SENSORIAL SYMPHONIES
Touring pack
Zoë Schlanger
What if we could feel the world as plants do?
In Sensorial Symphonies, Associate Artist of Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, Elisabeth Schilling embarks on a radical experiment, reshaping our perception of existence itself. Set against the backdrop of Sergei Rachmaninov’s iconic Piano Concerto No. 2—reimagined and interwoven with a contemporary score by Pascal Schumacher and the organic sounds of The Plant Philharmonic—this creation is as ambitious in scope as it is intricate in execution.
Sensorial Symphonies invites the audience into an immersive, multi-sensory journey, where plants are not mere decorative metaphors but active protagonists, taking centre stage with their elaborate, interconnected systems. The choreography honours the wisdom of plant life, its symbiotic relationships, resilience, and boundless adaptability, asking us to reconsider our place in a shared ecological web.
The piece transcends human-centric narratives, celebrating plants as both subjects and collaborators. Through touch, scent, design, sound and movement, it encourages us to not only see but also feel vegetal life, challenging Aristotle’s legacy relegating plants to the lowest rung of being. This is a politics of perception, a push to elevate the status of the natural world in our collective consciousness.
Musically, the work is equally groundbreaking. Schumacher’s score blends Rachmaninov’s unmistakable emotional depth with the minimalist, organic tones of plant-generated sound. The intersection of these seemingly opposing forces—Rachmaninov’s sweeping romanticism and the subtle, non-human frequencies of The Plant Philharmonic—creates a sonic landscape as layered and complex as the ecosystems it seeks to evoke. The contrast is deliberate, compelling us to rethink what virtuosity means: the mastery of human artistry versus the understated yet exquisite expression of plant life.
Performed by an all-female cast, the choreography mirrors the vegetal world’s relational, non-hierarchical structures. Dancers move with a fluidity that reflects the distributed organisation of plants, forming patterns of mutuality and reciprocity. Group sequences unfold like ecosystems, interdependent, dynamic, and teeming with unseen forces.
Yet, Sensorial Symphonies does not shy away from the contradictions it explores. The theatre—a human-made space—contrasts starkly with nature’s untamed vitality. Elisabeth Schilling’s work embraces this tension, examining how the slow, expansive temporality of plants can find expression within the urgency of live performance. How can nature’s boundlessness be contained within the confines of a theatre? These questions, embedded into the fabric of the work, invite us to confront our own separation from the natural world.
Through its rich interplay of music, movement, and sensory design, Sensorial Symphonies resists easy interpretation, insisting instead on an experiential, almost tactile engagement with its themes. In Elisabeth Schilling’s hands, dance becomes nature’s exuberant music—an inquiry, a transformation, a way of perceiving the world anew. This is not just a profound performance; it is an act of reclamation.
PLANT SOUNDS / TECHNICALITIES
SCALE
IN CONVERSATION WITH ELISABETH
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
TOURING
Premiere:
27th, 28th, 30th September, 02nd October 2025 – Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg
01st October 2025 – Mosel Musikfestival
18th October 2025 – Dance Live Festival Aberdeen
23rd October 2025 – The Byre Theatre, St. Andrews
01st & 2nd November 2025 – Cumbernauld Theatre, Cumbernauld
4th November 2025 – An Lanntair, Outer Hebrides
6th November 2025 – Mareel, Shetland Islands
Available for touring in 2026 & 2027.