (both from Berlin), and the crew specialize in forms of urban dance that include b-boying (breakdance), popping, and locking. They won four breakdance world championships and are well-known for successful music projects and top-class performances on big stages around the world. On October 17, 2010, Flying Steps and the group's artistic director, Christoph Hagel, were awarded the ECHO Klassik special jury prize for the Red Bull Flying Bach project. The ECHO Klassik award is classical music's top award. Every year the Deutsche Phono-Akademie—a cultural institute formed by Germany's music industry—hands out several categories of the award to reward national and international artists for successful performances and recordings of note.
At this year's Montreal Bach Festival, the crew Flying Steps helps discover classical music in a whole new light with breakdance shows with high-energy performances combined with creative ideas to deliver a truly unique event.
About the Montreal Bach Festival
The Montreal Bach Academy was founded in 2002 and presents concerts, public courses, and a symposium to celebrate the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. The 2010 edition of the festival, a major musical event that contributes to the richness or cultural and social life in the city, is taking place from November 26 to December 8, 2010.
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