Rare dance form's mind-bending illusion makes it look like the dancers' bodies are merging into one another

In the world of art, every day is a new opportunity to create something that the world has never seen before. Particularly, dance forms have evolved so much that what we perceive to be trendsetting keeps changing every few years. However, some creations are timeless and no matter how many years pass by people will still enjoy them. One such incredible creation was D'avant, a dance form based on optical illusion that would leave the audience in awe. This dance recently caught the internet's attention after an Instagram video shared by one of its creators Damien Jalet (@damienjalet) broke the internet.

Jalet is a world-renowned independent French Belgian choreographer and dancer who often collaborates with other artists. In 2002, Jalet along with choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Luc Dunberry and Juan Kruz Diaz de Garaio Esnaola created D'avant at the Schaubühne in Berlin. Reminiscing the time when he and Dunberry gave a jaw-dropping performance of D'avant, Jalet shared the 22-year-old video which had received over 20 million views so far. The art form involved two dancers whose costumes seemed to have been connected somehow near their torso and their orchestrated movements made it seem like the duo's bodies were intersecting each other. They were dressed up in contrasting suits and one needs to look twice before comprehending how they could pull off this illusion.

The video blew people's minds and thousands of comments poured in. "This is incredible. Such a cool use of perspective and optical illusion, I'm in love," commented @thewhatevermatt. "I've watched this 10 times already, I can't understand the combination," wrote @daniya692021. "I saw them in BUENOS AIRES ARGENTINA many years ago and never forget them! How wonderful to find it to see it again," commented @jorgemahatmacosta. "It takes a special kind of creative thinking to come up with something as original as this," lauded @johnhenryrichardson.

As per My Modern Met, D'avant was the brainchild of the four creators' shared love for dance and music. Dunberry and Esnaola are popular choreographers keen on showcasing their original work and are also established members of the Sasha Waltz and Guests, a Berlin-based dance company. Cherkaoui, an established artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders is also a renowned choreographer and dancer. Jalet whose focus is mostly on theater has made notable works including his choreography in the 2019 dance film, "Anima" starring Radiohead's Thom Yorke. The team of four was just in their 20s when they created this masterpiece in 2002. 

Jalet mentioned in the caption that the choreographers toured the world to showcase this mind-boggling illusion dance for 13 years. It's been almost a decade since this one-of-a-kind creation had been performed, but the creators still regard it with high esteem. In fact, even a 13-year split between Cherkaoui and Jalet didn't stop this incredibly creative team from carrying this dance form to different parts of the world. The D'avant is a graceful and amusing blend of various art forms including dance, humor and theatrics amalgamating into a therapeutic performance. The sound of the audience laughing in the video's background is enough to prove the impact that D'avant and its creators had made.