We recently had the pleasure of experiencing In the Brain, the latest full-length work by Hofesh Shechter’s junior company, Shechter II, at the Théâtre de la Ville (Les Abbesses). It was a raw, electrifying dive into movement and rhythm that successfully bridged the gap between the intensity of a rave and the focused artistry of the stage.
The production is deeply rooted in the concept of collective energy and the transcendental quality of nightlife. Developed from Shechter’s earlier work CAVE, In the Brain explores what happens when we surrender to the rush of movement and the weight of the bass. It is designed to be part rave and part ritual, where the dancers don’t just perform; they unleash, attempting to shatter the barrier between stage and audience.
For those of us who spend a lot of time in the electronic music scene, seeing this kind of high-caliber contemporary dance is a welcome treat. We often find that dance elements at club and rave events—such as the go-go dancers we’ve seen at venues like Kilomètre25 or even the more production-heavy nights at Amnesia in Ibiza can feel disconnected. Too often, performers at these events are poorly choreographed, dancing off-rhythm and seemingly tacked onto the music rather than being integrated with it. In the Brain provided exactly what is missing from those club experiences: a sophisticated, visceral, and genuinely artistic exploration of how the body responds to the beat.
What makes this work truly remarkable is the incredible collective effort that allows the company to distill the highs, the lulls, and the chill of an entire night of raving into a concentrated 55-minute experience. And it is weird and magic that they can gather such an energy in front of a totally mute and motionless room packed with people – but we loved it. Watching them demonstrate that one can dance in a state of deep trance to moments of music that an inexperienced clubber might qualify as “undanceable” was a revelation.
The absolute highlight of the production was the music by Âme (Kristian Beyer & Frank Wiedemann). Their contribution was brilliant, proving once again that techno possesses a profound artistic value that extends far beyond the dancefloor. The pulse and urgency of their compositions were essential to the show’s atmosphere, grounding the performance in a way that felt both sophisticated and visceral. It was a joy to be immersed in this soundscape within a theatrical context.
But, the production was not without its flaws. Our main critique lies with the costume design by Osnat Kelner. We didn’t understand the artistic intent, the use of long skirts felt largely inappropriate for the specific, high-intensity movement vocabulary on stage. Most frustratingly, these garments constantly blocked our view of the dancers’ footwork. Given how much of Shechter’s choreography relies on intricate, grounded, and rapid-fire steps, the choice of costume felt like a significant oversight. It was distracting and prevented us from fully appreciating the technical prowess of the performers, as if the wardrobe was working against the choreography rather than enhancing the freedom Shechter clearly intended to evoke.
Despite the frustration of the costumes obscuring the movement, In the Brain remains a compelling, must-see watch. The theatre was absolutely packed, and the energy in the room culminated in rounds of enthusiastic clapping as the audience clearly connected with the performance. It is a testament to the raw energy of the Shechter II company and a bold experiment in bringing high-end electronic music into the professional dance world. If you are a fan of Âme, or simply interested in how rhythm can be used to build a collective dream of connection and you want to see what happens when professional choreography actually respects the power of the beat this is a show worth seeing.