ARBEIT MACHT FREI – Choreography by Darren McIntyre
Arbeit macht frei is a German phrase translated as “Work makes [one] free” or, more idiomatically, “Work sets you free” or “Work liberates”.
Today, “Arbeit macht frei” is recognized worldwide as a haunting symbol of the Holocaust. The original gate at Auschwitz was stolen in 2009 but later recovered and is now preserved in the Auschwitz museum, while a reproduction remains at the camp entrance. The phrase serves as a reminder of the atrocities committed and the manipulation of language to mask oppression, illustrating how a concept of moral or personal liberation was perverted into a tool of terror and death.
This rehearsal video of was taken during the final stages of the creative process. This piece was created for and performed by The Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet.
DARREN McINTYRE 