Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has used the cadence and structure of the Rosary to create an enigmatic dance work. Fátima Nollén meets the Belgian choreographer

Catholics tend to regard the Rosary as a contemplative form of prayer –  sometimes, even a calming mantra – while for some outside the Church, its beads seem more of a fashion statement. But Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker has done something ­altogether different with the Rosary: she’s made it an inspiration for a dance work. 

The genesis of the piece dates back to 1674, when composer Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber – himself a gifted violinist – created a ­wonderful score, The Mystery Sonatas, inspired by the 15 sacred mysteries of the life of the Virgin Mary. His intention was for it to assist the recitation of the Rosary as a religious practice. He divided the score into three cycles coinciding with its decades at the time: five joyful, five sorrowful and five glorious sonatas. 

De Keersmaeker has used this intricate Baroque score – which uses the rare element of scordatura, and contains dances such as gigues, allemandes and courantes – to create her Mystery Sonatas / for Rosa, performed by her company Rosas at Sadler’s Wells at the month-long Van Cleef & Arpels’ Dance Reflections festival.