Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on November 2010

Photo by Pierre Grosbois

A soccer game is an unlikely choice of material for contemporary dance, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens when choreographer Pierre Rigal reenacts the legendary 1982 World Cup semifinal between France and West Germany. For Rigal, it’s an opportunity to meditate on what, to his nine-year-old self, was a catastrophic loss by a plucky French side against a domineering opposition. He tells this story of high drama with a cast of four dancers and artful staging, recasting an ancient rivalry in sporting form and reigniting memories of WWII. For good measure, former Japan coach Philippe Troussier will be on hand to provide commentary.

Loss Time
Contemporary dance performance based on the 1982 World Cup semifinal between France and Germany. Dec 10-12, 7:30pm, ¥2,000 (adv)/¥3,000 (door). Theater Cai, Ryogoku. Tel: French Institute of Tokyo 03-5206-2500.