What the Body Does Not Remember

The Body of Work festival revives the iconic performance by Wim Vandekeybus about risk, instinct, and survival.

The 1987 debut of Wim Vandekeybus and Ultima Vez stunned the dance world of the time. What the Body Does Not Remember redefined what dance can be and received the prestigious Bessie Award for its ‘brutal confrontation between dance and music’.

Four decades later, this groundbreaking production returns, reimagined in a version with a new cast. This revival expands upon the original with 17 minutes of new music composed by Thierry De Mey and a newly choreographed scene that deepens the work’s legacy of risk, instinct and survival.

What the Body Does Not Remember is presented in the frame of Body of Work, STUK’s festival for living dance heritage. In this third edition that runs from 22 April to 8 May, you can also look forward to unique interpretations by different generations of non-professional dancers, a dance film program, workshops where you can dance yourself and learn to make your own dance film, an exhibition, concerts, and more!

What the Body Does Not Remember is presented as part of the third edition of Body of Work, STUK’s festival for living dance heritage. The festival takes place from 22.04-08.05.

direction & choregraphy Wim Vandekeybus performed by Cola Ho Lok Yee, Paola Taddeo, Adrian Thömmes, Hakim Abdou Mlanao, Lotta Sandborgh, Alessia Lanotte, Cory Hugo Milan, Faustino Blanchut, Koen Kaya Eye, Nikoletta Polyzoi original music Thierry De Mey & Peter Vermeersch concept & realisation tablemusic (BIS) Thierry De Mey rehearsal director Eduardo Torroja costume design Isabelle Lhoas, assisted by Simon Perotti technicians Schröder Pepijn Mesure production Heleen Schepens, Kenneth Raemaekers distribution Julia Bouhjar Ensemble Intercontemporain (live version): musical coordination & percussion Samuel Favre clarinet Martin Adámek, Alain Billard, Jérôme Comte trombone Lucas Ounissi piano Hidéki Nagano, Sébastien Vichard saxophone Vincent David (additional musician) violin Hae-Sun Kang cello Renaud Déjardin double bass Nicolas Crosse co-production Philharmonie de Paris, Scène Nationale de Maubeuge, KVS Brussels’ Flemish city theatre co-direction Ircam-Centre Pompidou, Philharmonie de Paris in the frame of ManiFeste-2026, Ircam festival presenting partners Philharmonie de Paris, Romaeuropa Festival, L’Onde Théâtre Centre d’Art, Théâtre des Salins – Scène nationale de Martigues, Teatro della Tosse, Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg, Le Manège Maubeuge – Scène nationale, Concertgebouw Brugge, CCHA – Cultuurcentrum Hasselt, STUK Arts Centre, La Monnaie / De Munt with the support of Tax Shelter measure of the Belgian Federal Government Ufund, Ultima Vez is supported by the Flemish Community & the Flemish Community Commission of the Brussels Capital Region

Thu 22 Apr '27 20:00