Delirious Night – Cie. Mette Ingvartsen

ImpulsTanz [ENA] In Delirious Night, choreographer Mette Ingvartsen in frames of ImpulsTanz Festival, unleashes a visceral and wildly captivating exploration of ecstatic dance and collective release. Performed by nine masked dancers dressed in flamboyant, era-blurring costumes, the piece erupts like a choreographic fever dream—equal parts medieval rave, social experiment, and post-pandemic catharsis.

Drawing inspiration from historic “choreomania” episodes, Ingvartsen revives the phenomenon not as a historical curiosity but as a vital, contemporary act of bodily revolt. Set to the unrelenting live drumming of Will Guthrie, the dancers build and sustain an astonishing kinetic energy. What begins as a stylized masquerade ball quickly spirals into a full-body trance—a physical crescendo of disinhibition and shared abandon. There is no neat narrative here, but rather a potent emotional arc. The performance is a study in transformation: from rhythm to chaos, from individuality to ecstatic collectivism.

In a post-lockdown world, Delirious Night feels both radical and necessary—a celebration of bodies reclaiming space and sensation. Ingvartsen continues to push the boundaries of what dance can be: urgent, messy, liberating, and deeply human. Delirious Night is not just seen—it is felt in the chest, the gut, and the soles of your feet. A highlight of this year’s ImPulsTanz.