In this full-length ballet, the anguish and poignant beauty of Mahler’s Symphony seem to be written into the bodies of the dancers. Music and movement merge into a whirlpool of frenetic activity and then give way to serenity, childish naivety and virtuosity en pointe. The choreography finds its stance and fiction in the architecture of the Symphony, while a restless anxiety underscores the dancers grace and virtuosity.

Since his arrival at Ballett am Rhein in 2009 Schläpfer has revitalised the company with Tanz magazine voting it ‘Best Company of the Year’ in both 2013 and 2014 ‘because here meticulous dancing is coupled with wise choice of repertoire, basking in a strongly individual creative spirit’.