The Gran Teatre del Liceu premieres Hammer in Barcelona, a work by Alexander Ekman that reflects on today’s society through a physical and visual language. From June 29 to July 5, four performances of this two-act show featuring choreography by the Gothenburg Opera Dance Company.
The Gran Teatre del Liceu presents for the first time in Barcelona Hammer, an audacious and visually impactful work by Swedish choreographer Alexander Ekman, one of the most recognized names in the international scene.
Hammer, premiered in 2022 at the GöteborgsOperan in Sweden, comes for the first time to the Gran Teatre del Liceu with four performances on June 29 and 30, and July 3 and 5, offering a new opportunity to discover the universe of Alexander Ekman. Hammer is the third collaboration between the Swedish choreographer and the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and the company's debut at the theatre.
The GöteborgsOperans Danskompani is one of the leading contemporary dance companies in Europe. With 38 dancers from over 20 countries, each performer brings their own artistic sensitivity, creating a dynamic and creative ensemble that attracts the most innovative choreographers from around the world to Gothenburg to create revolutionary new works.
A high-impact staging
Conceived with the aim of creating a joyful, entertaining, and highly energetic piece, Hammer offers a scenic journey that invites reflection on the evolution of contemporary society. In the first act, a harmonious and altruistic community lives inspired by the hippie era, embracing a collective and festive attitude. Gradually, however, the arrival of modernity and constant surveillance transform this spirit into a cold, self-aware individualism. The second act portrays a fragmented world, where individuals live in solitary bubbles, dominated by image and appearances.
With an immersive staging and inclusive, high-energy dance, Ekman unfolds his universe with irony, precision, and a powerful visual language. His work focuses on how we present ourselves to others and the tension between the collective and the individual in the digital age.
Ekman, who has created nearly 50 works and collaborated with dance companies around the world, once again surprises with a vibrant piece that blends spectacle, critique, and emotion.
The music is by Swedish composer Mikael Karlsson, with whom Ekman has frequently worked since 2012, including iconic works such as Swann Lake (2014), Midsummer Night's Dream (2015), Cow (2016), and Play (2017).
A choreographer of great international acclaim
Since its premiere in 2022 at the GöteborgsOperan in Sweden, Alexander Ekman’s Hammer has stood out as one of his most powerful and vibrant creations. With the unmistakable signature of the Swedish choreographer —stage audacity, subtle humor, and striking visual aesthetics— Hammer unfolds a series of choreographic scenes that explore the transition from an altruistic and harmonious community to an individualistic and self-absorbed society. The piece, created for the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, arrives for the first time at the Gran Teatre del Liceu, where the Swedish company will also make its debut.
Alexander Ekman, born in Stockholm in 1984, is one of the most internationally acclaimed European choreographers today. His works have been performed by leading companies such as Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Nederlands Dans Theater, Semperoper Ballet, Boston Ballet, and the Sydney Dance Company. He studied at the Royal Swedish Ballet School and joined the company at just sixteen. A year later, he joined the Netherlands Dance Theatre 2, and subsequently the Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm. At the age of 21, he decided to devote himself fully to choreography as an independent artist. Throughout his career, he has created nearly fifty pieces. At the Gran Teatre del Liceu, two of Ekman’s works have previously been presented: Whim Fractured Fairytale with IT Dansa in the 2017/18 and 2018/19 seasons, and also as part of the Petit Liceu Season in 2019/20, and A Midsummer Night's Dream last season with Ballett Dortmund.
GöteborgsOperans Danskompani is one of the most innovative and renowned contemporary dance companies in Europe. Based at the Gothenburg Opera in Sweden, the ensemble consists of thirty-eight international dancers from over twenty countries who work closely with world-renowned choreographers. Its repertoire is defined by a constant search for new stage languages, a fusion of disciplines, and a desire to question the boundaries of contemporary dance. The company is committed to bold creations that engage with the present, often with strong physical and emotional intensity, connecting with audiences through experience rather than convention. Katrín Hall has been the Artistic Director of GöteborgsOperans Danskompani since 2016, a period during which she has established the company as a leading force in international contemporary dance, with a distinct identity rooted in interdisciplinary collaboration, artistic exploration, and global outreach.
With the support of:
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Benefactor of the Dance Circle:
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