BA\ROCK is an energetic double bill by Belgian choreographer Jeroen Verbruggen, created for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève in 2016. Rather than telling a conventional story, the work places sophisticated contemporary choreography in dialogue with the complexity, ornamentation, and rhythmic drive of Baroque music.
The programme consists of two contrasting works: Iris, set to music by Domenico Scarlatti and François Couperin, and Vena Amoris, choreographed to music by Jean-Philippe Rameau. Together they create an abstract and visually expressive exploration of the relationship between movement and music.
In Iris, Verbruggen works with the intricate structures of Scarlatti and Couperin, transforming their keyboard music into precise, highly articulated physical patterns. Vena Amoris takes a more expansive and theatrical approach to Rameau’s music, combining rigorous choreographic structures with unexpected shifts, eccentric gestures, and an exuberant stage atmosphere.
The title BA\ROCK reflects Verbruggen’s intention to confront the elegance and formal richness of the Baroque with the energy and attitude of contemporary rock. The “rock” is not a reference to the musical score itself, but to the choreographer’s approach: surprising, unconventional, excessive, and deliberately resistant to strict conventions.
With 22 dancers of the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, scenography by Émilie Roy, costumes by Emmanuel Maria and Jeroen Verbruggen, and lighting by Rémi Nicolas, BA\ROCK turns Baroque counterpoint and ornamentation into a sophisticated contemporary movement language.
