Postmodern Cool

The 80s called and wanted their jazz pants back. Inés Belli offers jazz nostalgia, postmodern theories and a large portion of humor.

In the 80s, jazz dance made a big splash. Movies like Flashdance and Footlose taught us to stretch with a swing and jog on the spot. Every other youngster was dragging their chasse in the dance hall, which meant that the following decade was largely spent wearing lycra jazz pants.

Inés Belli's work Postmodern Cool deconstructs the iconic dance steps of the jazz dance repertoire. With unison movements and a large portion of humor, five dancers manage to unite this commercial dance genre with postmodernist theories. An approach that makes the work challenge established norms in both jazz dance and contemporary dance.

Inés Belli sets out to make the legendary form and style of jazz dance relevant to today's dance scenes. And she succeeds. Postmodern Cool is very much a contemporary dance work, but with a titillating nostalgia that makes the feet in the bench row step in anticipation pas de bourree ...

Watch an introduction to Postmodern cool created by Västerås Concert Hall;