De Keersmaeker herself is dismissive about being regarded as an icon. While acknowledging that it can be useful in terms of credibility, "the problem is that it formalises you as a person and puts you in a place where I don't situate myself". Work, she says firmly, is work. For the first time in 30 years, De Keersmaeker and Rosas are returning to Hong Kong, presenting Rosas danst Rosas, the 1983 work which propelled her to international fame, and the 2025 creation BREL. Set to the songs of another Belgian icon, Jacques Brel, the piece will see 65-year-old De Keersmaeker performing alongside co-choreographer Solal Mariotte, 41 years her junior.
The collaboration arose from a casual conversation at the end of Mariotte's time studying at P.A.R.T.S., in which the two discovered a shared fascination for Brel. "She said, 'Oh, we have to make a duet' very spontaneously," Mariotte recalls. "So I said 'Yes', laughing and not really believing it." A few years later, the work came into being. De Keersmaeker notes that Mariotte's "interest was very different from what made me connect to Brel". These differences combined with their common interests created a good starting point for the choreography.
While De Keersmaeker grew up with Brel's music and, like him, is Belgian, Mariotte is from France "and not from the same century". However, while some of the songs' subject matter and attitude feel distant to him, those that deal with themes like love, friendship and death are timeless. And Brel, with his legendary intensity, is "so vulnerable and transparent and authentic, that it touches me even if some of his songs are from another time".
De Keersmaeker says the generation gap between Mariotte and herself was "enriching for everybody", although it was sometimes challenging given the age difference and where they are at in their respective careers. She said it was important to focus "on what we share, making each other stronger", adding: "The creative process doesn't have to be a battle, but it can be very intense. The best thing is the good, positive energy—that's what we're aiming for." Mariotte says with a laugh that, while they sometimes clashed, "it was also about negotiation and we found a way to agree". The goal was striking a balance: "It's not going to work unless you find a common energy… a common artistic view."
