International DANCE Festival München: The Master’s Tools

(LA)HORDE x Ballet national de Marseille at Muffathalle, Muffatwerk, Munich
May 22, 2025

The socio-political themes of the opening evening of the International DANCE Festival München continued at Muffatwerk where the dance collective (LA)HORDE, leaders of the Ballet national de Marseille since 2019, presented The Master’s Tools.

The first thing that greets the audience in the cavernous space is a black stretch limousine, a symbol of power and wealth if ever there was one. Its windscreen has been smashed and ‘We are the people’ (the opening words of the preamble to the constitution of the United States) has been spray painted down one side. In case of any doubt as to meaning and significance, its licence plate shows ‘The Beast,’ the name of Donald Trump’s limousine.

For the full duration of the piece, performers lay on it and press against it, their dress reflecting a full cross-section of society, jeans and trainers through to furs. The scene was inspired by a contest organised by car manufacturers in which whoever kissed the vehicle the longest would win it. Many people tried.

In The Master’s Tools, it does not feel like some humiliating entertainment, however. While the scene remains somewhat absurd, rather, the car is a clear metaphor for capitalism and consumerism, those pressed against it holding on to it for all they’re worth.

Around the vehicle, a gang of street protesters tag the floor, writing ‘Tomorrow is cancelled’ with their spray cans. A couple of cleaning machines trundle round almost immediately removing the words, just as evidence of protests is usually quickly removed by the authorities, but always, always, there is someone to defiantly restate it elsewhere. But the constant erasing of their protest increasingly suggests that their revolt lacks any real power to instigate change. It could not help but remind one of festival director Tobias Staab’s earlier comments about the recurring feeling of powerlessness.

At the other end of the Muffathalle under the gaze of a DJ high above the space, performers reinterpret subcultural dance styles, in particular jumpstyle, which has emerged as an expression of rebellion and resistance on the street and online, and that the company brought to the fore in To da bone.

As the performers prowl the space, it initially feels as much about asserting self and authority as anything. The dance itself feels like a hip-hop battle. But it soon gets more aggressive, more threatening, the dancers facing down those watching.

There is an anger in the dance too. Just like the writing of ‘Tomorrow is cancelled,’ it’s an act of defiance. The ensemble frequently comes together in terrifically energetic, highly structured choreography, bouncing, jumping, stepping around the space in formation. Like an army marching towards something, someone, they occasionally shout numbers. Their stamina was astounding, even more so when you consider this was the second of two back to back performances with no break. Duets and solos drop out, but always are subsumed back into the group. It is all beautifully done, tightly choreographed but appearing as if spontaneous.

It may all be very much a movement style of today, but the parallels with classical ballet, in terms of jumps, multiple turns and patterning of the ensemble, are very apparent. And that’s before we get to the precision and fabulous technique.

Adjacent to the car, film documents a performance by (LA)HORDE from 2017. Protest is again to the fore with lots of people in black hoodies, firing of water cannon and more. But it was largely ignored by the audience, for once, live action well and truly trumping video.

The work creates an interesting dynamic between the two live performance scenes, one quietly resisting, one aggressively so, and between which dancers do occasionally switch. Between audience and performer too. The former are passive observers, but what is seen and experienced does lead to a sense of community. And there are times when dancers and observers get very close indeed.

For all that The Master’s Tools makes points about the future and society, and does so very powerfully, very impressive is that it does so without it ever feeling like one is being lectured. Not once do you feel like fingers are being pointed at you, like you are being accused, like you are somehow complicit, which can so often make one ‘shut down’ or dismiss the message out of hand. Where are we going? It does make you think, which is probably the point.

More International DANCE Festival München reports:
Opening speech by festival director Tobias Staab and deader than dead by Ligia Lewis
Radio Vinci Park by Théo Mercier/Francois Chaignaud, and ÔSS by Marlene Monteiro Freitas/Dançando com a Diferença
More to follow.