Johan Inger’s daring contemporary take on Ravel’s Bolero. The work brings waves of emotion – first laughter, then tears – and employs a long, movable wall that can also be viewed as a symbol of the barriers people construct in their relationships.

Leadership support for Walking Mad was provided by The Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer New Works Endowment Fund.

"Of all the dances I’ve seen inspired by the hypnotic crescendo of Ravel’s ‘Bolero,' this is the most interesting. It used familiar music in a new way, exploring just about everything that could be done with a movable wooden wall and nine dancers. Inger led Stockholm’s Cullberg Ballet for five years, and Walking Mad was infused with the stark, unsettling and quirkily theatrical style of that experimental company. Were the men flirting with the woman they discovered huddled alone in a shadowed corner of the stage? Or — as they tossed her higher and more roughly from man to man — were they assaulting her? Images of affection quickly and subtly turned ambiguous. Clever humor took a dark turn. I’m eager to see more from Inger.” 

– Sarah L. Kaufman, The Washington Post