The rules of the game are simple. Like and be liked. Kill or be killed. Under the direction of choreographer Alan Lucien Øyen, Norway’s dance/theatre company winter guests deconstruct contemporary pathologies of need and narcissism.

Taking inspiration from the performer’s real-life experiences, solo work and group dynamics lay bare the brutal cost of social rituals. With an emphasis on the eloquence of pure dance, winter guests pose difficult questions about what it means to be free when every aspect of daily life is subject to constant scrutiny, manipulation, and judgement.

As the game is redrawn, the competition metastasizes into an Escher-like illustration of truth and presentation, as carefully constructed identities implode beneath the pressure of perfection, punishing all those who dare to play.

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