About the work
"Uprising" is a dance piece by the Israeli-British choreographer Hofesh Shechter, who created both its choreography and its music. It premiered on 24 June 2006 in London (The Place) and is among Shechter's early key works. In 2026 "Uprising" was, in Germany, part of a three-part dance evening at an opera house centred on the power dynamics among men.
Plot
Seven men emerge from the half-dark and flood the stage with an energy of rage, bonding and rivalry: they ally, spar, reconcile and clash again. Without a continuous plot, "Uprising" speaks of group dynamics, masculinity, solidarity and aggression – carried by Shechter's own percussive, driving score and a raw, earthy movement language. At the end, an image of revolt and togetherness rises up, deliberately held in suspense between threat and hope.
Cultural significance
Hofesh Shechter is among the most influential choreographers of the present day; his hallmark is the fusion of dance and self-composed, often powerful music into an almost physically palpable total experience. "Uprising" is one of the works that marked his international breakthrough and is still danced by companies worldwide (including the Paris Opera Ballet). That the piece is embedded in a dance evening at an opera house demonstrates how firmly Shechter's signature is anchored in the repertoire of contemporary dance theatre.