Dane Hurst's Animalis

Renowned choreographer Dane Hurst and his team of award-winning dancers and designers brought a powerful new dance work to the Gallery’s mausoleum as part of Ribera: Art of Violence in 2018.

Entitled Animalis (the Latin word for breath or soul), the performance responds to the shocking and sensational work by the Spanish Baroque artist, Jusepe de Ribera. Hurst’s trio of dancers give form to the emotional tensions, psychological resonances and physical impulses captured on the artist’s 17th-century canvases, resulting in a powerful interpretation of human suffering.

The performance took place in the Gallery’s intimate mausoleum every Sunday as part of the exhibition - and you can now watch it in full below.

Of the project, Dane Hurst said: “Whilst Ribera may be an old master, his works connect to a deep, dark power that is as present and prevalent today as it was back then. I hope that visitors who see the work will get a sense of this power and find the beauty in its complexity”

Find out more about the exhibition that inspired this project, Ribera: Art of Violence.

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