Review: XENOS at Grand Théâtre

To wrap up our October reviews, some brief words on Xenos - the most enticing performance we have seen this season. Akram Khan is back once again to the Grand Duchy, this time with a work reflecting on the horrors of war. While most of the performance seemed to focus on the pain endured by colonial soldiers called by Western powers to fight in World War I, brave men stripped of their culture to fight for a cause they did not embrace, one could say that the general message suited any context of military conflict.

Through dance and music, the artists take us on a trip across several realities of war, with a special take on the role of technology on the evolution of the concept. Khan was the central figure of the show, tirelessly performing for over one hour with both passion and meaning. There were very few moments during the night when you failed to grasp the emotion attached to each dance sequence, even if the interpretation of individual scenes might have varied for members of the audience. It is not easy to reach such a sublime balance between the aesthetic value of a choreography and the depth of the message it is trying to pass, yet, as always, Khan did not fail his public.

The show was quite good as it was until the last scene but, honestly, the ending blew our minds. The symbolism surrounding the earth and pines had a marvellous climax, and the introduction of Mozart's Requiem gave the performance such a strength that a standing ovation might not have been enough. Congratulation to the entire company.

Image credit: Jean-Louis Fernandez

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