Bliss by illustrious Swedish choreographer Johan Inger is another popular work performed by Gibney Company. The dance is set to music from Keith Jarrett’s 1975 Koln Concert and floats on the notes. While not relying on the music entirely, the dancers use the romance and dynamism of Jarrett’s improvisations as a base for a lot of innovation and development, creating a fun, lively and dynamic layer. The dance here lives alongside the music, but has its own life. The music and the dance cohabitate the same space fostering elation and an incredible sense of journey as the dancers glide across the stage and transport the audience. Bliss is one of the first pieces Gibney Company restaged. It’s very fluid, movement driven, abstract and quixotic – and it showcases beautiful relationships that shift through the piece. It’s very joyous and matches the energy of the music beautifully. 

You can see Gibney Company perform this work in 2024 at Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur; the Chautauqua Institution; and Jacob’s Pillow.

LEAD-IN IMAGE

Gibney Company