“No matter how many pieces I’ve done, starting a new one never gets easier. Transforming our suffering, not as therapy, but to touch something larger amongst us is what I hope for each time I enter the studio… and the love for that suffering never tires.” One of the most infamous choreographers of our times, Marco Goecke describes an intrinsic need to say something of value all the while underpinning the immense vulnerability and courage in which it takes to say it. “Once a new piece is out, it’s done, it’s no longer mine… but somehow the ghosts of the past remain… and not without their way of coming back to haunt you - nevertheless, I prefer to just keep moving forward. Perhaps it’s the price for saying something.”

Once a student of the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung, Marco Goecke returns to create the grand finale in our 15th anniversary celebrations. Since his time in Munich, Goecke has moved on to create an astonishing 100 creations within 30 years and is undoubtedly one of the most sought after dance creators of our times. The uncompromising relentlessness and pursuit for artistic authenticity lies at the heart of his choreographic vision and cultivating these qualities together with dancers with which he works is perhaps one of the greatest love stories that exists. To be in direct contact with such a visionary creative voice may very well count as one of the immeasurable experiences for our dancers as they make their way on the trajectory from students to professional artists.

Goecke has looked towards the British progressive rock band Pink Floyd to provide the musical basis for his new creation, selecting "Wish You Were Here" (1975) and "Dogs" (1977). Known as one of the first British psychedelic bands, Pink Floyd have become a cultural phenomenon through the scope of their sonic experiments, the extended length of their compositions and the philosophical lyrics that linger just beyond the periphery of our understanding. Thematically speaking, where "Wish You Were Here" juxtaposes greed and ambition within the age-old battle of compassion and idealism, the extended 17-minute "Dogs", first released on the album “Animals”, is a prime example of the album’s Orwellian concept of comparing human behaviour to various animals. "Dogs" concentrates on the aggressive and often ruthless world of business through the protagonist of a high-powered businessman. From his outwardly charming respectability, to the emptiness of existence catching up with him, the final phrases compare aspects of business life with the nature of dogs directly – from being “trained not to spit at the fan” or being rewarded for good behavior (“given a pat on the back”) or losing one’s individuality entirely (“broken by trained personnel”) – one can only imagine what visual dimensions Goecke will provide us through the sheer scope of his vast choreographic invention.

World premiere on 11 June 2025 as part of the ‘BJBM in Prinzregententheater’ performance series at the Prinzregententheater Munich