Creation 2026
A piece for 12 dancers
World premiere - June 21st 2026, Opéra Berlioz - Le Corum, Festival MontpellierDanse. 

THE WORK 

Five choreographic tableaus, following the five movements of Mahler’s fifth symphony, opening five choreographic portals into a deep emotional and structural journey through the human experience.

A rich tapestry of emotions and contrasts, FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN is moving from darkness to light, despair to joy and tension to release offering contrasts between solemnity and ecstasy, introspection and outward motion, drawing a sweeping narrative arc delving into themes of love, mortality, and transformation.

Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 5, composed between 1901 and 1902, marks a significant evolution in his compositional approach, reflecting both personal experiences and a shift towards more abstract musical expression.

In early 1901, Mahler suffered a near-death experience that profoundly influenced his perspective. Later that year, he met Alma Schindler - their whirlwind romance led to marriage in March 1902. These events— his brush with mortality and newfound love—deeply impacted the emotional landscape of the Fifth Symphony.

Departing from his earlier symphonies, which often incorporated vocal elements and explicit narratives, Mahler’s Fifth is purely instrumental and eschews a specific program. He emphasized that the music was conceived without external influences, aiming for a more abstract form of expression. This shift is evident in the symphony’s intricate structures and the absence of descriptive titles.

FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN is a work for 12 dancers, developing over five acts and unfolding in an open space governed by a complex and dynamic lighting storyline. The costumes created by polish designer Inez Vicher, add to the layering and richness of this choreographic voyage, exploring transformation, resilience, and catharsis.

This new work, which will open the 2026 edition of Montpellier Danse before going on tour, is all the more important in Emanuel Gat's career as a choreographer as it opens a new chapter for the company: the creation of a group of dancers based in Marseille. 

This group, currently in the process of being formed, will be composed of 12 performers from around the world, with a particular focus on the excellent dancers from the Marseille area, which has become increasingly attractive to international choreographic artists in recent years.

THE LIGHTS

The scenic concept develops further the original use of analogue lights fixtures from previous works, using lights not only as a way to determine space and atmosphere, but mainly as a musical element following its own storyline. The work around the physical movement of the light sources themselves, as a parallel line of musical and dramaturgical content, takes a whole new level, making the lights’ timeline a third active entity alongside the choreography and music.

THE COSTUMES

Inez Wicher is a Polish designer and co-founder of the fashion brand VICHER, which she created with her sister, Katarzyna Wicher. The brand is known for its bold designs. For FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN, her costume designs will complement the lighting design: long drapes of black, white, and flesh-colored silk, translucent and ultra-light, will highlight and support the performers' bodies.

CREDITS

FIVE DAYS IN THE SUN

Length: approximately 75 minutes

Choreography, scenography and lights: Emanuel Gat

Music: Gustav Mahler, Symphonie n° 5 en do dièse mineur

Costumes: VICHER

Technical director: Guillaume Fevrier

Sound designer: Frédéric Duru

Production: Emanuel Gat Dance

Company management: Marie-Pierre Guiol

Production coordinator: Mélanie Bichot

Coproduction: Montpellier Danse, Biennale Danza di Venezia, American Dance Festival, Festival de Danse de Cannes, Sadler’s Wells Londres (in progress).

Residencies: KLAP Maison pour la Danse, SCENE44 . n + n Corsino

Touring in Asia, North/South America: Thierry Bévière - DLB Spectacles - thierry@dlbdance.com

Touring Italy: Valentina Marini - valentina.marini.rm@gmail.com

Emanuel Gat Dance benefits from the support of Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication - DRAC Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, of the Région Sud - Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur and of the Conseil Départemental des Bouches du Rhône.