Michael Clark Company: “to a simple, rock ’n’ roll . . . song”

British choreographer Michael Clark, who made his name in the 1980s for his unconventional style – combining precision and chaos, the classical and the raw, ballet and post-punk – is returning to Berlin. His new three-part evening merges diverse elements: a complex choreographic work set to a minimalistic piano composition by Erik Satie; a bright, bold piece set to Patti Smith’s punk songs; finished off by a daring, vibrant third act set to the music of David Bowie, in which this rebel of dance pays homage to the icon of pop – one of Clark’s eternal role models and sources of inspiration.

Scottish-born Michael Clark completed his training at the Royal Ballet School in London. In the following years he worked with artists such as Karole Armitage and Charles Atlas. In 1982 he created his first choreographic work, and in 1984 he established his own dance company. Since then he has created more than 40 pieces with his company, and has also collaborated with fashion designers, visual artists, musicians and filmmakers. He has been an associate artist at The Barbican Centre, London, since 2005, and has carried out numerous large-scale projects in museums and galleries for the Venice Biennale, the Tate Modern in London and the Whitney Biennale, New York.