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Song of Songs

Pam Tanowitz and David Lang

— ,Barbican Theatre
An ensemble of five dancers move and pose elegantly in muted clothing. At the forefront of the stage, two dancers clasp hands.

Spiritual, playful and mystical dance-theatre from choreographer Pam Tanowitz and Pulitzer prize-winning composer David Lang, inspired by one of the greatest love poems of all time.

Song of Songs (also known as The Song of Solomon) is a biblical poem of yearning, steeped in unforgettable images of the natural world.  Having wowed Barbican audiences with the outstanding Four Quartets in 2019, Pam Tanowitz joins forces with composer David Lang to bring this beautiful text to life in a glorious collage of music, poetry and movement that reimagines ancient rituals of love and courtship. 

New York-based Tanowitz deconstructs classical dance, her distinctive vocabulary shining with invention, complexity and freedom. Inspired by her exploration of the history of Jewish dance, this uplifting new work moves between abstraction and figuration to create a meditation on loving and being.

Tagged with: Theatre & dance Young Barbican Theatre and Dance Autumn 2023 More...

Running time: 1 hour, no interval

Age guidance: 12+

Post-show talk, Thu 12 Oct
Pam Tanowitz and David Lang in conversation with Gideon Lester, Artistic Director at Bard. Free to same-day ticket holders.

Captioned performance
Fri 13 Oct, 8.15pm

Find out more about Accessible Events at the Barbican.

 

Presented by the Barbican

Song of Songs is a co-commission of the Fisher Center at Bard, Barbican London, UCLA’s Center for the Art of Performance, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, with the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels. The Fisher Center at Bard is Pam Tanowitz’s artistic home.

 

 

Creative team

  • A Fisher Center at Bard Production  
  • Pam Tanowitz   Choreographer
  • David Lang   Music
  • Harriet Jung, Pam Tanowitz, Clifton Taylor, and Reid Bartelme   Production Design
  • Garth MacAleavey   Sound Design
  • Caleb Burhans   Music Supervision
  • Mary Gossy   Dramaturgy
  • Betsy Ayer   Stage Management
  • Caleb Hammons and Jason Collins   Producers
  • With Kara Chan, Christine Flores, Zachary Gonder, Brian Lawson, Victor Lozano, Maile Okamura, Melissa Toogood, Maggie Cloud (understudy)  
  • Sarah Brailey, Soprano, Emily Brausa, Cello, Caleb Burhans, Viola, Martha Cluver, Soprano, Katie Geissinger, Alto, Yuri Yamashita, Percussion  
  • ‘Breathtakingly beautiful‘
    The New York Times
  • ‘a work of masterly craftsmanship‘
    The Guardian on Four Quartets
  • ‘…dance theatre of the highest calibre‘
    The New York Times on Four Quartets

Discover

One dancer lies on the floor with their leg and toes pointing upwards while another jumps in the air behind them.

Read: Guardian interview with Pam Tanowitz

Despite her work being described as the greatest dance theatre of the century, Tanowitz can still be found ‘backstage, throwing up’ before shows. Will her new production, based on a Hebrew love poem, help her finally embrace success?

Read now

Barbican Theatre

Location
The Barbican Theatre is located within the main Barbican building. Head to Level G and follow the signs to find your seating level. 

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.

Supported by

Black text against a white background: Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels.

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