Episode 4. Forty years of Unfolding Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich

In 1982, before her company Rosas even existed, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker premiered Fase, Four Movements to the Music of Steve Reich. Over the years, Fase has been passed on to multiple generations of dancers, meaning that over 40 years later, the story of this piece continues. In 2025, STUK’s annual dance heritage festival, Body of Work - Unfolding Fase, was fully built around this classic in Flemish contemporary dance. As part of the festival’s exhibition interviews with dancers from different generations were shared. In this episode, we open up the exhibition archives to share those interviews. In this episode we listen to Michèle Anne De Mey—the original dancing partner of De Keersmaeker, Tale Dolven, who took over De Mey’s role, Yuika Hashimoto and Soa Ratsifandrihana of the third cast, and Madison Vomastek—one of the newest members of Fase’s lineage at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. They unfold the intricacies, challenges and humanness of dancing this iconic piece. Sound featured in the episode: Piano Phase, by Steve Reich. Performed by Jean-Luc Fafchamps and Jean-Luc Plouvier, 2008 — Come Out, by Steve Reich (Nonesuch Records) — Theme music composed by Inne Eysermans. Voices of: Michèle Anne De Mey, Tale Dolven, Yuika Hashimoto, Soa Ratsifandrihana, Madison Vomastek Interviews: Delphine Hesters Narration: Tessa Hall First montage: Hennie Roukaerts