Based on John Luther Adams’ Pulitzer Prize- and Grammy Award-winning composition of the same name, the choreographic duo LEE\VAKULYA, together with sound designer Fanny Thollot, set designer Yoko Seyama, and designer Damur Huang, has created a sensual Gesamtkunstwerk that explores the elemental power and endless manifestations of the ocean. The Hessian State Orchestra Wiesbaden performs under the baton of Alejandro Jassán. The production can be seen in Wiesbaden through mid-June 2026.

Composer John Luther Adams was born in Mississippi in 1953. After earning his degree in composition, he worked for many years with environmental organizations—a commitment that led him to Alaska, which became his home for 40 years. The landscape of the Pacific Northwest—light, vastness, climate—is reflected in his music, which is characterized by elements of minimal music, subtle textures, slow harmonies, and spatial sound design. In the notes to the score of "Become Ocean" (2014), Adams writes: “Life on this earth arose from the sea. As the polar ice melts and sea levels rise, we humans face the prospect of literally becoming ocean once again.” This epoch-making piece of music can be read as a meditation on the climate crisis.

From this atmospherically dense soundscape, the choreographic duo LEE\VAKULYA develops a new creation of the same name for the Hessian State Ballet. Their choreography translates the musical structure into a composition of body, technique, and space. The artwork is complemented by a massive, iridescent installation by set designer Yoko Seyama, which—flexibly adaptable—enters into a constant dialogue with the lighting and the choreography.